


Forever Home

by Shadowc44



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M, Minor Canonical Character(s), Not Blaine or Klaine Friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2014-07-12
Packaged: 2018-02-07 04:51:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 101
Words: 461,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1885773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowc44/pseuds/Shadowc44
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternate Universe. Adam Crawford is bored, and decides to adopt a hybrid pet, a human/cat named Kurt. This means Kurt can change from human to cat and back again, but has some human personality traits as a cat, and some cat personality traits as a human. Adam soon realizes just how little he knows about the responsibilities of owning this type of pet. Adam and Kurt have very different expectations, and try to determine what will best suit them both. Kurt is shocked that Adam thinks of him as a person first, and a pet second.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In this universe, hybrids can change back and forth between human and animal. They have some animal traits in their human state, and human traits in their animal state. They look either fully human, or fully cat, dog, rabbit, etc., according to their nature. They do not have any physical animal characteristic in human state, for instance, no tail or furry ears.
> 
> There are quite a few characters, roughly half from canon, and half are original. This story will not be kind to most of the canon characters.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story; they're owned by Fox. Any non-Glee characters are my own invention.

It was only 4:00 in the afternoon, and Adam Crawford was officially bored. He’d never thought he would get to that point. After all, he had plenty of money to buy various techie gadgets, and lots of time to indulge in his hobbies.

The trust fund he’d inherited was most generous, and though the terms specified he live in America, thus ensuring he wouldn’t embarrass his family back in England, that was fine with him. He’d chosen New York. He’d gone to a performing arts college there and had fallen in love with the city. It was a great place to be inspired to write. He mostly wrote short stories and novels, and every now and then a song. He loved music, but not quite as much as he loved the written word.

The problem, he’d concluded, was that he had no one to read his works. He had friends, but they weren’t that interested in his stories, and he didn’t think he was good enough to be published. He could afford to write for his own amusement, but it would be even more amusing to see if someone else could appreciate his sense of humor, or fall in love with the characters the way he did.

Well, he could always do the crossword puzzle while he figured out something more worthwhile to do. He found himself staring at the huge ad on the same page, for New Directions Pet Store.

He was intrigued by the part of the ad that mentioned all their hybrid pets were musically inclined, and sang. He really wanted to hear what their voices would be like. From what he’d seen of other people’s pets, when they were allowed to speak, their voices were normal, though they didn’t usually receive much education, so occasionally their attempts at conversation were quite comical. It had even become an Internet sensation, with people attributing all sorts of stupid and grammatically incorrect speech to pictures of hybrids in their animal form.

His family had never had a pet, but it was common enough to adopt hybrids. Most people used them for sex, though others just wanted a companion, or a playmate for their children. He looked at the faces in the ad, and the brief descriptions, but wasn’t particularly moved by any of them. Rachel seemed like a spoiled little princess, Puck seemed like more trouble than he’d be worth, Santana apparently didn’t want a male owner, and Blaine was praised to the skies, but there must be some reason no one had taken him home yet. He briefly wondered what they looked like in animal form, but it was common practice to show them in human form first.

Still, it might be worth going to the store to check out some of the others. If nothing else, it would be something different to do. The store schedule showed they were open for several more hours. Adam wrote a quick list of pros and cons to owning a hybrid. He’d already ruled out getting a pure animal pet; he wanted someone who could talk to him, as well as listen.

Adam found a parking spot within a block of the store, and snagged it. Better to walk a bit than take a chance that the store didn’t have its own parking area.

He stopped in front of the store and looked at the hybrids in the window. These were usually the ones the owners thought were most likely to be wanted. These were handsome creatures, he had to admit. He looked at the names on the tags they wore.

Yes, there was Rachel, and Blaine, and a couple of others whose pictures he hadn’t seen in the paper. Sam looked promising, but as soon as he saw Adam, he started posing and prancing around, in a manner that was far too sexual for Adam’s tastes. He was likely a cat hybrid, as was Rachel, who took one look at Adam and turned up her nose, looking over at the hybrid next to her. That one was Blaine, and he was also prancing and jumping around, his eyes wide in a begging expression. He executed a rather impressive pirouette, but when he came to a stop he looked so pleased with himself, Adam decided he could do without a showboat. He wasn’t that partial to dogs, either. Finn seemed to be another dog hybrid, though he seemed more interested in staring at Rachel than looking to see who might want to adopt him.

Walking into the store, Adam was immediately greeted by a thin man with curly hair, who greeted him effusively, and was far too ingratiating. He set Adam’s teeth on edge. Luckily, the man -- Will Schuester, he'd said -- was sent to another part of the store to check on some inventory, and Adam was waited on by his wife, the much more pleasant Emma.

“I hope you’ll find just the pet you’re looking for. If you’ll tell me a little about what you want, or don’t want, I’ll try to help you narrow down the choices. Or would you prefer to just browse? You can let me know if you want to spend some time with one or two in particular.”

“I think I’ll browse on my own a bit, thank you.” Adam was already glancing around at the cages towards the back of the store. The front of the store mostly contained collars, food bowls, beds, toys, special food, and all the other paraphernalia people spent money on for their pets. There were even tiny outfits, some very elaborate, that seemed totally redundant for animals that could take human form.

“Um, I did have a couple of questions,” he mentioned, before Emma went back behind the counter. “I assume they’re all housebroken in their animal form...”

“Oh, absolutely! They’re all very well-trained in that regard. They won’t destroy your furniture, though there are some…” She spared a glance in the window. Adam could see Blaine was running in circles, being careful not to bump into his companions. “There are some who do jump on the furniture, that we just couldn’t break of that habit. Unless you’re looking for a very enthusiastic pet?” she ended hopefully.

Adam smiled at the woman, who was obviously concerned about finding the appropriate homes for the hybrids.

“Er, I think I’d prefer one with a little less energy, perhaps not quite so high-maintenance.”

“I see.” Emma sighed, then plastered a smile on her face again. “If you want to hear any of them sing, or want to see them in their other form, just let me know.”

Adam nodded, and walked towards the cages in the back, firmly ignoring all the colorful items for sale. As far as he was concerned, all his hybrid would need was the requisite collar, a leash, some food, and…maybe a bed. He hadn’t made up his mind yet whether the hybrid would sleep on (or in) his bed, or on the floor, but they should at least be comfortable. He knew they could eat regular food in their human form, but while in animal form, their diet was more restricted. He’d heard of some people who had tried to save money by giving their hybrid regular dog or cat food, and ended up with a very sick animal. Not to mention needing to completely replace the carpet or furniture the unfortunate animal rejected the food onto.

Adam walked between the two rows of cages, and heard several voices singing. Unfortunately, they were singing different songs in different styles, so it was a bit confusing. They all did seem to have pleasant voices, though. Of course, they were also competing with each other for attention, so the volume kept rising as they caught sight of him. He supposed they were all pretty desperate to find a good home and get out of the store.

There was one cage with two hybrids in it; two cats, he supposed, by their behavior. One was Santana, whose picture he’d seen in the ad, and the other was a blond. He tried to read her name on the card around her neck, but she seemed more interested in playing games with Santana, than – oh, dear. They were doing more than playing games, it seemed. Their playful flirting had turned more aggressive.

“Get a room,” he heard someone call.

Emma hurried in, and gasped as the saw Santana starting to remove…ah, Brittany’s… clothes.

Adam blinked, and quickly moved to the next cage.

“Stop that right now, or I’m going to separate you two! That’s for quiet time, you know that!”

Adam presumed that meant after the store was closed for the night.

“And you! Puck, that is very definitely alone-time behavior! Stop it.”

He didn’t think the dog hybrid was going to listen to Emma, as he seemed to focused on the entwined couple next door. Santana had stopped trying to undress Brittany, but they were embracing each other in a way that made him blush, but made Puck even more excited.

No, Adam definitely didn’t want a hyper-sexual pet, male or female. He knew he’d be more likely to enjoy a male pet, but he did like to listen to the females sing.

He passed the cage of a male hybrid who had apparently been lamed in an accident. He appeared to be trying to find a more comfortable position, but he had to move his legs with his hands. Adam felt sorry for the poor chap, but he knew he wouldn’t be the right owner for…Artie. Hopefully he would find a gentle and patient owner, but it was generally much harder for disabled hybrids to find a home. They were not only more expensive to care for, but required more time and attention than most owners wanted to spend.

After a few more hybrids had failed to interest him, Adam was thinking about leaving and either going to another pet store, or rethinking this idea until the next day. He was beginning to think pet ownership might be a bigger responsibility than he had anticipated.

He heard a high, clear, male voice singing softly, but it was immediately drowned out by several other voices. He looked for the singer, and saw in the very last cage, a young male in a form-fitting black shirt and gold pants that clung so tightly to his lower body, they would probably need to be peeled off. Adam cleared his throat and tried to clear his mind of the unbidden thought.

The young man opened his eyes and gasped. Adam had only a brief moment to observe the exquisite face, with high, sharp cheekbones, soft, full lips, and the most gorgeous green – no, gray – no, blue? - eyes he’d ever seen. The boy seemed startled. He gasped and changed into cat form. It was so quick, Adam wasn’t sure if it was deliberate, or an involuntary reaction. It was most definitely a defense mechanism, he concluded.

Adam read the tag, and spoke softly to the cat. Its fur was long and thick, and no doubt tangled easily. He absentmindedly thought he would need to get a comb, and perhaps a brush as well, for this one. The fur varied from dark brown, to chestnut, to auburn, and even a golden blond. He was by far the most beautiful cat Adam had ever seen.

Those unusual eyes blinked at him, changing from green to a distinct gray, as the cat slowly backed away from him, ears up, back arched, and tail quivering.

His first instinct was to calm the terrified animal.

“Hello there, Kurt. Don’t be frightened, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Kurt didn’t look convinced.

Adam held out his hand, his fingertips barely poking through the holes in the cage.

Emma came to his side.

“Um, you might not want that one. He's a little…”

“Skittish?” Adam suggested, making quiet cooing noises.

Kurt leaned forward a bit towards the side of the cage Adam was on, but didn’t move any closer.

“I was going to say eccentric,” Emma clarified.

“Oh?” Adam was going to make a joke about all cats being eccentric, but decided it might not be taken the right way.

He heard an odd sound from the cat, which looked like it was sneering at Emma. Kurt sat down, curling his tail carefully around his body, as though he were trying to make himself as small as possible.

“Mm-hm,” she answered, distracted by Kurt’s reaction. “Not only is he even more independent than the average cat hybrid, he’s…different. The others try to intimidate him and scare him, but he does his best to ignore them. Which only makes them try harder to upset him,” she concluded with a sigh.

Adam nodded, but wondered why the others would pick on him. “Is it because he’s smaller than they are, or –“

“It’s hard to say,” Emma hedged. “He doesn’t try to play the way they do. He sings a lot, and they don’t like his voice. Even his speaking voice is higher than normal.”

Adam thought he heard a low murmur of displeasure from Kurt, and glanced at him again. His ears were flattened now, but he was looking at Emma, not Adam. His tail was lashing back and forth.

Emma ignored Kurt’s body language. “He’s even more fastidious than the rest, and is always impeccably groomed, as a cat or a human, so they make fun of him for that. He does love to be brushed,” she admitted, with a smile. “I have to brush him every day or he gets really annoyed. Since I don’t like cleaning up hairballs, it’s easier to brush him.”

Adam hid a smile, It sounded like Kurt knew how to get what he wanted.

“The thing is…” Emma looked up at Adam and held his gaze. “One of the dog hybrids, Dave, was so mean to him, it really scared him. He stayed as a cat for a long time, and even now he rarely takes his human form. So he might not be as well-socialized as we’d prefer. He sings when he’s human, and makes these little purring/humming sounds when he’s a cat, but he almost never speaks as a human.”

“Why not?” Adam couldn’t help but ask.

“I think he doesn’t want all the others making fun of his voice,” she concluded.

“Yo, dude,” Puck called out, “Kurt sounds like a girl, acts like a girl, and he likes guys. He doesn’t like getting dirty, in any sense of the word, and doesn’t like anyone to touch him. Not that anyone wants to,” he laughed.

Adam realized his hands were tightening into fists, and consciously relaxed them.

“Oh?” he asked, keeping his voice level. “And why is that?”

Puck shrugged. “He’s not one of the guys, not really, and not exactly one of the girls. He usually hangs out with them, because they don’t beat him up as much, but he mostly keeps to himself.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Adam said softly. To someone who knew him, that vocal inflection would make them wary, but he knew he would sound normal to the casual listener.

Puck grinned, “Fine with me, man. I don’t want him around. He tries to groom the girl cats, but they don’t really like it. He tried to groom Finn one time, when they were both in animal form, and Finn knocked him across the room.”

Emma spoke up. “Thank you, Puck, that was very helpful.” From the strain in her voice and face, Adam could tell she thought just the opposite.

“Maybe I can show you another cat,” she offered.

“That’s alright, I think I’ve seen them all here.”

Adam realized his fingers were still in the cage, and carefully drew them out.

Kurt whined in protest, and moved forward to bump the top of his head against the cage, where Adam’s hand had been.

Adam looked at him thoughtfully. Those expressive eyes had changed back to a brilliant green.

“I think I’d like to spend a little more time with Kurt here, if that’s alright.”

Emma sighed, and unlocked the cage. She very carefully lifted Kurt out and held him tightly to her chest. “Follow me, please.” She walked to a door at the end of the hall, and hit a large button with her elbow to open the door.

Adam thought he heard Kurt grumbling, but he stayed in Emma’s arms and allowed her to carry him further into the room.

The light was bright enough to see clearly but soft, rather than glaring. The carpet was an industrial type that Adam assumed could be cleaned easily and quickly if necessary. There were two chairs, and a large structure mostly covered with carpet and sisal, that looked like a cross between a jungle gym and a castle.  Kurt looked in the direction of that monstrosity and flipped his tail disdainfully. He didn’t deign to look at the toy mice, balls with bells in them, or a tiny stuffed teddy bear that were strewn across the floor.

Emma set Kurt down on the floor. He settled himself comfortably and waited, as though he were the one conducting the interview, not Adam.

Emma pointed out the cameras in the corners of the room, as well as the large window next to the door. “It’s mostly for the pets’ protection, rather than the prospective client,” she explained. “Whenever you’re ready for him to change back to human, just tell him. He can understand what you say.”

“What if he’s not ready to turn back?”

Adam thought it was a reasonable question, but Emma looked as though she’d never heard it before.

“Well, we can force him to turn back, if you want.” She pointed out a water hose, but explained that it could only be turned on from the hallway.

Adam gritted his teeth, but didn’t trust himself to speak.

“Of course, you might not want a pet that’s so uncooperative.” She gave Kurt a very stern look. He yawned, and flicked his tail at her.

Adam bit his tongue to keep from pointing out how much the gesture reminded him of the American gesture for “screw you.”

“You’re not helping your case, you know,” she scolded Kurt, then turned back to Adam. “He’s been with us for several years now, and if anyone seems like they might want to adopt him, he sabotages the interview in some way.” She raised her voice. “I hope I don’t need to remind you, Kurt, that responding the way you did the last time, will result in another bath. As a cat,” she warned.

Kurt growled softly, but it sounded more unhappy than angry.

“I’ll leave you two alone. When you’re ready to leave, press the intercom button here.” She showed him a panel near the door. “Either Will or I will let you out, but Kurt will stay in here.”

“Won’t he run out the door as soon as it’s opened?” Adam inquired, thinking of the behavior of almost every pure cat he’d ever known.

Emma shook her head. “No. There’s a low-voltage force field that’s activated when the door is opened from this side. You won’t even feel it, but if he tries to cross that threshold, he will.”

Adam glanced at Kurt again. His ears were flattened and his eyes were huge. Adam could see him trembling.

“Take as long as you like to get to know him, but don’t take it personally if he doesn’t like you. He hardly likes anyone,” she sighed heavily.

Adam would have liked some time to think through everything he’d learned, but he felt he owed it to Kurt to try to get to know him a bit. It sounded like he’d had a rough life, and maybe he was wary of strangers for good reason.

Before leaving the room, Emma paused. “Oh, by the way, I’m certain he’ll be happier with a male owner than a female, if it’s the right owner,” she concluded, looking directly into Adam’s eyes. “He might be happy enough to be a lap cat for some nice lady, but I don’t think he’d ever be happy if a woman expected anything else other than cuddles and hugs from him.”

He assumed she meant as a human, as well as a cat.

“That’s fine,” he assured her. “I don’t think I’d get along too well with a female pet, especially not if she wanted more than the occasional hug from me.”

Emma nodded, and left the room.

Adam sat in the chair and made himself comfortable. He established eye contact with Kurt, who sat up and twitched his nose. He ears came forward a bit and he was definitely paying attention.

“Well now, Kurt,” Adam began, “Let’s try to get to know one another, shall we?”


	2. Chapter 2

The cat regarded him with what seemed like sullen silence. Adam wasn’t stupid enough to try to out-wait a cat.

“Okay, let’s save some time here. If you have no interest in me possibly adopting you, just say so.”

Kurt blinked at him and sighed.

“Okay, poor choice of words,” Adam agreed. “How about this, if you want to get to know me, let me know.”

Kurt contemplated him for a bit, then stood up and slowly walked towards him. Adam leaned forward, as far as he could without falling out of the chair, and reached his hand out. When Kurt was about one inch past Adam’s reach, he stopped and sat down again.

“It’s like that, is it?” Adam chuckled. “Fine. Stay there.”

After a minute or so, Kurt stretched and leaned closer, sniffing Adam’s fingers. He took a couple of steps forward and rubbed his head against Adam’s hand, so he took the hint, and carefully stroked Kurt’s head. As he’d thought, the fur was fine, soft and thick. Kurt sat down, like he was contemplating staying a while. 

When Adam didn’t get any sign of rejection, he scratched behind Kurt’s ears. That got a deep-throated purr out of him, along with closed eyes and a slowly thumping tail.

“You like that, hm?” Adam slowly moved his hand down the side of the cat’s face, and scratched under his chin. Kurt lifted his head to make it easier.

To Adam’s surprise, Kurt abruptly flopped down and rolled onto his back, all four limbs extended.

“You want your tummy scratched, or are you going to grab onto my hand and try to rip it off?” Adam asked warily.

He took the indignant expression as a reassurance that he wouldn’t be pulling back a stump. He scratched the cat’s chest and stomach, but avoided going any lower.

Adam slowly removed his hand and watched Kurt, who sighed and rolled back onto his front again.

 

 

Outside the visiting room, Emma watched through the window and gasped at the unprecedented access Adam was granted. She hurried to the front desk and confronted her husband.

“Will, come here and look at this!”

“Aw, honey, I’m busy.”

She looked around at the store, which was devoid of customers at the moment. Will appeared to be re-arranging the doggie treats in the display case.

“Come here, Will! Kurt is actually allowing someone to pet him!”

That got Will’s attention. “Really? This I gotta see.” He followed Emma down the hallway, ignoring the other pets in their cages.

Will and Emma watched the scenario in the visiting room continue to play out. They couldn’t hear what was being said, but they had a clear view of the young blond man sitting in the chair, and the cat on the floor.

The man was talking, and whatever he was saying, the cat appeared to be listening.

“He’s paying attention?” Will asked in astonishment. “He’s not washing his face or taking a nap while someone is trying to talk to him? That’s amazing!”

 

 

Adam knew they were being observed, but tried to ignore the indignity as best he could. He supposed it was safer for Kurt, and the other pets, that someone made sure they weren’t mistreated or hurt.

He had somehow been conned into a staring contest with Kurt, which he eventually lost. He blamed it on his contacts.

“I’m not sure what else –“

Before he could finish the sentence, the cat leaped up onto his lap, and proceeded to delicately knead a little nest for himself. His claws were retracted, and Adam could have sworn Kurt was trying to smooth out any wrinkles in his trousers.

When Kurt was comfortable, he settled his body down heavily on Adam’s lap, rested his head on Adam’s thigh, and closed his eyes. Within seconds, he was emitting the most adorable purring sound.

Adam sighed quietly, and gently stroked Kurt’s neck, back and sides. Kurt curled his tail around himself, trapping Adam’s fingers between the side of his body and tail.

Well, if that wasn’t a perfect metaphor…but Adam still needed to know more about him.

“If you think you’re going to take a nap now, Kurt, you’ve got another think coming,” he warned, letting the humor seep into his voice.

Kurt yawned.

“If you’re really tired, I can come back another day,” Adam suggested.

Kurt heard that as the threat it was meant to be. He stretched and leaped gracefully off Adam’s lap and onto the floor. He turned to face Adam and sat down again.

“You’re perfectly adorable as a cat, and you know it. You’re gorgeous, and graceful, as well as stubborn and manipulative.”

Kurt didn’t seem inclined to deny any of this.

“But I’d really like the chance to talk to you as a human, and get to know you. This is a big decision for me, and for you. I want to know we’re both going to be happy before I consider adopting a pet.”

Before he’d quite finished speaking, Kurt had transformed. Adam had seen it happen a few times, with other people’s pets, but it was still startling how quickly it happened. And how convenient that they transformed from animal form to human, as fully dressed as they were before the change to animal. Adam was very aware of how tightly the black shirt fit, and the ridiculous gold pants, that somehow looked incredible on Kurt. Not to mention the dress shoes.

Kurt immediately looked around for something, and was obviously frustrated. He checked his hair with his hands, but the look of annoyance was almost comical.

Adam bit his tongue, hard, and forced himself not to smile. Kurt looked too adorable for words, but it would be most unkind to tell him that.

“I’m sorry I don’t have a mirror or a comb on me, but you look just fine, Kurt. Stunning, in fact.”

It didn’t look as though Kurt entirely trusted his words, but he did put his hands down.

“Make yourself comfortable. Would you like to sit down here?” Adam indicated the chair next to him.

Kurt shook his head rapidly and widened his eyes almost comically. “No! Vis – That’s for visitors. Clients,” he amended.

“All right, that’s fine.” Adam supposed it gave most clients a psychological advantage to be able to look down on their pets, and force them to look up.

Kurt got to his knees, and settled down, his bum resting on his heels, his hands on his knees. He lowered his eyes so he wasn’t looking directly at Adam.

“Are you comfortable like that, Kurt?”

“I’m fine,” Kurt mumbled. “Sir,” he added quickly.

“Let’s try this again. Are you comfortable?” Adam emphasized the last word.

Kurt looked up at him in curiosity, then looked down again quickly. He’d probably been trained to not look clients directly in the eye unless told to do so.

Adam wondered how much untraining he’d have to do, to end up with the pet he wanted. He waited patiently.

“Um…I’m fine, sir, like this.”

“If you would be more comfortable sitting some other way, or standing, please do so. I would imagine we’ll be talking for a little while, and I don’t want you to be in pain, or even discomfort.”

Kurt’s ears seemed to twitch slightly, and his eyes widened. Adam really fought grinning at the resemblance between Kurt-the-human and Kurt-the-cat.

Slowly, cautiously, not taking his eyes off Adam, Kurt sat on the floor with his legs crossed in front of him, his arms resting across his knees.

“Better?” Adam asked.

“Better,” Kurt acknowledged. “Thank you, sir.”

“Now, please look at me. I really prefer to talk to someone while looking into their eyes. It will help both of us to see if our words are getting through.”

Kurt slowly lifted his chin and raised his eyes. Adam wasn’t sure yet if he liked that little bit of defiance or not. It was clear, no matter how much they’d tried to train it out of him, Kurt did not like being told what to do. It would be wise to keep that in mind, though he knew there were times Kurt would simply have to obey him. There would be time enough to figure that out, though.

Adam rested his arms along his thighs, and resisted the urge to grasp his knees. There was no point in showing Kurt quite how nervous he was.

“All right. Let’s start with a couple of things about me, and then I want to know about you. I live alone, and my family is back in England. So you won’t have to get used to anyone else being around on a regular basis.

“I have some friends who come over now and then, and once a month I get together with some of my mates from college, and we sing, just for fun. We take turns at different people’s homes. The next one is scheduled to be at my place, and if I adopt you, you’re welcome to listen to us, and join us in singing, if you like.”

Kurt looked so shocked, yet hopeful, Adam’s heart ached.  
        
“Really? You – you want me – to sing? With you? And – and your friends?”

He wondered why Kurt thought the idea so unlikely.

“Of course. I’ve only heard a little bit of your singing, but what little I heard was lovely.” Inspiration struck, and Adam leaned a bit closer. “Would you like to sing for me again? Now?”

Kurt opened and closed his mouth a few times, blinking rapidly.

“I don’t mean to upset you or push you. If you don’t want to, you certainly don’t have to. But I love music, and if you’re going to live with me, you’re going to have to put up with my singing, and sometimes my friends. I’d like you to feel free to sing, as well.”

Kurt inhaled deeply, then exhaled. 

Adam waited for him to calm himself.

“You don’t think your friends would mind me joining you?”

“Of course not. Why would they?”

“But I’m a hybrid. I’m not – they’re not – they might think I’m trying to get above myself, to be something I’m not.”

“What? I’m sorry, what do you mean?”

“They might think I’m trying to be too human. That’s what – why Mr. Will couldn’t – people didn’t want to hear us, they didn’t like the idea. The audience, they laughed at us, threw things at us – rotten fruit, all kinds of things. It was horrible.”

Adam felt tears welling in his eyes, and didn’t try to stop them.

“I’m so sorry, Kurt, that those people didn’t appreciate you or your friends.”

Kurt shook his head, which Adam took to mean the others weren’t really his friends.

“Well, if it’s any consolation, my singing group in college used to get booed by people at almost every performance. Some people loved us, and got us, and let us be who were are. Others were always angry that we didn’t conform to who they wanted us to be.”

Kurt’s eyes were wide again, his attention fully focused on Adam.

“Really? But why? I mean, you’re human, like them, what was their problem?”

Adam smiled, a trifle bitterly. “I don’t know, Kurt. There are always going to be some people who won’t like you, or what you do, or what you stand for, and they don’t have any problem letting you know. Others will be more open-minded and appreciate what you’re trying to do, even if they don’t fully understand it. Some will just get it, and enjoy it. They might not even get it the same way we do, but they enjoy it. They like what they’re perceiving, even if it’s not quite the same as what we’re presenting.”

He paused and looked at Kurt, who was frowning in concentration.

“Does that make sense?”

“You’re asking me?” Kurt seemed startled that anyone wanted his opinion. “I mean, yes, I guess so. Sometimes I think what I hear, or read, or – or understand, isn’t the same as what was there in the first place. I figured it’s because I’m a hybrid, and since it was written or sung by a human, it’s not going to mean the same thing, but I can still get something out of it, almost as if it relates to me, too, even if it doesn’t.”

Adam had to exert his utmost patience. It seemed Kurt’s life was even more complicated than he’d imagined. He supposed he’d have to overcome a lot of misconceptions, his own, as well as Kurt’s.

 

 

In the hallway, Will and Emma were still talking. 

“I can’t believe they seem to be having an actual conversation,” Will marveled. “I mean, when I was working with them before, Kurt was always very opinionated, but I figured that was because his father was so ridiculously lenient with him. But at other times you couldn’t get him to say a word, even if it was obvious he wanted to. But what could he and this client –“

“Adam,” Emma corrected, having taken the time to learn his name.

“Whatever, Adam, it doesn’t look like the usual interview.”

Emma glared at her husband. “You mean because it looks like they’re discussing more than the house rules, and where the pet will be sleeping, and which family members he’ll be expected to –“

“Emma, shhh! Not here!” Will was very aware that a lot of the other pets were nearby and could probably hear them. “It just seems to be going on for a long time, and Kurt actually looks engaged in the discussion for a change.”

“Well, I take that as a good sign that we may have finally found a good home for him.”

“I dunno,” Will sighed. “Kurt can be so frustrating, and so disobedient! This guy might get annoyed, and return him, and then we’ll have to give most of the money back, and –“

“Will, we haven’t even gotten any money yet, so we haven’t lost it yet, either. Just relax. Why don’t you go back to – counting the dog treats or whatever, and I’ll stay here and keep an eye on things.”

Will scratched his head and sighed heavily. “Well, somebody has to get back to the important things around here,” he agreed. “Holler if there’s a problem, or you need anything.”

Emma nodded, not really paying that much attention. It looked like Kurt was perfectly safe with Adam, but still, it was a good idea to make sure someone was watching, just in case.

 

 

Adam asked again.

“Would you like to sing for me now, Kurt, or would you rather not? I’ll respect your decision either way.”

“You really want to hear me sing? Everybody hates my voice.”

“Everybody?” Based on the little he’d heard, Adam couldn’t believe it.

“Well, Mr. Will didn’t want to let me sing by myself. He wanted me in the background. He pretty much let Rachel sing every song, with everyone else singing backup, till Blaine came along. Then they did all these duets, and Blaine did most of the solos, and the rest of us were still in the background. So I guess we weren’t as good as them.”

Adam saw the shininess in Kurt’s eyes that indicated he was getting tearful. Time to put a stop to this nonsense now.

“Kurt. Listen to me.” He waited until Kurt was looking at him again. “I do want to hear your voice. In my group, even though I’m technically the leader, everybody sings. Not everyone wants a solo, but those that do, get their chance. Sometimes there are duets or trios, based on who wants to sing together. When we were in school, because it was a performing arts college and other people were listening to us, we would base it on whose voices sounded best together, or fit the song best that we’d chosen to sing.

“You’ll get a chance to sing with my group, Adam's Apples, if you want. But you can sing any time you want when we’re at home. If I do adopt you,” he remembered to add.

Kurt nodded, and looked more hopeful.

“So, do you have something in particular you’d like to sing? Something that will perhaps tell me a bit more about you?”

Kurt nodded, his mind obviously already made up.

“This is a song I really wanted to sing, but nobody wanted to hear a boy sing it, especially a boy cat.”

“Well, I want to hear it,” Adam encouraged.

Kurt closed his eyes a few moments, then opened them, along with his mouth, and began singing for Adam. His voice was clear and strong, in the same range as the original. Adam would know, as he’d seen the musical several times and had the soundtrack memorized.

_ Something has changed within me _  
_ Something is not the same _  
_ I'm through with playing by the rules _  
_ Of someone else's game _

Kurt glanced over to the window where Emma was watching, then he turned his head back to Adam, dismissing her.

_ Too late for second-guessing _  
_ Too late to go back to sleep _  
_ It's time to trust my instincts _  
_ Close my eyes: and leap! _

_ It's time to try defying gravity _  
_ I think I'll try defying gravity _  
_ Kiss me goodbye I'm defying gravity _  
_ And you won’t bring me down! _

_ I'm through accepting limits _  
_ ‘cause someone says they're so _  
_ Some things I cannot change _  
_ But till I try, I'll never know! _

He sang a couple more verses, then stopped.

Adam noticed he hadn’t sung the entire song, just the lyrics most important to him.

Kurt opened his eyes and looked at him, half-defiant and half-apprehensive.

“Kurt, that was breathtaking. You were able to hit the highest notes with no problem. Do you have any idea how unusual that is, for a male, for someone your age?”

Adam thought he’d conveyed the enthusiasm and awe he’d felt, but Kurt’s words indicated he’d heard something else.

“Yes, I’ve been told a number of times, that song is not suited to me, my gender, age, or anything else! Sir.” His eyes flashed green fire.

If he’d still been in cat form, Adam would have wanted to gather him in his arms, to pet and soothe him till he’d calmed down. That wouldn’t work now.

“What I’m trying to say, and maybe I’m not making it clear, is that I am so impressed with your abilities, Kurt. You’re incredible. Nobody should be holding you back, or telling you your limits, and I know you understand that. I don’t care that you’re male, or a hybrid, or young, you own those lyrics.”

Kurt blinked several times and sniffed. “Thank you.”

“How old _are_ you, Kurt?”

“Eighteen.”

He looked younger, but he didn’t show any indication that he was lying. Adam was willing to believe him.

“And how long have you been here?”

“Since I turned 13.” Kurt seemed puzzled about the question, and Adam remembered hearing that 13 was the legal age when pets could be adopted.

He had so many more questions, and wasn’t sure which were appropriate. Maybe he’d be better to ask Emma about some of them. 

 

_ A/N Lyrics from "Defying Gravity", by Stephen Schwartz, from the musical "Wicked." _


	3. Chapter 3

“Let’s see… What do you like to do, besides sing?” Adam wanted to know.

Kurt looked at him curiously. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Well, what do you do when you’re not singing?”

“Um, most of the time I’m a cat, so I sleep, eat a little, sleep some more, try to avoid getting beat up…”

Adam winced. “Okay, when you’re a human, what do you like to do?”

Kurt sighed, obviously frustrated. “There’s not much I can do, or am allowed to do.”

“Well, then, what do you want to do? If you could do anything?”

“I miss cooking. And baking.”

“Oh yeah? I like to bake. It’s more fun that cooking.”

“Depends on what you’re cooking, but yeah,” Kurt agreed.  "I also like listening to music, and watching movies."

“Do you read?” Adam wished he’d hadn’t asked, seeing the look on Kurt’s face. “Do you know how?”

“Yes.” Kurt sighed, but he didn’t look annoyed, as though Adam had insulted him. “My mother used to hold me on her lap and read to me, when I was very young. I learned to read by looking at the shapes of the words as she read aloud. I read a lot at home, before – well –“

“And what about since then?”

Kurt’s eyes widened. “There are no books here. I haven’t read anything since they took me away from my dad.”

Adam raised his eyebrows. Well, that’s about to change.

Kurt blinked his eyes, then turned his gaze down, looking very sad. “It’s not allowed,” he added, sniffling for good measure.

_Right. We’re still being observed._

“Well, I’m sure we’ll find something to do. Erm, as I recall – do you, um, sleep a lot?”

Kurt nodded rapidly. “Yes, sir. As a cat, maybe 17 hours or so a day. As a human, maybe 10 or 12.”

“So, you’ll need naps during the day. That’s fine.” Adam smiled at Kurt, pleased to see a smile in return. “I’m at home a lot of the day, and quite a few evenings, too, so we’ll be spending a lot of time together. I’m sure we’ll sort everything out.

“Another thing I’d like to know.” Adam paused, and Kurt looked at him expectantly.

“Do you have any idea how often – Emma said you’d been mostly staying in cat form, and she didn’t think that was good for you. I’m just curious, do you have any idea how often you’ll want to be a cat, as opposed to human?”

“Will I have a choice?” Kurt seemed astonished.

“Well, yes, of course. To a degree. I mean, I guess it’s something we’ll have to sort out. I was trying to think, for instance, about sleeping arrangements.”

Kurt immediately tensed up.

“I mean, they have some of those cute cat beds here, and I wondered if you might need one.”

Kurt looked warily at Adam. “What – what do you want?”

Adam tried to be patient. “I want whatever will be best for you, Kurt. If you prefer to sleep in cat form, at least at first, that’s fine. I was wondering whether you would prefer to have your own bed, or you could sleep on my bed. With me. I mean, at the end of the bed, or curled up next to me, or whatever you want, and oh my God, please stop me before I keep babbling.”

Kurt still looked hesitant, but at least he was slightly smiling.

_Right, then._ Adam continued babbling. “Or, it would probably make the most sense for me to just turn the guest room over to you. You can sleep in there as a cat or human, whichever you prefer, and that way you’ll have your own space, a sanctuary of sorts.”

Kurt looked both astonished, and as joyful as Adam had seen him yet.

“Really? You’d give me a whole room to myself?”

Adam nodded firmly. “It’s not huge, but there’s a bed, a dresser, and a chair. We’ll figure out what you need once you move in. I mean, once I adopt you, if I do.”

“It’s definitely better than a cage,” Kurt muttered. He looked back up at Adam and smiled, though he kept his lips over his teeth. “Thank you, that will be fantastic, if you adopt me, that is.”

“Definitely. It will be good for you to have your own space, when you want to be alone.”

Emma rapped on the door, then opened it.

“I’m sorry, but we’re going to be closing in a little while, and I thought you might have some questions for me. You don’t have to make up your mind right now. You can always come back tomorrow. That is, if it’s convenient.”

Adam stood up. “Certainly, that’s fine. I think I’ll need a little time, anyway, to figure out –“

He heard a high-pitched whine from Kurt. He turned, and saw the boy's eyes filled with tears again.

Adam did some rapid damage control. “I just mean – there’s a lot I still don’t know about -- I think I need to learn more about hybrids, about having a pet, and – yes, I’ve got some questions, and I’m sure I’ll be back tomorrow. Probably with more questions.”

Kurt was practically hyperventilating in his distress.

“I’ll come back and see you again tomorrow, Kurt, I promise.” He added hesitantly. “Would you like that?”

Kurt nodded, and wiped his eyes, but didn’t speak.

“If you’ll come with me, please,” Emma directed. “Will can bring Kurt back to his cage.”

Adam turned back to Kurt to say goodbye, but he saw he’d already changed back to a cat.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Kurt, I promise. Sleep well.”

He hoped Kurt would sleep better that night than _he_ likely would.

Adam followed Emma into the main room. He noticed some of the other hybrids had changed to their animal form.

“When Will gets Kurt settled, he’ll feed them all, and once we’re through and out of here, they’ll settle down and go to sleep.”

“Do you just leave them here, unsupervised, all night?” Adam asked. It didn’t sound safe to him.

“No, we have a night-time crew, mostly for security. They might get here before you leave. They’re here in case anyone gets sick, or has a nightmare, or needs to be comforted.”

“What about Kurt? Does he have a lot of nightmares?”

Emma flinched, and hesitantly replied, “Yes, he has a lot of nightmares. He doesn’t sleep too well, despite the nightlight we leave on, and the soothing music, and everything else we’ve tried. But I’m certain he’ll settle down once he’s in a home and doesn’t have so many others around him.”

Adam nodded, but made a note to try to find out what he could about soothing hybrids after a nightmare. He supposed it might be similar to calming a child or an animal. Maybe he just needed to be held and reassured he was loved.

Emma took Adam to her office. He noticed every surface was gleaming. There wasn’t a speck of dust or anything at all out of place. The papers were perfectly aligned with the edges of the desk. He was almost hesitant to sit in one of the visitor’s chairs. He started to sit down, but Emma squeaked.

“Oh! Just a moment, here, you have some cat hair on you.”

Adam didn’t find the news terribly surprising, though Kurt had only been on his lap for a few minutes. Emma handed him a roll of sticky tape, and he used that to remove the few strands of hair from his clothes.

Emma took the tape, carefully sealing the hair inside as she wadded up the tape around it, and deposited it into the trashcan. The only other object in there was the plastic liner.

Emma gathered up a number of flyers, and handed them to Adam.

“You might want to read these through at home, to give you some more things to consider, before making a decision.”

He glanced at the fistful of pamphlets:

_You and Your Hybrid Pet – The Basics_

_What to Feed Your Hybrid, and What to NOT Feed it, Under Any Circumstances!_

_Sleeping Arrangements_

_Your Hybrid and Sexuality – Its and Yours_

_Socialization – How to Treat Your Pet in Public_

_10 Fun Facts About Hybrid Pets You Might Not Know (But Really Should)_

_TV or Not TV, That is the Question! Should Your Pet Be Allowed to Watch Television?_

_The Healthy Hybrid – When To Take Your Pet to the Vet_

_The Happy Hybrid – What You Can Do to Cheer Your Pet Up_

_Depression – If Your Pet Needs More Help_

_Breeding – Do You Want to Earn Money from Your Pet?_

Adam was torn between wanting to take Kurt home with him immediately, to keep him safe from these lunatics, but he knew it was a huge responsibility, and he owed it to Kurt to learn as much as he could, so he could be as responsible an owner as possible.

One thing he resolved to do for sure, was to download “Hybrids For Dummies” onto his Kindle. There must be one of those, surely?

“Thank you. Can you tell me a little bit more about the singing, why your husband was interested in that?”

“Well, Will used to teach high school, but he got frustrated by the lack of interest in a glee club. Neither the students nor the principal, or even the school board, thought it was necessary to have the kids compete for recognition in singing. Will’s family had a bird hybrid, growing up, and it’s not that uncommon for them to sing. But when he inherited this store from his aunt, he got the idea of teaching the hybrids to sing, to see if they might enjoy it. It turns out most of them did, and now all the pets here at least know how to sing, though some are more gifted than others.”

“I was amazed by Kurt’s voice. It’s incredible. And his range. I’m very impressed by what I heard.”

Emma winced. “Well, I’m glad you enjoy his voice, but the others really don’t like to listen to him. What about his speaking voice, didn’t that grate on you?”

Adam gritted his teeth, then forced his face to relax, and he smiled. “No, I like his speaking voice. It’s pitched a bit higher than you usually find in boys his age, but there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Well…I’m glad we’ve finally found someone who likes his voice.”

“And how old is Kurt?” He’d already asked Kurt, but wanted to make sure he received the same answer from Emma. It was more to test her honesty than Kurt’s, he realized.

Emma sighed heavily, and rearranged a couple of items on her desk, then put them back in exactly the same place.

“He’s 18. He should have been adopted years ago, but as I said, he was very resistant. Most of the others here are a little younger. These are a bit older than most because of the time Will wasted – spent, trying to train them to be a musical group. I wouldn’t say it’s been a huge selling point, but some people do like having a pet with skills most of them don’t have.”

“I see. And what other skills does Kurt have?” He wondered how many Emma might know about.

“I’m not sure…let me get his file and see.”

Emma looked through her filing cabinet, and returned with a thin file, and glanced through it. Adam’s hands itched to take the file from her. “Any chance I could get a copy of that, if I do buy - adopt him?”

“Oh, yes, everything will be copied for you. You should have as much information as possible.” She glanced at the file.

“Oh, this is interesting. Kurt can do some cooking, some sewing, housekeeping…and apparently his father taught him how to change tires and things like that, at his auto shop. Huh, I wouldn’t have expected that.”

Neither would Adam have expected it, but he was quickly learning a lot of his preconceived notions about hybrids – and Kurt in particular – were wrong.

“You know about his vocal abilities. Huh, Will recommends – never mind, we can discuss that later.”

Adam wondered why Emma suddenly looked so embarrassed.

“Can you tell me more about why things didn’t work out for the hybrids, as a singing group? I’d have thought the novelty would charm people.”

“Will tried to teach them to sing together as a group. He thought he could create a really unique singing group, but some got adopted, some don’t want to sing in public, and the few times he took them to nursing homes or hospitals…let’s just say the audience didn’t really appreciate them. It was hard to keep bringing in new hybrids into the group, so he decided to just focus on getting them adopted.”

Adam tried to imagine the impact on society, if a group of hybrids had been allowed to record, perhaps go on tour, be on TV…it would have gone a long way towards showing people that their human side was more like everybody else than most people realized.

There were other things he realized he needed to know.

“What about Kurt’s parents?”

Emma blinked, then handled the question smoothly. “The hybrids are taken from their families at age 13, to be fully trained to be adopted.”

“What if the parents want to keep them?”

“It doesn’t matter. They don’t have any say in the matter. In fact, Kurt’s father –“ She seemed to realize that she was about to divulge confidential information.

“Well, regardless of the wishes of the parents, the hybrids are brought here or to similar stores. The parents are compensated, monetarily, for the time and costs of raising a hybrid up to that stage of life.”

“And how does the government get its money back?” Adam hated being cynical, but he was sure there had to be a catch.

Emma looked uncomfortable, but explained, “Our prices are quite high, because the government gets 75% of the sale price. Just for the hybrid, not any of the other items.”

“I see.” He suspected the British government did something similar.

“We do our best to train them, to be sure they’re housebroken, obedient, and polite…it works better with some than others. We determine which will be better for a household with children, and which wouldn’t be comfortable around a small child. We also take into consideration sexual preference, though it’s not up to us whether the potential owner agrees to that. That’s why we at least try to make it clear, so the client knows what to expect, and how difficult it might be to get what they want from their pet.

“Of course, we discourage any outright abuse or punishment if a pet is expected to act outside their preference, but once the pet has been adopted, there’s little we can do. As you know, hybrids don’t have the same rights as full humans, or even full animals.”

Yes, Adam knew that much. Knowing, and being happy about it, were two very different things.


	4. Chapter 4

Kurt waited patiently for Mr. Will to get around to bringing him back to his cage. He supposed he might as well enjoy the freedom and space while he had it. He walked leisurely towards the far wall, stretching as he went. He needed to keep himself in shape, for his own peace of mind. Plus, he still really had no idea what uses his potential buyer intended for him.

When he reached the wall, he braced himself, then ran as fast as he could towards the opposite wall. He thought it wasn’t quite up to his best speed, but was probably about 5.5 seconds. He turned around and tried again. By the time he decided he’d had enough, he thought his time was down to about 4.75 seconds. He looked around, wondering if he should explore the kitty condo in one corner. It was supposed to look like a castle, but he could design a better one, even as a cat.

He remembered the stories his mom had read to him, and the illustrations of castles, beautiful scenery, bold knights on magnificent horses, lovely princesses, handsome princes on gorgeous thrones. Of course, in his mind, he’d substituted another prince in place of the lovely princess.

Checking again to make sure no one was observing him, Kurt strolled over in the direction of the castle, then ran inside to explore. In all the years he’d been here, this was the first time he’d really checked it out. When the animals were brought in in groups to play, he learned quickly that the others didn’t want him in there with them. He also realized it was a good way to get ambushed, so he usually curled up in a corner or hid under a chair. Or attempted to hide, considering it was almost the same as being in plain sight.

When he’d been brought in for other interviews, on the few occasions that had happened, he’d almost immediately been removed -- usually dripping wet from the hose. The last time, even though most of him was dry – and clean – he was dumped by Emma into the bathtub for a thorough scrubbing. He’d listened patiently to her scolding, though he was pretty sure the man’s shoes weren’t actually ruined.

Now that he thought he’d have a little time to himself, Kurt explored what there was of the “castle”. It had a couple of different round openings. He’d chosen the first one, but it only took two steps to get to the next one. He looked out, but the room didn’t look any different from this viewpoint. He climbed the few steps up to the “roof” of the castle. There was one little window to look out of, then the main, flat part of the roof. Now that he was here, and had seen it, he’d had enough. There was no doubt Miss Emma made sure it was cleaned whenever it got the slightest bit dirty, but frankly, he didn’t trust his fellow hybrids that much, and who knew what might be lurking around? Of course, weekly flea baths were a must, even though they had showers every day in human form. He gracefully leaped down to the floor, and found a spot clear of toys where he could lay down to wait.

Most of the others preferred to stay in their human form, but since they’d found him so ugly and couldn’t stand to look at him, he usually stayed in cat form. He didn’t seem to be as objectionable to anyone as a cat. It also, naturally, limited his ability to sing. He’d tried it, as a cat, but it didn’t come out the same, and he’d had his ears boxed more than once, usually by Rachel.

He knew Mr. Will would be coming for him soon, and they’d be fed, then taken to the communal bathroom to relieve themselves and take showers, then it would be bedtime. In the morning, they’d be taken to the little gym for exercise, groomed, fed, then pretty much left to their own devices once the store opened. Well, there was only so much they could do, in the cages or in the front window, but it wasn’t like they had any choice. Kurt knew they were much better off here in the store, than in the street, as runaways. He’d heard about hybrids who were either taken to the pound, if they managed to get the store tags off them, or stolen off the street, never to be heard from again.

Now he had something to look forward to, though. In the morning, the nice man would come back and see him again, and maybe adopt him! He knew he’d have to try even harder than usual to look good. Well, as good as he could manage with what he had to work with. When he was first adopted, he’d sweet-talked Emma into letting him keep his moisturizer, so his skin was in pretty decent shape. His wardrobe was very limited, though they’d let him keep a few of his own clothes. Most of the other males were content with a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, a red plaid flannel overshirt, and tennis shoes. He could make the look work, but he preferred to look a little trendier. Not that he had any idea what was in fashion now, or for the last few years.

He’d amused himself in the past with silently judging the clothing worn by whoever came in the store. The only one with close to any style, usually, was Miss Emma. She favored a style he liked to call “Librarian-chic”. He’d liked the way his potential owner dressed, casual but the quality was good. He’d been tempted, when he’d been on the man’s lap, to swipe the silly-looking cap off his head to see what his hair was really like underneath, but he honestly wasn’t that stupid. One time he’d tried that with a potential client, and had accidentally taken the man’s toupee off along with the hat he was wearing. That had not been a good day.

He rather liked the red-and-white uniforms Mr. Will had ordered for them for their musical performances. But he was rapidly outgrowing his, anyway. Maybe the black slacks and pale blue shirt, with the purple scarf, would be good enough. The shirt was getting a little bit tight, but it would do for now. He’d have to wear the same shoes; they were the only dress shoes he had, and they still fit, while the tennis shoes were getting a bit tight. He wondered if his new owner – if the man actually bought him – would be willing to get him some new clothes when he outgrew his current ones.

The door opened, and Mr. Will stuck his head in, looking for him. Kurt didn’t pretend to hide – Mr. Will definitely didn’t like those games. He stood up and walked over, not even waiting to be called.

“Good boy, Kurt. Come on, let’s get you back so we can feed you. The others have already started.”

Of course they had. Kurt allowed Mr. Will to pick him up and carry him to his cage. “Are you going to stay like that, or change back?”

Considering the quality of the food they were given as humans – healthy, but not by any means tasty – Kurt decided he was fine with a canned hybrid dinner. Oh, apparently an answer was required. He meowed, as politely as he could, and stayed in cat form.

“All right, have it your way,” Mr. Will sighed. He opened a can of Healthy Hybrid Chicken & Veggies, and dumped it into Kurt’s bowl, and filled the water bowl with water from a bottle. Kurt was glad they didn’t feed them as a group any more. Too often he’d had his food stolen by bigger cats. In his human form, too often he’d gone without because Dave or one of the other guys, all bigger than him, had taken, or in some way ruined, his food. He much preferred eating alone in his cage, where he wasn’t rushed. It was much easier to digest his food, too, when his stomach didn’t feel like it was tied up in knots from worry.

When he finished his dinner, Kurt waited for the night crew to arrive. They were the ones who would take them to the bathroom and guard them while they bathed. Kurt vastly preferred to do these things as a human, even though there had been too many incidents in the past where the other males had hurt him in the showers. Not in _that_ way; most clients preferred their pets to be unused, and none of the males wanted to be neutered any sooner than they had to be. There were a few whose new owners wanted them as breeding stock, so they were left alone, but Kurt knew most of the hybrids, male and female, were fixed before being taken to their new home. He shuddered at the thought. Mr. Will had made it clear enough times that he would be unlikely to be kept intact for any reason, especially if his owner wanted him to keep his unique voice as it was. As much as Kurt loved singing, he thought he could give it up if it meant he didn’t need to be cut.

He could hear voices in the main area of the store; Miss Sue and Miss Shannon had arrived. Good. They had proven to be very effective bodyguards, to protect the hybrids from each other. For some reason, Sue had insisted he shower with the girls, but he didn’t really mind. It was the boys who had always made him miserable in the shower. The girls ignored him as if he wasn’t even there. It’s not like they thought of him as one of them, it was more like he was invisible. He’d tried to talk to Miss Sue about it once. She’d given them all insulting nicknames, and he thought himself fortunate that his was only Porcelain, for his fair skin. He knew it could have been much worse.

“Porcelain, you’re not one of the girls, but you’ll never be accepted as one of the guys. You’re a freak of nature, even among hybrids.” He didn’t know how she’d managed to sound affectionate as she said it, rather than insulting, but he’d felt almost comforted by her explanation. “The girls don’t like you any more than the boys do, but they don’t have to worry about you sneaking a peek. The guys all think you’re gonna look at their junk, so this way, nobody has to worry. Even if you never looked at them in the past, doesn’t matter, just the fact that you might, makes them feel threatened.”

“But Miss Sue, they look at each other. I hear them talking, making comparisons about who’s bigger and all that. Why is that okay?”

Sue sighed heavily, and gave him a twisted smile. “That’s totally and completely different, but since I’m not a male, thank God, I don’t know why. Just enjoy the amenities and know you’re safe in here, as long as I’m around.”

Kurt was happy to be given access to the girls' higher-quality soap and shampoo, though his attempts to use some of the make-up were quickly slapped down.

Santana explained once, “Some of them have to work really hard to be pretty, Kurt, and they’re just jealous that you’re prettier already than they are with all the make-up. We’re about the only bitches in this joint who are flawless.”

It wasn’t often that Santana took his side on things, but every now and then she’d make the effort to defend him against the others. He decided it was better to just accept it when it happened and be grateful, than try to figure it out.

Miss Shannon was in charge of the boys. He wasn’t sure why they hadn’t gotten a male for the job, but at least the boys pretty much behaved themselves when she was around. She didn’t hesitate to punish them if necessary, though it was usually a swipe on the nose if they were in animal form, or strenuous exercise if they were in their human form.

Kurt couldn’t wait for the day when he could leave this place, and all these others behind. He wanted to be alone, but since that was impossible, he thought he could manage to live with one other person. Maybe the kind man with the soothing voice and lovely accent really did want him, and would take him home. He said it would be just the two of them, so at least he wouldn’t be passed around like he might in another household.

He really wanted to spend more time with the man. Even though his hands were large, they were gentle. Kurt had fit comfortably in his lap, and hadn’t been pushed off. The man even smelled nice. He didn’t dare to hope he’d really be allowed to sing whenever he wanted, much less around or with other people, but at least the man said he liked his voice. Kurt thought he really meant it, too. There was no reason for him to lie or pretend otherwise.

When it was time to go to sleep, Kurt tried his best to ignore everyone in the cages around him, and the two humans at either end of the row of cages. He wanted to concentrate on remembering everything else he could about the kind man he’d met. If he changed his mind and Kurt never saw him again, at least he’d have some good memories, for a change. He wasn’t going to think about his father, and worry if anyone was taking care of him…for tonight, he was just going to think happy thoughts, and maybe he’d be able to sleep all the way through the night.


	5. Chapter 5

Adam felt he had enough information for the moment, and he really needed to think about all the ramifications of adopting Kurt.  It would change his life in a number of ways, to be sure; his and Kurt’s as well.  He had no doubt Kurt would be better off with him than if he stayed in the store, or if he were to be adopted by certain types of clients.

Once he was home, he had a late dinner, then read all the pamphlets.  Some simply amused him, but others made him furious.  He didn’t like the concept of some of the things he read, for any of the hybrids he’d met that day, but he knew realistically he couldn’t adopt them all.  His main concern had to be Kurt.

One of the main things that concerned him was the idea that Kurt had been taken away from his parents at such a young age.  And what about his parents?  Weren’t they worried about him, or did most of the parents just think of it as fostering?  It wasn’t like they got the babies from elsewhere and raised them.

Nobody knew where the hybrids had originated, or how long they may have been around, living in secret for fear of discovery.  Nowadays, the government knew all about them, and felt that any child of a human and a hybrid, who would apparently always be considered a hybrid, was property, rather than an individual.  So either Kurt’s mother or father would have been a hybrid, and they must have known ahead of time what would happen.

Adam had never given any thought to having children.  He’d known he was gay from an early age, and it had never bothered him that he likely wouldn’t be carrying on the family name.  His parents, on the other hand, were very bothered, and essentially exiled him to the States.  They’d given him a trust fund with enough money to likely last him the rest of his life, but he’d had to legally change his surname to his mother’s, so there would be no question of his younger (and very straight) brother, actually continuing the bloodline and inheriting the bulk of the family fortune.

But still, what if he someday did want a child of his own?  He was only 23, he supposed it was possible he could change his mind about that.  He could have one with a surrogate, or even adopt, but nobody would try to take the child away.  If he were straight, however, and fell in love with a woman who happened to be a hybrid, and had a child with her, as soon as the child turned 13, the government would take it away and give it to a place similar to New Directions.  There his child would be trained to be a good, obedient pet.  And what kind of person wanted another as a pet, even one who could turn into an animal?  So what did that say about him?

Now that he had met Kurt, even though he’d spent relatively little time with him, he considered him more human than animal, but it was clear that by the legal definition, Kurt was considered more an animal than a person.  And he’d chosen to spend a good portion of the last few years as an animal, to avoid being tormented as a human, by his fellow hybrids.  God knew what sort of treatment he was in for when he was adopted.

Adam knew he couldn’t save all the hybrids, but he could at least keep Kurt from being adopted by someone who would be horrible to him, who might mainly want him for sex.

He had to question his own motives, though.  He did want a companion, a friend, someone to spend time with, to talk with, someone who might read what he wrote, maybe be a writing partner, someone to sing with…there was nothing wrong with that.  But now that he’d met Kurt specifically, he couldn’t deny that he wanted more.

A part of him wanted to shelter Kurt from anyone who wanted to hurt him, who would want him just for his body, either for sex, or to show off a well-trained, handsome animal.  But another part of him wanted to have sex with Kurt.  Was that wrong of him?  He supposed the main question was, what did Kurt want?

He knew himself well enough to know he would never force Kurt.  If he didn’t want sex, they wouldn’t have sex.  He’d eventually find a boyfriend…but what would happen to Kurt?  Would that mean he’d never have a sex life with anyone else?  If a boyfriend moved into the apartment with them, how would he feel about Kurt?  Would he treat him well, or treat him as an animal?  Would he want Adam to get rid of him?  He knew if that were the case, the boyfriend would be out on his ear, and Kurt would stay.  But still, did he want to put himself or Kurt through that?

On the other hand, did he want to commit to a lifetime of taking care of Kurt, providing for him…even if he treated him as an equal in every way he could, they still barely knew each other.  It wasn’t like adopting a pure cat, who would likely live around 20 years, at most, if adopted as a kitten.  So far, hybrids seemed to have only a slightly shorter life span than humans, 10-20 years less perhaps.

Since his parents had essentially disowned him for being gay, how would they feel about him adopting a hybrid, and essentially treating him as a partner?  On the other hand, did he really give a rat’s arse what his parents thought, if they ever even found out?  He didn’t care what they had to say, it wasn’t like they could take the money back now.

But really, what in the hell was he getting himself in for?  Adam knew he would get very little sleep that night.

 

 

The next morning, Kurt had to be wakened by Emma, who was shocked he’d overslept.  She combed and brushed him, and it felt like she was taking more time than usual to do it.  Finally she stopped and sighed, carefully petting Kurt’s head.

“There.  We want you to look as nice as possible when – well, just in case –  It doesn’t hurt to try to look your best, right?”

Kurt wondered for a moment, if she remembered who he was.  He wasn’t one of those slovenly hybrids – like some in the store he could name – who didn’t give a damn what they looked like.  But he appreciated Emma’s concern, so he purred extra loud for her, and butted his head against her hand.  He knew better than to lick her hand in gratitude, the way he was tempted.  Miss Emma had a Thing about germs, something they all learned quickly when they first came to the store.  Time had not mellowed out her fear.

“Are you going to stay like that, or change back to human?” Emma asked him.  “I really think that’s – “  She sighed, and seemed relieved she didn’t have to argue or force him.  He changed back to human without any further prompting.  He had put on pajamas after his shower the night before, so now he just needed to put on his exercise clothes.  He didn’t want to mess up his hair or get sweaty, but maybe Miss Emma would let him take another shower before his owner – _potential_ owner, he reminded himself, got there.

During their exercise time, a couple of the others started to tease him about scaring away another owner, but Santana hissed and threatened to scratch them.  Since Santana’s nails in human form were even longer, and bigger, than in cat form, the guys backed off.

He ran around the yard a few times, pulled himself up on the bars, and did a lot of stretching, before returning inside to use some of the exercise machines.  Nobody talked to him, but they weren’t teasing or harassing him, either, and nobody even tried to get him off the treadmill so they could use it.

He was pleasantly exhausted when the bell rang, indicating it was time to go back inside.  The usual procedure was a quick “shower” with the hose, before drying off and changing into their clothes for the day, but Emma took Kurt aside and let him take an actual shower inside, instead.

 

 

While Kurt was getting ready for the day, Puck and Blaine complained to Emma that it wasn’t fair that Kurt was getting special treatment.  She really wasn’t in the mood to listen to it.  Kurt had been waiting long enough for someone to be so interested.

“Never mind, if someone is thinking about adopting you, you’ll want to look your best, too.  Kurt has been here longer than any of you.  I would think you’d be happy for him that somebody finally wants him.”

The two dog hybrids looked at each other and shrugged.

“I guess there’s no accounting for taste,” Blaine said.  “But do you really think that guy is going to come back?”

“I don’t know, and it’s not really any of your business,” Emma snapped.  “Now go to your cages, please."

“But I want to be in the window again!” Blaine complained.

“You had your turn yesterday,” Puck griped, “It’s my turn.”

“No, actually, I think it will be Brittany, Sugar, Artie and Mike today.”

“Why them?  Nobody wants them,” Puck muttered.

“And nobody’s wanted you yet, either.”  Emma immediately felt bad for pointing it out, but she wasn’t going to apologize.  They needed to learn to get along together, instead of being jealous each time someone else was adopted.

“Maybe you need to work on your attitude, and you might be more likely to find a home,” she added.  “Now go!”  She pointed to the direction of their cages.  They grumbled, but didn’t try to argue further.  They didn’t seem to think it was likely that the man would come back for Kurt.

 

 

Despite only getting a little sleep, Adam woke up early, his mind firmly made up.  He had a quick breakfast, then cleaned up the apartment.  He put fresh sheets on the guest bed, and decided he’d wait till Kurt could see his room for himself, so they could figure out what else he might need.

He checked the cupboard and refrigerator, and started making a grocery list.  He resented the time it would take to do the shopping, but he didn’t want to overwhelm Kurt with going too many places on his first day.

He recalled how thin Kurt had looked, and added a few more items.  It wouldn’t hurt to add a little Ensure to his diet for a bit, he could probably use the nutrition.  He’d mix it into a milkshake or something, then it might seem more like a treat than something that was good for him.

When he was finally certain his place was ready for another occupant, he grabbed his checkbook and left.  He’d already seen the prices the hybrids went for at New Directions, and while he was sure his parents would be appalled at the amount of money he was going to spend, he wasn’t concerned.  He could afford it, and felt he would be getting a bargain at twice the price.  The thought of actually buying Kurt, as though he were an actual cat, made him wince, but there was nothing to be done for it.  If he didn’t buy him, he’d either stay in a place he was miserable, or possibly end up even more miserable if he were bought by someone else.

He managed to get to the store shortly after it opened.  He hoped Kurt hadn’t been getting too anxious, worrying he might not show up.

He noticed a different group of hybrids in the window, and they all looked at him hopefully, but he couldn’t take all of them home, as much as his heart went out to them.  He just wanted to get Kurt out of there as quickly as possible.

 

 

As soon as they recognized the man from the day before, the hybrids in the window started talking to him.

“Are you back for Kurt?” Brittany asked.  “Are you sure you don’t want me, too?  I’m a good girl, Santana says so.”

Adam paused, barely inside the door, then went over to the window.

“I’m sure you are, dear, but you’re not my type.”

Adam hurried over to Emma, who smiled brilliantly at him.

“Did you want to spend more time talking to Kurt, or have you made a decision already?”  She looked so hopeful, he was delighted to put her mind at ease.

“I think we’ll have plenty of time to talk more at home.  I’m going to adopt him.  I just want to make sure he’s agreeable to that.”

“I wanted to let you know, Kurt slept very well last night.  According to the night crew, he didn’t wake up once.  In fact, I had to wake him up this morning, and I don’t think I’ve ever had to do that before.”

“That sounds like a good sign.”

“I think it is,” she agreed.  “Why don’t you come back with me, and you can ask him?”

When the other hybrids saw Adam coming towards them, they immediately started gossiping amongst themselves about why he was there.

Kurt was pacing nervously in his cage, in human form already, Adam noticed.  He looked very nice in black slacks and a pale blue shirt, and a lovely violet scarf.  He looked both excited and scared when he saw Adam.

“You came back!”

“I said I would,” Adam pointed out reasonably.  “Now, I want to make sure we’re in agreement.  You do want to come home with me, don’t you?”

“Oh, yes, yes, of course!”  Kurt was nodding so rapidly Adam was afraid he might hurt his neck.

“Good, now that’s settled –“

Emma cleared her throat.  “There’s some paperwork to fill out in the office. Why don’t we take care of that while Kurt gathers up his things.  We can discuss what other items he might need, and whether you’ll be able to take him home right away.”

“Wait, Kurt is getting adopted before me?!?”  Blaine shouted.  He looked even more hyperactive than usual, flailing his arms around.  “But I’m a better singer than he is!  And I’m better-looking, can dance better, and everybody likes me!”

“That’s nice, then you shouldn’t have much trouble getting adopted, hm?” Adam said, as politely as possible.

“Whatever.  You’ll probably bring him back soon, ‘cause he’ll get on your nerves in about two seconds!” Puck predicted.

“He hasn’t gotten on my nerves yet,” Adam replied evenly.  He resisted the urge to add, “Unlike some of you.”  He smiled at Kurt, who was clapping his hands and jumping up and down, his face transformed by the brightest smile Adam had ever seen.  He smiled at the boy, and followed Emma, anxious to finish the formalities.

"One thing we need to discuss is sterilization.  I think, as has been implied, Kurt would probably not be terribly cooperative if you had any intentions of breeding him, with either a human female, or a cat hybrid female.”

"I would not consider using Kurt as a stud for future hybrids.  I agree, he wouldn’t be suitable for that.”  Adam was trying his best to be polite, but wondered if Emma could hear the sarcasm.

"Right.  So.”  Emma took a deep breath, and straightened papers that didn’t need to be straightened.  “Will says that in order to preserve Kurt’s voice, if you want him to continue hitting those high notes, he should be neutered so his voice won’t change.”

Adam shook his head.  “For one thing, no.  For another, no.  I’m sure by 18 Kurt has gone through puberty already, so his voice isn’t likely to change any more.  And even if it does, it’s not worth mutilating him and ruining any future sexual enjoyment he might have, just to preserve his voice.”

“It’s perfectly safe, if that’s what your worried about, and most people aren’t too concerned with their pet’s sexual enjoyment, and it’s not that expensive, so –“

He could tell Emma was reciting this by rote, and it seemed to be making her a bit nauseous to say it.  It raised his estimation of her, and lowered his respect for her husband.

“Thank you for letting me know about the option.  No.  I’ll take Kurt home with me today, now, unaltered.”

“That’s fine.  If you’ll just sign this disclaimer here.”

Emma’s voice was businesslike, but Adam noted she looked relieved.

Adam filled out the requisite paperwork for adoption, surprised that there was so little.  It was only a bit more complicated that applying for a library card.  He wrote the check without hesitation, but wondered how many people could afford such prices.  Of course, the average hybrid pet wasn’t trained to sing, he reminded himself cynically.  He didn’t care about the money, but was concerned about the likelihood of the rest of the pets being adopted at such a price.

“Thank you.”  Emma took the check and gave Adam his ID back.  They’d already done a credit check, early this morning, no doubt, so they knew he was good for the money.  “Here’s the file.”

Adam looked over the file, which didn’t seem to contain a lot of papers, considering Kurt had been there for over five years.  They included a medical history, of course.  Kurt was basically healthy, but a little underweight.  Other than that, he was in good shape.  His tendency towards poor sleep and nightmares was noted, as well as his reluctance to retain his human form for any length of time.  He noticed the surname was blacked out, as well as the parents’ names and contact information.  He was annoyed, as he really wanted to talk to Kurt’s parents.

“Will you be notifying Kurt’s family that he’s been adopted?  I’m sure they’ll want to know.”  He smiled as disarmingly as possible.

Emma nodded.  “Kurt’s father asked that we let him know once he’d been adopted.  He wanted to know he’d have a good home.”

“I can do that –“

“Oh, no, we’ll take care of that.  It’s best if there’s no contact between the adoptive family and the original family.”

_Oh really?_ Adam thought he had a different idea of what was best, but he would ask Kurt what he thought.  A revolutionary idea, no doubt, but one young Kurt would have to get used to.  There were no doubt a lot of new things for Kurt to adjust to, but hopefully, voicing his opinion on things would be something he could learn quickly.


	6. Chapter 6

Emma led Adam back to Kurt’s cage. He wasn’t surprised at the rather small duffle bag presumably containing Kurt’s clothes and all his worldly possessions. What shocked him was the state Kurt was in. He’d left him looking thrilled, hopeful, and impeccably groomed. When he found was Kurt in cat form, huddled in the far corner of the cage, his eyes huge, ears flat against his head, trembling in fear.

“What the hell?” Adam asked. He glared at the pets in nearby cages. “What happened here?”

He received a chorus of, “I dunno,” and “Not my fault, man,” and similar excuses.

“I’ll take care of this,” Emma announced, straightening her back and glaring at the ones she assumed were the worst offenders. “You take care of Kurt. It might be best to take him and his things and just go.”

She unlocked Kurt’s cage, then unlocked a few others and pulled the occupants out, and marched them into the interview room. Somehow, Adam wasn’t surprised to see Puck, Blaine and Finn were the ones she wanted to interview.

Adam opened the cage door, and beckoned for Kurt to come out. He didn’t even look up, just curled into an even tighter mass of terrified kitty.

“Come on, Kurt, it’s alright. We’re going home, right now. Or as soon as I can get you out of that cage.”  
           
Kurt lifted his head, his eyes so dilated Adam could barely see any color around the pupil.

“It’s okay. Just ignore whatever those ignorant asses said, and come with me. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Kurt still hesitated, but didn’t look away.

“I’m not going to let anyone else hurt you, either.” Kurt looked wildly around the room, but when he apparently didn’t see whatever – or whoever – he was looking for, he uncurled a little bit.

Adam thought he might know what had made Kurt so afraid, and if so, he hoped Emma would convey his lack of amusement to the miscreants.

“Nothing is going to happen. Just come out here to me, or let me reach in and get you, and we’re going to go home. You can stay like that, or change to your other self, whatever makes you comfortable. But you’re not staying here any longer than it takes us to get to the front door.”

Kurt’s ears came up first, and he blinked a few times and seemed to be calming down. Adam very slowly reached a hand in, leaving his palm up and fingers spread out, so Kurt could see he wasn’t hiding anything.

Slowly, Kurt sat up and stretched, then walked over to him. He stood over his hand and waited, and Adam figured out he wanted to be picked up and carried out. Fine. He had no problem with that.

“Come here, Kurt, it’s alright,” he murmured, leaning further into the cage and carefully putting both hands around the cat, supporting his chest and lower back. He straightened, pulling Kurt closer to him, until Kurt was in his arms, against his chest. He could feel his heart beating rapidly, and Kurt’s breathing was still too fast.

“Shhh, it’s alright. Is there anybody you want to say goodbye to?”

Kurt shook his head. Adam held him more securely with his right arm, and scooped up the duffle bag to sling it over his other arm, before holding Kurt with both arms again.

“I guess we’ll have to wait to get you to the car to get the collar on you.”

Emma came out of the interview room, but left the three hybrids in there. “I need to get back to them, but I wanted to see if there was anything else you needed.”

“I just need to get his collar on. Does he have one, or –“

“Here, just take any of these, and any of these leashes.” Emma pointed to a shelf. “Did you want plain black, or –“

“Well, I suppose it goes with everything.” He looked down at Kurt. “If you want something fancier, we’ll see about that later.”

Kurt shrugged, as though the color and style of his collar meant little to him. Adam wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not…there was still so much he needed to learn about Kurt.

“I really don’t think the leash will be necessary,” Adam protested, though he knew it wouldn’t do any good.

Emma shook her head. “I’m sorry, but Kurt should keep his collar on at all times, even at home. He can bathe with it on. Whenever he’s in public, you’ll need to keep his leash on, and you need to hold onto the other end. You can’t let him go out without you, at least not for a while. Eventually, when he’s older, and if you feel you can trust him to run errands for you, he can go out on his own. If there’s a problem, he’s got the collar to identify him, and someone will call you.”

As much as he wanted Kurt to become independent eventually, the thought of him being out alone right now scared Adam. He thought it was less likely if he got lost, that someone would call him to come get him, than just take Kurt home with them.

Adam set Kurt down carefully on a countertop, assuring him it was just for a moment. He took the collar from Emma and fastened it around Kurt’s neck, with the lock behind his neck. He was both amused and relieved to see there was a small bell on the collar. Until he got used to having Kurt in cat form underfoot, it would help to know where he was.

Emma attached a little engraved disc to the collar, that said “Kurt Crawford” on the front, and “Owner: Adam Crawford” with Adam’s phone number below it, on the other side of the disc.

“I can see someone was very busy last night or this morning,” he commented, impressed.

“One of our night workers did that. We have the engraving pen here, and she said she was bored, and said she was hoping it wasn’t going to be a waste of her time. Of course, Will was annoyed, but she’s not afraid of him in the slightest, so he didn’t complain too much.”

Adam had been petting Kurt the whole time, and he was much calmer.

“Well, please thank her for me.” He looked down at Kurt. “Are you ready to go?”

In the blink of an eye, he was only looking slightly down at human Kurt, who was sitting on the table, dressed as he had been earlier that morning. The collar was still securely fastened around his neck.

Emma only looked slightly startled. Kurt hopped off the table, and reached out for Adam’s hand.

Adam immediately took Kurt’s hand in his, squeezing gently. Kurt squeezed back and smiled up at him.

“Can we go now, please, sir?”

“Yes, I think it’s definitely time. Thank you, Emma, for all your help.”

“It was no problem.”

“Thank you, Miss Emma,” Kurt added softly.

She smiled at him, her eyes suddenly very bright. “It’s been my pleasure, Kurt. I hope you go out there and have a wonderful life. You deserve it.” She wiped at one eye and sniffed. “I need to get back to those idiots – er, the others, who still need to learn some lessons in basic decency to others.”

“Good luck with that,” Adam added sincerely. “I hope you find homes for all of them soon.”

“I hope so. Goodbye!”

Adam hurried out of the store before they embarrassed Emma by hearing her crying.

It wasn’t until they were in the sunshine, and Kurt was blinking at the light, that Adam realized how very pale he was. He could also now see the adorable freckles across his nose and cheeks. The sunlight showed the blond and reddish highlights in his hair. He was thoroughly gorgeous.

“The car’s right this way. I think we’ll need to get you some sunglasses.”

Kurt continued to hold his hand, looking around them in awe. Adam didn’t see anything but a dirty sidewalk, and a bunch of shops on both sides of the street. Nothing in particular stood out. Then he realized Kurt probably hadn’t even had this much of a view, except perhaps for the times he was put in the window.

Kurt shielded his eyes with the hand Adam wasn’t holding, but he was smiling despite the slight discomfort of the bright day.

“That’s okay, you don’t need to buy me any sunglasses, I’ll be fine.”

Adam sighed. “I think you’ll be more comfortable with them, and we’ve got a little ways to go. I know where we can get you some, and some more clothes. It doesn’t look like you have much here.”

Kurt shook his head. “I can get by with those for a while longer, but I’m afraid I might outgrow some of them soon.”

Adam took a critical look at Kurt, and noted that his feet were disproportionately large. He was about to make a comment about how you can tell how big a puppy if going to become by the size of its feet, but shut his mouth again quickly.

“You’re probably going to grow a bit more, yeah. We’ll get you a few inexpensive things that will do for now, then when you’ve finished this growth spurt, we’ll see about getting you some nicer things.”

“Oh, but you don’t need to spend any unnecessary money on me,” Kurt started to protest.

“Now hush. That’s a notion you’re going to have to just get used to. I want you to have some nice things, and clothes you’ll be comfortable in.”

“But –” Kurt automatically started to protest. “Yes, sir.” He did sound a little happier about it.

They reached Adam’s car, and he let go of Kurt’s hand long enough to unlock the passenger side door. Kurt gasped at the classic sports car and exclaimed over its perfect condition.

“It’s a hobby of mine, to keep it washed and waxed. I’m rubbish at trying to keep it tuned up. I need to take it in soon to have someone look at it.” He gestured for Kurt to get into the passenger seat, and tossed the duffle onto the back seat.

“I can maybe tune it up for you, if you have the right tools –” Kurt stopped when he saw the expression on Adam’s face. “Is something the matter?”

“No, it’s just that I don’t have any tools that are intended for an automobile. We’ll have to see about fixing that. You’re certainly welcome to take a look under the hood, after we get home, if you’d like, but you’ll have to wait a while before doing anything to it.”

“You’d really trust me to work on your car?”

“If you know what you’re doing. Now let’s get going, I’m sure you’re anxious to get away from here.”

Kurt nodded enthusiastically, and locked the door when Adam closed it.

In moments Adam was seated and pulling out into traffic. “Be sure – okay, your seat belt is on, good.”

“Dad insisted I do that any time I get into the car.”

“Good. Are you feeling a little better now?”

“Yeah. As soon as I realized those guys were lying – or maybe didn’t know what they were talking about.”

Adam sighed. “What were they saying?”

“That I’d have to get my balls cut off before you’d take me home, and it would take a couple of days to heal, so you couldn’t even take me out of the store till then, and maybe by then you’d have had enough time to change your mind –“

“Stop right there. Breathe. Relax. I already explained to Emma that was NOT going to happen with you. There is absolutely no reason to do that.”

“Thank you, sir, thank you so much! You don’t know how grateful I am. But if you like my singing voice the way it is --”

“Don’t worry about it. If your voce hasn’t changed by now, it probably won’t change very much at all. Even if it does drop a bit, it doesn’t matter, to me, anyway. I think you’ll still have a beautiful voice, even if it’s a bit lower. And if it doesn’t change, that’s fine, too.

“I don’t want to change anything about you, Kurt. Whatever nature does, that’s one thing, but there’s nothing artificial that needs to be done.”  
           
Kurt sighed loudly. “Thank you, sir, that’s really a relief.”

“You’re welcome, and you don’t need to call me sir.”

“Then what should I call you, sir? I mean –” Kurt stopped, flustered.

“You can just – oh, for God’s sake, what’s the matter with me?” Adam was annoyed at himself for his unintentional rudeness. He glanced over at Kurt. “I never properly introduced myself. My name is Adam Crawford. You can call me Adam.”

Kurt shook his head, his eyes wide again. “No, that’s not – Maybe I can call you Mr. Adam? In the store, that’s how they wanted us to say it.”

Adam sighed. “We’ll work on that. If it makes you feel better, yes, call me Mr. Adam, but eventually I want you to be comfortable enough to just use my name.

“One more thing, when we go out, you will be in your human form the entire time. Unless, for some unlikely reason, I tell you to change. Is that understood?”

Heavy sigh. “Yes, sir.”

Adam looked at him sharply. “What was that for? The sarcastic sigh?”

Kurt looked a bit nervous now. “I’m sorry. It’s just that people don’t usually take their cats for walks.”

“Well, I know some who do. I don’t want to take a chance on losing you, or anything happening to you. I don’t think I really have to worry about you running away, do I?”

“No, sir!” The response was rapid-fire and very sincere. “No, Mr. Adam, I mean,” he amended.

“Good. Now, let’s stop here and get you some clothes.” Adam pulled into the Walmart parking lot, and looked over at Kurt. He’d have thought he might be a little happier about getting a new wardrobe.

“Kurt? Is everything alright?”

“Oh, sure, it’s just –” Kurt looked down at his clothes and sighed.

“Ah, you’re not likely to find anything very fashionable here, but we can get you some of the basics. Socks, underwear, undershirts, maybe some pajamas… Hm, maybe tennis shoes for now. We’ll pick you up one or two shirts, maybe some jeans. We can always go to the mall later and try to find some nicer things for you there.”

Kurt was wringing his hands together, looking distressed. “I’m sorry, you really don’t need to spend a lot of money on me.”

“Why not? I told you already I don’t mind.”

Kurt sighed, looking out the window rather than at Adam. “Because I’m not worth it.”

“Who told you that?”

Kurt shrank back in fear. “I’m sorry.”

Adam sat up straighter and looked him in the eye. “Forgive me, I’m not angry at you. I’m angry at whatever bastards gave you the impression that you’re not worth it, or you don’t matter, because you do matter.”

Kurt took a deep breath, and seemed a little calmer. “My dad used to say that. He said nobody ever pushes a Hummel around, and no matter what anyone tried to tell me, I should remember that I matter.”

Adam mentally filed the name away for now. “Yes, that’s what I’m saying. I’m glad your father and I are in agreement about that.”

Kurt looked nervous, as though he thought he’d done something wrong.

“Now, there are some things we need to talk about later, but for now, let’s get this shopping over with.”

“Okay.” Kurt was very slow to unlock and open the door. Adam got out and finally opened the door for him, waiting for him to get out.

“What’s the matter now?” Adam really didn’t want to be impatient with Kurt, but he was realizing there were a LOT of issues that would come up. Hopefully not all in one day.

Kurt looked up at him, and slowly got out of the car. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a store. I mean, other than being in the pet store.”

Adam mentally kicked himself for not making the connection earlier.  
           
“I promise, we won’t be here long. Here, I guess I’ve got to attach this stupid leash. I’m sorry you need to wear it.”

Kurt shrugged, but waited patiently for Adam to fasten it to the collar. A few people glanced in their direction, then looked away, as though it were a common sight. Adam supposed it was; he’d never thought much about it before meeting Kurt.

“Alright, let’s go in and see what you need. Think of it as an adventure!”

Kurt smiled slightly, and followed Adam into the store, walking the correct two paces behind him.

Almost as soon as they walked into the store, Adam regretted it. Yes, Kurt did need some clothes and probably other things, but for the middle of a weekday, it was awfully crowded.

“Hang onto me,” he told Kurt, looking back and seeing he was already nervous. “I’m going to push the basket, and just can just walk beside me and hold onto my arm.”

“But –“

“Don’t worry about it. Hang on.”

Kurt sighed, but held onto Adam’s nearer arm, making sure his leash didn’t get tangled.

Kurt clearly wanted to stop and look at everything, but Adam wanted to get them in and out. They could take a more leisurely shopping trip later, when Kurt was a little more acclimated.

They found the sunglasses first. Adam quickly found a pair of mirrored aviators that fit Kurt and would protect his eyes well enough. Kurt didn’t seem to care about looking for any others he might like better, so they moved on.

Men’s clothing was next. There were so many people, Adam might have thought it was a holiday weekend sale if he didn’t know better. 

Adam took a guess on sizes for underwear and socks. He wanted Kurt to try on a couple of shirts and pants to get his size, and a few people gave them dirty looks when they went into the changing room together.

“You can try these on by yourself, if you like,” Adam had suggested, but Kurt shook his head and gripped his arm even tighter.

“Okay, fine, but you’re going to have to let go so I can get the door open,” Adam pointed out.

Kurt wasn’t happy about it, but he let go long enough for them to both get into the small room. They left the cart outside the door.

Adam quickly unclipped the leash so Kurt could get the t-shirts on, and they soon found the correct size. Kurt didn’t seem to have a problem undressing in front of him, so Adam did his best to not react.

“That’s a good size on you. They have it in a few colors. Let’s get a couple. Do you know which colors you want?”

Kurt shook his head.

The jeans took a little longer to find in the right size, but once they found some that fit, Adam put the rest aside, while Kurt put his old clothes back on.

They went back to the aisle with the shirts Adam had liked, and he again asked Kurt which colors he wanted. There were six different options, and Kurt looked back and forth, and started making little unhappy noises in the back of his throat. 

“What’s the matter, Kurt? If you don’t like this style, we’ll find something else.”

“No, it’s – it’s – I don’t know.”

Adam finally realized the problem. Kurt probably hadn’t had so many things to choose from in his time at the store.

“Then I’ll choose for you, shall I?”

“Yes, sir. Mr. Adam,” he quickly corrected himself. “Yes, Mr. Adam.”

“The green would look nice with your eyes. And let’s take the red. Do you like red?”

Kurt nodded and smiled slightly.

“Okay. That’s t-shirts out of the way.”

It wasn’t too bad, until they got to the shoe section. There were several customers waiting, and one overworked shoe salesman, who was trying to explain that one salesperson was on a break, and the other was sick.

The loudest of the customers clearly didn’t want to hear excuses. As soon as he saw Kurt, wearing the collar and leash, he had another target on which to vent his anger.

“Wait a minute, you let animals in here? I don’t wanna buy shoes no animal has been trying on!”

Adam thought about pointing out that they had just got there, besides which, even as a cat Kurt was no doubt cleaner than this individual was at the moment. But there was no point upsetting Kurt further.

He turned their basket in the direction of the check-out counter. “Never mind. I don’t think I want him trying on shoes you’ve tried on, either.”

He realized as soon as the words were out of his mouth that he should have kept it shut, but fortunately the department manager came over and decided to wait on the obnoxious customer. The man seemed to think it was a better use of his time to find the shoes he was looking for than pick an argument with Adam. Nevertheless, Kurt was clinging even closer to him.

“You know what, there’s a shoe store just a couple of blocks from my house. I usually shop there, and they’re very nice. Let’s just go there instead.”

“But I – I – I -- ” Kurt couldn’t get out whatever he wanted to say. 

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. It will only take a few minutes. Let’s get these things for you and get out of here.” They passed the men’s pajama section, and in about 5 seconds Adam found some plain navy blue pajamas that should be a close enough fit for Kurt. He decided it wasn’t worth trying them on; if they didn’t fit, he’d return them and get the correct size the next day.

Luckily they saw a couple of other customers with pets in tow while they were at the check-out counter. They also saw all sorts of impulse buy items while they were standing in line.

Adam considered himself immune to such gimmicks, but Kurt was looking at everything. He seemed particularly wistful regarding the candy.

Adam wondered how long it had been since Kurt had been allowed any candy.

He thought he might regret it, but asked anyway.

“See anything you like?”

Clearly too many choices, and they probably all looked good to the sugar-starved hybrid.

“Do you like chocolate?”

Kurt nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Adam grabbed a couple of chocolate bars. “We’ll start with these. We can get you some more candy later. There’ll be plenty of time to get caught up on things.”

“Thank you,” Kurt murmured, obviously still overwhelmed by everything.

Adam debated about saving the shoes for another day and just getting Kurt home as soon as possible. That seemed like the best idea.


	7. Chapter 7

Kurt was quiet on the way home. He seemed to appreciate the sunglasses Adam insisted he wear, though he mostly kept his eyes closed for the rest of the ride. Maybe there was too much to look at, and it was certainly going by too fast.

Adam pulled into his parking spot in the garage, and let Kurt know they were home.

Kurt kept the sunglasses on, even in the garage, but Adam didn’t say anything. If Kurt wanted to hide behind the glasses a little while longer, that was perfectly understandable. He found the bag from the store, and Kurt’s duffle, printed with the New Directions name, and held those while he let Kurt out of the car. Kurt was still wearing the leash, so Adam slid his hand through the loop, so he could still open the door.

Adam hoped the elevator would be empty all the way to the Penthouse floor, but knew it was unlikely. As luck would have it, his next-door neighbor was getting out of her car, so he held the door for her. She was an elderly lady with white hair worn in a flattering style, and she smiled at Adam and Kurt.

“Good morning, Mrs. Avery,” Adam greeted her warmly.

“Good morning, Mr. Crawford. I keep telling you, if you want me to call you Adam, you’d better learn to call me Lily.”

Kurt was keeping very still and quiet, perhaps hoping she wouldn’t notice him.  
      
“All right, Lily,” Adam conceded with a grin.

“And who is this adorable young man?”

Kurt’s eyes widened behind the sunglasses.

“Lily, I’d like you to meet Kurt. He’s my...pet, my companion. I’m just bringing him home now for the first time.”

“That’s good, I’m glad you’re going to have some company. Kurt, I’d like to get to know you better. Perhaps you can both come over for some homemade cookies and lemonade later this week?”

Adam glanced down at Kurt. He seemed nervous, but not fearful, and he’d seen how Kurt’s nose had twitched at the word “cookies”.

“We’d be delighted, Lily. Let me know a good day and time.”

“I’ll be in touch. Goodbye, boys.” They had reached the top floor. She stepped out of the elevator, and turned to the right, and started walking down the hall.

“Goodbye, Lily,” Adam called.

“Goodbye, ma’am,” Kurt added quietly.

It wasn’t so quiet Adam thought she couldn't hear it, but she turned back and grinned in delight.

“See you both later.”

Adam exited the elevator, and walked down the left side of the hall. 

“She was nice,” Kurt commented, voice tinged with wonder.

“A lot of people are, Kurt. You’ll be seeing more of Mrs. – of Lily. She’s not only my nearest neighbor, but she owns this floor.”

Kurt halted, staring up at Adam. “Owns…the…floor? She owns all the apartments on this floor?”

“Well, all two of them, yes. She and her late husband owned them both, but she inherited them both when he passed away. This used to be his apartment, in fact. She said the reason they had such a long and happy marriage was because they each had their own separate space. I saw the ad, and had no idea how huge the place was, because the price was ridiculously low. She said later she was looking for just the right tenant. She didn’t want to live next door to just anybody.”

Kurt took a deep breath. “But maybe she won’t like living next door to a hybrid. I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

Adam put his hand on Kurt’s shoulder, steering him in the direction of the only other door nearby, on the opposite side of the hallway. At the very far end of the hall was the stairway. Adam hoped the elevator would never break down, because he wasn’t looking forward to walking up and down 23 flights of stairs.

“I wouldn’t worry about that, Kurt. She saw you were a hybrid right away, because of the collar. Did she seem upset at the thought of you living here?”

“No, I guess not.”

Adam could see Kurt had a lot of different things to think about. 

“It’s a rather large apartment,” Adam told him. “I needed room for my grand piano, and a few other things.”

“Grand piano…” Kurt repeated dreamily.

Adam unlocked the door, and ushered Kurt in, then flipped on the light. Kurt took a few steps, then came to a dead stop. Adam had to gently nudge his shoulder to get him to move so he could get into the room.

“Shall I take you on the grand tour now?”

Kurt took in the huge living room, which Adam now realized was bigger than the whole front of the store at New Directions. He could see a couple of doorways beyond.

“I’m – it’s so big! I don’t know –” He interrupted himself to yawn, then apologized. He took the sunglasses off, and Adam put them on a small table by the door.

“No, I’m sorry for keeping you up. I forgot you need some naps. Here, I’ll show you to your room, and you can put your things away later.”

Kurt nodded and followed him. He saw a huge kitchen off to the right, but he followed Adam to the left, down a hallway. “Here’s your room. We’ll figure out later if you need anything else. And here’s your bathroom, in here.”

“What?” Kurt seemed wide awake now. “I get my own bathroom? And it’s not even in the hall?”

“Right. You’ll have more privacy that way.” At the moment he wondered if privacy was a good thing, until Kurt got used to everything. “Hopefully anything you don’t have with you, you’ll find in the bathroom. If you need anything, come out and holler for me, and I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you. I thought you said the room wasn’t very big?” 

“Erm...compared to my room, it’s not.” True, it was technically the smallest of the apartment’s three bedrooms, at only 11 x 11 feet. “Tell you what, I’ll set these things down here and you can take your nap. If you need me, I won’t be very far away.”

“You’re leaving me?”

Kurt’s voice sounded so shocked and disappointed, Adam paused. “I have some things I need to do on the computer. I was going to work in the living room. But if you want, you’re welcome to take a nap on the sofa in there. I’ll try to be quiet so I don’t disturb you.”

“Oh, please, don’t worry about that, I’ll be able to sleep,” Kurt insisted. “But is it really okay for me to sleep on the furniture in the living room?”

Adam hadn’t really given it that much thought. “Of course it’s alright. Just take your shoes off, first.” Then he thought of another possibility. “Are you going to nap as a human, or a cat? I don’t mind so much if you get hair on the furniture, but –“

“If I do, I’ll clean it off when I change back, I promise.” Kurt yawned again. “I’m sorry. I’ve been changing back and forth a lot lately, and it wears me out a bit. I think I’ll take a nap like this.”

Adam pointed out the largest of the sofas, which happened to be leather. It was unlikely any hair would stick to it anyway. “Just take your shoes off, and leave them there….that’s fine. If you get cold, there’s a blanket there on the back of the sofa. You can use that.”

“I can? Thanks!” Kurt covered himself up as best he could in the blanket. Adam picked up the shoes to move them a little further out of the way, and was amused to hear a quiet purring sound. He stopped to listen, and it soon changed to a light snore. Far from being annoying, he thought he could easily get used to that sound.

Adam decided he could wait for lunch until Kurt woke up, assuming he didn’t sleep more than a couple of hours. He realized he had a lot of e-mail to catch up on. He debated what to tell his friends, though he certainly wasn’t ready to post anything on Facebook, or change his status or anything. Besides, what would he change it to? There was no such thing as:  Proud owner of a hybrid. Or perhaps in this case, Proudly owned by a hybrid. He shook his head. No, that wouldn’t do. He’d need to make sure, and soon, that Kurt realized who was the owner and who was the pet.

 

 

About an hour later, Kurt woke up. He sat up, looking around the room in alarm. Where was he? Then he saw his new owner – Mr. Adam, -- or just Adam -- sitting at the dining room table, working on a laptop.

Adam looked up, as Kurt untangled himself from the warm blanket. He carefully folded it again and put it back where it belonged, on the back of the sofa.

“Good afternoon. Did you have a good nap?” Adam asked.

Kurt nodded. But there was a specific reason he’d woken up. “I um, I need to um, use the –“

Adam blinked, then smiled. “Go ahead. There should be everything you need in the bathroom in your room. Can you find your way?”

“I think so, yes, thank you.” Kurt followed the hallway back to the room – his room! – and opened the door to his bathroom. He gasped. There was a combination bathtub and shower that was bigger than his entire cage at the pet store. It was in a separate room, along with a toilet, with the sink outside in an even larger part of the bathroom. Kurt was beginning to think he was in heaven.

He used the toilet and washed his hands – Miss Emma had been very strict about always, always, always washing one’s hands after using the toilet, even if you didn’t think you needed to. He explored the room a little, opening drawers and cupboards, then looked in the shower. He found several types of soap, and two types of shampoo. It was amazing, but a lot to take in at once. He found a brand new toothbrush, still in its plastic wrap. He thought about using it, but decided he could wait until after they ate. He hoped it was time to eat soon, because he was very hungry. He’d barely been able to eat any breakfast, because the others were upsetting him, and he didn’t want what he did manage to eat to come back up again.

But he remembered, he had a new home now…what Miss Emma called a Forever Home. The others were back at the store, and would maybe someday find their own new home, but he would probably never have to see them again. This was his place, and Adam was his owner, and he would never have to go back to the store. Unless he really displeased Adam, but he wasn’t about to do that if he could help it. No matter what Adam wanted from him, he’d do it. Anything would be better than going back there.

He had to walk through the bedroom – his bedroom! – again to get out to the living room. He looked around quickly, but realized he would need to take a lot more time to thoroughly explore. He could find out a lot more about the place as a cat than a human, but for now, he thought he’d better stay human. He wasn’t sure yet, but he thought possibly Mr. Adam liked him better in his human form? Nobody else ever had, except for his parents. They’d loved him in both his forms, they told him that often enough, and they never made fun of him. He’d been missing his mother for most of his life, and missing his dad for the last five years. He really hoped he was alright on his own. He wondered if there was a way to find out what happened to his dad, if he was okay.

He found the living room again, and Adam was shutting down the laptop.

“I don’t know about you, Kurt, but I’m starving. What do you say, shall we have lunch?”

Kurt gasped, realizing he hadn’t thought about how much time he’d slept. Had Mr. Adam been waiting all this time to eat, because of him? He was bad, already, without even trying to be.

“I’m sorry, I forgot – I didn’t think about you being hungry. I could have waited to sleep, or you could have eaten without me, please don’t wait for me, it’s not worth your time –“

“Shhh, it’s alright, Kurt.” Adam walked over and slowly held out his hand. 

It wasn’t in a fist, so maybe he wasn’t too angry.

“It’s fine, Kurt, I wanted to wait for you. Now come on and talk to me while I fix us something to eat. How hungry are you?”

Kurt didn’t know how to answer that. Nobody had asked him that in years, they just gave him however much they wanted to, and he ate it, and that was that.

“I’m not sure?” he answered hesitantly.

Adam frowned, then his face smoothed out. “Alright, let’s start with something light. I’m going to make soup now. You can start out with a bowl of soup and a sandwich after, and if you’re still hungry, you can have more of either. Or both. There’s plenty of food here.”

Plenty of food? He wondered what that meant. He knew food was expensive, and it mustn’t be wasted.

“Do you like tomato soup? And peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?”

They were both easy questions. Kurt liked that kind, rather than the hard ones. He nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Try again.” 

Adam didn’t look angry, or even annoyed, really, just…very patient. He wished he knew what he’d said or done wrong, so he could fix it.

“I’m sorry?” That was usually a good start.

“You called me sir. I’d rather you call me Adam, or Mr. Adam if you insist, but we really don’t need that formality here. Maybe out in public…oh dear, I’m going to have to read up more on that, I’ve already forgotten.”

Kurt blinked, trying to follow it all. His owner – Adam, Adam, Adam – sure talked a lot.

“Yes, Adam. I’ll try to remember better.”

“It’s fine. Just have a seat here at the table, and I’ll have the soup ready soon. It’s just from a can, I’m afraid. Sometimes I cook, but with things like soup, I’m more used to just warming up what’s in a can.”

“My mom taught me how to make soup, before she died. I used to make it for me and my dad,” Kurt remembered.

Adam paused at the stove, then continued stirring. “When did your mother die?”

Kurt knew he shouldn’t cry, not at his age. But he still wanted to. “My mama died when I was eight.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Kurt. That was awfully young for you. What happened?”

“She was hit by a car. Daddy and I were waiting at home. She was just going to walk to the grocery store, and then come right back. But she didn’t come back.”

“Kurt, I’m so sorry. I’m sure she wanted to come back to you, Kurt, but sometimes those things happen.”

He watched Adam carefully. He took the soup off the stove and poured it into two bowls. He set one down in front of Kurt, along with a spoon and napkin.

Kurt knew he should eat, but his stomach was getting tied up in knots again. “But what if – you might – promise me you won’t let anything like that happen to you?”

Adam winced. “I can’t make that kind of promise, Kurt. Accidents are things we can’t predict. But I’ll do my best to figure out what to do in that case. In the meantime, let’s not worry about that. We’ve got plenty of other things to think about. Now eat your soup before it gets cold.”

“I’m not sure I can. I’ll try.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you about that right now, it was my fault. Tell you what, would you like to listen to some music while we eat?”

Kurt nodded enthusiastically, and Adam turned on the radio. It was playing an old song, one his dad used to listen to, by one of those old guys with the guitar… Bruce Springsteen, he thought. Maybe this was the same oldies station Mr Will sometimes listened to. He found his appetite coming back as he tried to concentrate on the words in the song, rather than all the confusing thoughts in his head.


	8. Chapter 8

While Kurt was napping, Adam had caught up with his e-mail correspondence. He realized he’d probably made a huge mistake in not asking his landlady ahead of time if it was okay to adopt a hybrid. Since she had a purebred cat of her own, he hadn’t given it that much thought. He quickly found his copy of the lease, and found out that pets were fine, pure or hybrid, but he would have to pay an extra $25 per month for a purebred, and $100 more per month for a hybrid. Just for curiosity’s sake, he looked up the rule for an additional tenant, and found it was also $100.

He wrote an e-mail to Mrs. Avery – Lily, he had to remember that – and apologized for not asking her about Kurt first. He promised to write her a pro-rated check for that month in the morning. He assured her that Kurt was well-behaved, but was very shy and not used to being around people.

Lily wrote back soon after and said it was fine, he could give her the check the day after tomorrow, when he and Kurt came for cookies and lemonade, or cookies and tea, whatever they preferred

At lunch he’d persuaded Kurt to eat half a sandwich as well as a bowl of soup, but didn’t want to pressure him to eat more if he wasn’t ready. Besides, dinner time wasn’t all that far away, so it might just give Kurt a better appetite.

Kurt insisted on doing the dishes. He said it had been a long time, but he hadn’t forgotten how. Adam watched carefully, not so much concerned that Kurt would break a dish as that he might somehow hurt himself. He realized he would need to give Kurt more credit, though, as the dishes were soon clean, dry, and put away again, with no mishaps. He had a dishwasher, but seldom used it, because with only himself to cook for, it took too long to fill up. Kurt cleaned the stove, counter and table, and probably would have mopped the floor if Adam hadn’t distracted him.

“Let’s take that tour now. I want you to get familiar where things are so you’ll be more comfortable here.”

“Okay,” Kurt agreed. “I’m wide awake now.”

Adam left the radio on, since it seemed to have soothed Kurt’s nerves earlier. “As you can see, there’s just about everything here that you could want for making a gourmet meal. When I have the Apples over – that’s my singing group, Kurt – I like to fix a really nice meal. We usually have potluck at these things, but a few of us really like to put on a nice dinner. You said you like to cook, right?”

Kurt nodded, still starting at the array of implements in the kitchen. “Yes, I do. But it was hard to even find something as simple as saffron in town. Whenever we had to go into Cincinnati to get parts Dad needed for the shop or something, he’d take me to this fancy grocery store and let me get some of the things I just couldn’t find at home.”

“Oh, so you grew up in…Ohio, was it?” Adam’s grasp of U.S. geography was better than it had been when he first moved to New York, but he was still surprised that Kurt had been brought there from so far away.

“Yeah, a little town called…I don’t remember now, I haven’t thought about it in a while. It was named after some kind of bean.”

Adam already had a plan in the back of his mind to try to find Kurt’s family, so this gave him a little bit more to go on.

“Well, there are plenty of grocery stores here with most of the things we’ll need. If you want to cook or bake, that’s fine, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to supervise you in the kitchen until I’m sure you’re used to everything. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I’ll be careful, Adam, I promise, but I understand.”

Kurt didn’t seem all that disappointed or offended.

They moved on to the living room. The first thing Kurt noticed, and headed straight for, was the piano. He was careful not to touch it, going so far as to put his hands behind his back.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Adam remarked. “Do you play?”

Kurt blinked, knowing Adam had to be talking to him, but it still seemed unreal. “I used to. Mama had one and she taught me. But it’s been a long time.”

“Well, maybe this evening you can sit with me and we’ll play together, and you can get used to it again.”

“Really? You’d let me play it? I promise I’ll be careful!”

“Of course you can. You can help me keep it in tune. I have a cleaning lady come in once a week, but I take care of cleaning the piano myself.”

Kurt nodded. “But if you want, you don’t have to pay someone to clean the apartment. I can do that for you now.”

Adam sighed. “Kurt, I didn’t bring you here to put you to work. You can help me keep the place picked up in between, but I’m not going to let Nancy go. She’s been working for me since I moved here, and she’d have to find another client to replace me. She works for Lily, too, but she’s got bills to pay.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t think about that. I was just thinking about saving money. One of the things they trained us to do at the store was keep things clean. Well, Miss Emma was more concerned about that than Mr. Will, but he didn’t see any point in paying someone to clean up when he had a bunch of able-bodied hybrids who needed to learn how.”

“I see.” Adam’s opinion of Will Scheuster wasn’t improving. “Well, I’ll tell you what. Keep your room and bathroom clean, and I’ll do my own, and we’ll both make sure the kitchen is clean. We’ll let Nancy handle the rest, alright?”

“Sure.” Kurt was looking around the large, but comfortable room. “This is just such a big place.” His gaze was drawn to a corner of the room that was literally floor to ceiling with books, several shelves on each wall. There was even a ladder to reach the taller shelves. “Look at all those books!” he breathed.

“Ah, yes.” Adam took his arm and walked him over to the shelves. “This is the library. This ladder hooks onto that shelf up there, you see? It can be moved all along the shelves, and you should be able to reach any book from some rung or another on the ladder.”

“Have you read all of these?”

Adam burst out laughing. “Oh, no, I haven’t had time to read nearly enough of them. Actually, this library belonged to Lily’s husband, and it came with the apartment. Most of my books are paperbacks, or textbooks, and they’re in my bedroom. Maybe we should look there for something for you to read.”

“It’s been a long time, but I do want to start reading again.”

Adam was struck with inspiration. “Did you ever read any of the Harry Potter books?”

“I read the first one, and I liked it, but I was having a little trouble reading it. It was --  What did Dad say, “beyond my learning level” or something. They didn’t really expect us to have to do much reading, so I didn’t really get too far. Dad wanted to help me out, but he found the books really confusing. He said there were too many words he didn’t know, either, ‘cause the writer was making up her own.”

Adam grinned. “That’s part of the fun of being a writer. I’ll tell you what, I have all the books. Since it’s been such a long time since you read the first one, I can start reading that to you. You can sit next to me and read along with me as I read it to you, and it should be easier to pick up the words that way.”

“Cool! And you have the right accent for it, too!” Kurt observed, grinning from ear to ear.

“That I do! You know they made movies of all the books, right?”

Kurt nodded. “I wanted to see them, but Dad thought they might be kind of scary for me. I’m not sure why, and he wouldn’t explain.”

Thinking about some of the elements in the movie, a young boy being treated cruelly by people who were supposed to look after him, and constantly having his life threatened by powerful beings, Adam agreed that perhaps Kurt should wait a bit on the movies. At least with the books, it would be a lot easier to stop whenever Kurt had a question or seemed to be upset.

“Let’s read the books first, then we’ll watch the movies, okay?”

Kurt shrugged. “Sure, whatever you want.”

“There are a few things you’re going to have to just trust me about, and let me decide what you’re ready to handle, or not, okay?”

“Okay,” Kurt agreed.

“I know you’re 18, but you haven’t had the education, experiences, or been able to develop the judgment of most people your age, so please don’t be offended if you think I’m treating you as a bit younger than you are. You’ll catch up soon enough, I’m sure. Now, you haven’t seen nearly all of the apartment yet. Come on.”

Adam showed Kurt the hall closet, where he would keep Kurt’s leash, along with his coat and jacket, once they went shopping again. “If you want, I’ll help you put your clothes away in your room, and we can figure out what else you need.”

“Okay.”

Kurt followed Adam back to his bedroom, and they spent a very short time putting away the clothes Kurt had brought with him and what they’d bought at the store. There was still plenty of room in the closet and dresser.

“We’ll get you some shoes tomorrow, and see about finding some nicer things at the mall.” Adam gently stroked the scarf Kurt was wearing. “This is nice. Do you like scarves? You only have one other.”

Kurt sighed, and tightened his hands into fists. “I had a lot more, but I couldn’t take them with me. They said they weren’t practical. As if fashion has to be practical!”

Adam smiled, pleased he’d found something Kurt was passionate about. “You’re interested in fashion, then?”

“Yeah. I used to design things for myself – that I couldn’t afford to make, of course. And I’d design things that would have been nice for my mom, but of course, it was too late for her to wear them. But I still thought there were a lot of nice things she should have had the chance to wear.”

“What about your father?”

Kurt laughed, a sound which delighted Adam. “No, his idea of fashion is jeans, a flannel shirt, and a trucker’s cap. I hardly ever remember him wearing anything else. Except to my mom’s funeral. He wore a suit, but I had to tie his tie for him. It had been so long since he’d worn one, he’d forgotten how to do it.”

Adam’s mind was working rapidly, spinning with ideas. “Well, let’s get you some paper, colored pencils or whatever you need, and get you started designing again. If you like, you can design things for yourself, or me, and we’ll be the most fashionably dressed guys around here!”

Kurt clapped his hands. “You really mean it?”

“Why not?” Adam wondered what he was getting himself in for. He had no idea how much it would cost for the types of fabrics Kurt would want, but it sounded like it would be a fun project, and Kurt would need something to do with his time. As much as Adam was enjoying his company, they couldn’t be together constantly.

“Now, let me show you the TV room. It’s a bedroom I turned into a TV room, since I wanted to keep the living room for the piano and books.”

Kurt expected to see a normal sized TV, but instead, the one mounted on the wall was huge.

“Wow, how big is that TV?”

“Sixty-five inches. It’s a fairly new model, so it will play 3-D movies.”

“Wow!”

Adam hesitated, then brought up with might be a touchy subject.

“One of the pamphlets I read said that some people don’t allow their hybrids to watch television, because they think it will give them too many ideas and stir up their imagination. That it might make you want things you’ll never get in life, and you’ll be resentful.”

Kurt shrugged. “That kind of happens anyway.”

“Yes, it does. We both have a lot to learn, you and I, about living together, and how things are going to work out. But I’m guessing you already know the difference between fantasy and reality.”

“Yeah. Harry Potter is fiction. There’s no school for witches and wizards, no magic spells, nobody who’s going to rescue me from my life.” He quirked up one brow. “Except you just did, so maybe that part isn’t so fictional.”

Adam blinked rapidly, and tried to convince himself it was his contacts bothering him. “Well, this isn’t exactly a castle –“

“It isn’t?” Kurt interrupted with a grin. “Sure coulda fooled me.”

“Ha ha. I was going to say, and I’m no prince,”

“But you’re better looking than the British royals. I’ve seen them in Emma’s magazines when she wasn’t looking,” he confessed.

Adam felt absurdly pleased by the compliment.

“Well, thank you. I was going to say, I’ll do what I can to make your life happier than you expected. It might just take a while for us both to figure out what we want out of this relationship.”

Kurt scrunched his face up as he looked at Adam. “Don’t you know what you want?”

“Ah, that’s a good question. Sometimes what we want, and what’s best for us, are different things. So,” Adam rubbed his hands together. “This is the loveseat, the sofa, and the recliner, and the stereo equipment is there. By the way, this room and the living room are sound-proofed very well, so we can turn up the volume if we want and not disturb either Lily or Misty.”

“Who’s Misty?” Kurt wondered.

“She lives with Lily. You’ll meet her the day after tomorrow. We’re going over at 3:00 in the afternoon for cookies and tea for me, and cookies and lemonade for you. Unless you’d prefer tea.”

“Which do you want me to drink?”

Adam blinked, taken aback by the question. “It doesn’t matter, Kurt, whichever you prefer. I don’t want you drinking alcohol, that’s not legal or wise for you, but other than that, it’s your choice.”

“My choice,” Kurt marveled.

“As I’ve said, there are lots of things for you to get used to. Now, next door is my bedroom. I’ll show it to you briefly, and we can try to find some easier books for you to read, or something I can read to you.”

“I’d like that,” Kurt agreed.


	9. Chapter 9

Kurt decided he was in the mood for Harry Potter after all, and they agreed to start reading it that evening.

“I like your room,” Kurt announced.

Adam grinned. “Well that’s a coincidence, so do I.”

“I mean, it’s really comfortable.”

In addition to a large bed that dominated the room, there was also a big, overstuffed recliner chair, some bookshelves on the wall, filled with the books Adam had bought. The closet was large and only a little messy, but Kurt was surprised Adam didn’t have nicer clothes, or more of them. He decided that could be remedied pretty quickly once he started designing some clothes for him. 

“I do know how to sew, as well as design,” he announced. “I made some things for myself out of material my dad could afford, that were sort of knockoffs of Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen, and some other designers I liked. But I think I can come up with some really amazing things for you.”

Adam smiled, but saw Kurt’s own smile falter.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be bragging about things like that.”

“Why on earth not?”

“I just shouldn’t. I need to learn my place, and keep to it.”

“Oh for God’s sake, that’s ridiculous. Who are you quoting? Because I can practically hear the quotation marks.”

“Um…” Kurt seemed a bit flustered. “Let’s see, my dad’s parents, my neighbors, teachers at school…and Mr. Will.”

“Well, they’re all wrong,” Adam insisted. “Be proud of what you can do, Kurt. Let’s get you the materials you need, for designing and sewing, and you can prove them all wrong.”

He loved the smile that lit up Kurt’s face at those words.

“We can do some research on the computer, in a little bit, and figure out the best kind of sewing machine you’ll need, for instance.”

“Sewing machine? You’d buy me a sewing machine? I’m sure we can find a used one, maybe on eBay or something…”

“Kurt, none of that, please.” Adam put his hand on Kurt’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “I’m sure I can afford to get you a new one. I just want to make sure we get the best equipment for what you’re going to do. Don’t worry about money, let me worry about that. I’ll let you know if something is too expensive.”

“Alright, thank you! I can’t believe… I used to use my mom’s old sewing machine, and it was pretty good when my dad got it for her, but I know there are better ones now.”

“Let’s take a look at what you’ve already got, in terms of clothes and other necessities, and we’ll start making a shopping list. I hate shopping –“

“I love it!” Kurt interrupted.

“Good, then that makes one of us who will be happy. No, Kurt, don’t get upset, I don’t mind. It’s just not something I particularly enjoy, but I have a feeling it will be fun shopping with you, for things you’re excited about.”

Since Adam had literally more money than he knew what to do with, and was able to live pretty well off the dividends from his investments, he really didn’t think it was likely Kurt was going to make a huge dent in his savings. Still, he would definitely let him know if his tastes were getting too expensive. But someone obviously needed to spoil him, and Adam was happy to do so.

Adam showed Kurt the laundry room, and said he’d show him how the washer and dryer worked the next time there were enough clothes to wash. 

“I have a feeling with two of us here, the laundry will need to be done twice as often.”

“I’m sorry,” Kurt started to apologize.

Adam sighed. “It’s alright, you have nothing to apologize for. It’s not a big deal, Kurt, I don’t think it’s going to add a lot of work for me now that you’re here. I just wish you’d stop apologizing for everything, like you feel your very existence is an inconvenience. It’s not,” he added quickly, before Kurt could respond. “I don’t care what you’ve been told before by other people, I want you to be a part of my life. You have a right to be alive, and to enjoy that life, hybrid or not. I’d like you to start getting used to that idea.”

Kurt was quiet, thinking it over. “It’s a lot to get used to, but I’ll try.”

As soon as he said it, Adam realized that he really was giving Kurt a hell of a lot to think about, and adapt to, in a very short time.

“It’s okay, I know you’ve got a lot of adjustments to make, and so do I. I’m sure there will be times when we get on each other’s nerves, or have disagreements, but I want you to understand, Kurt, even if I’m angry with you for some reason, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not going to punish you or make you miserable just to make myself feel better. If you do something wrong by accident, tell me, and we’ll work it out. If you do something wrong deliberately, that’s a different thing, and we’ll have to talk about that too.

“I’d much rather talk things out when there’s a problem, than let it get worse by trying to ignore it. I want us both to be honest with one another. I’m not going to hit you, or call you names, or try to make you feel like you’re always wrong. Sometimes you will be wrong, sometimes I will be, but we should always be able to talk things out.”

He knew he was overwhelming Kurt, but he thought it was important to explain these things to him. He had a feeling some of them were lessons he’d have to impart over and over again until Kurt really learned them, but that was okay.

“Now, I’ll take an inventory of what you need, and then I’ll bet you could use another nap.”

Kurt looked up at him, his eyes huge. “Thank you, Adam, I think I do need one.”

_ Poor kid, he’s only been here a few hours and I’m dumping too much on him all at once. _

It took only a few minutes to make a list of some things they would need, and he hoped Kurt would tell him if there was anything else he’d forgotten or hadn’t thought about. But for now, he could see Kurt was very sleepy.

“Hey, Kurt, why don’t you go ahead and take a nap. You look a bit too tired to make it out to the living room again, so do you want to stay in here? You can close the door if you want privacy, or leave it open if you like. I’ll just be around the apartment somewhere, taking care of a few things. If you can’t find me, just call out for me, okay?”

Kurt nodded, his shoulders slumped and eyelids drooping.

“Shall I help you get your shoes off?” Adam offered.

Kurt hesitated, then agreed.

As soon as he was sure Kurt was comfortable, Adam left him alone, and left the door partially open. Kurt wasn’t the only one with a lot of new things to think about.

 

 

Adam had been able to do a little writing, but found he was too distracted to concentrate for long. He kept wanting to check on Kurt, to make sure he was okay, but he knew, even as a new owner, he couldn’t expect to keep Kurt within eyesight every minute, nor did he want to. He was used to being on his own, and having someone else around, even Kurt, would feel strange at first. He was getting hungry, and bet Kurt was too. He debated about asking him what he wanted for dinner, but thought that maybe even a simple question like that would offer too many choices, and overwhelm him again. He checked the freezer, and saw that he still had some spaghetti sauce left. It wouldn’t take long to thaw it, cook the spaghetti, and throw a salad together. He’d gotten French bread at the store earlier, and decided they’d just have it with butter, instead of making garlic bread. That was the type of thing he probably should ask Kurt about before just serving it to him.

He’d discovered at lunch that he and Kurt both shared an affinity for Diet Coke, but he didn’t want to give it to Kurt too often. It still had caffeine, and Kurt’s system was already a bit overstressed as it was. He would normally have a glass or two of wine with a spaghetti dinner, but thought it might be prudent to stay as alert as possible around Kurt until they were more used to each other. He didn’t think it would be a problem, but he put all the liquor he had in the house in the bar in the living room, and locked it. Hybrid or not, Kurt was a teenager, so he didn’t want to put temptation in his way if it wasn’t necessary.

He thought it might be best to wake Kurt and give him some time to freshen up before starting dinner. That way Kurt would hopefully be ready about the same time as the food.  He walked to the hallway outside Kurt’s door and called softly, “Kurt, it’s time to get up. I’m going to fix dinner now.”

He didn’t hear a response, so he called a little louder. Maybe Kurt was just a deep sleeper, though it seemed unlikely, given his history. Still no answer. Adam tapped on the door lightly, and after a moment, opened it further. He expected to see Kurt curled up on the bed, clutching a pillow, the way he’d left him earlier. He saw the covers were slightly mussed, and one of the pillows was askew, but he didn’t see Kurt. The bathroom door was open, but maybe – “Kurt? Where are you?”

Still no answer. He knocked on the bathroom door, heard no protest, and went in. Kurt was nowhere to be found in that room. On a hunch, Adam opened the closet door, but no Kurt was to be found there either. He looked through the entire apartment, surprised that Kurt hadn’t let him know he was awake. Surely he wouldn’t have left the apartment --  No, the door was still locked, and Kurt wouldn’t have had the key to lock it from the outside. It was still on the little hook near the door where Adam always left it.

Now Adam was starting to get a bit angry, as well as worried. He had thought Kurt would be more responsible than to hide…

He smiled as he thought about Misty, Lily’s cat, and something she did far too often for Lily’s peace of mind. He went back to Kurt’s room, knelt on the floor, then lay down on his stomach, and lifted the bedspread. As he’d suspected, Kurt was curled up under the bed, his eyes wide as he stared at Adam. He supposed it was a good sign that he hadn’t changed into cat form.

“Kurt, would you like to come out from under the bed, please?”

“No?” Kurt said hesitantly.

Adam sighed, and rubbed his hand over his face, unsure how to handle this. “Alright, I’m not going to insist. But next time, please answer me when I call. I was getting very concerned about you. I thought perhaps you’d run away or something.”

“No, I would never do that!” Kurt insisted.

“Well, when I couldn’t find you, and you didn’t answer me, I didn’t know what to think. I don’t know about you, but my back isn’t liking this position at all, so I’m going to go ahead and start making dinner.  If you’d like to clean up and join me, I’d like that. If you need more time to be alone, that’s fine, too. I’ll leave your dinner in the fridge and you can heat it up in the microwave later.”

“You’d do that? You wouldn’t make me go without dinner?”

Adam bit his tongue. “No, Kurt, I wouldn’t do that. Just come out when you’re ready.”

He couldn’t keep the disappointment out of his voice. He really thought he’d done a good job at handling Kurt so far, and it hurt to think that Kurt didn’t trust him, and felt like he needed to hide to be left alone.

Almost exactly ten minutes later, Kurt showed up in the kitchen. His clothes were surprisingly neat and clean, though he knew Nancy wouldn’t allow any dust bunnies to gather under the bed. His eyes were a bit red, as though he’d been crying, and Adam saw some water droplets in his hair and on his shirt collar, so he’d presumably washed his face and hands.

“Have a seat. Dinner is almost ready.” He’d already set the table and put the parmesan cheese and a couple different types of salad dressing on the table. He wanted to see how Kurt reacted to a choice of just two things.

Kurt sat at the table, and was quiet, though Adam could feel Kurt’s gaze on him the entire time until he set the food on the table.

“I’m sorry,” Kurt said, his voice a little huskier than usual, from crying. “I know you said to stop apologizing, but I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“I accept your apology. It’s okay to apologize when you know you’ve done something wrong, but you don’t need to apologize for, you know, breathing too loud or something.”

“Am I breathing too loud?” Kurt asked, then slapped himself lightly. “I’m sorry, I know that wasn’t – damn it! I’m sorry I keep –” He stopped, and kept his mouth shut as Adam served the food.

“That maybe wasn’t the best example I could have used,” Adam admitted. “I’d rather you didn’t hit yourself if you think you’ve done something wrong, just because you think somebody needs to.”

“But I didn’t – I don’t – oh, yeah. I didn’t really even think about it.”

“Well, I think you’ve had entirely too much to think about today, so let’s just eat dinner now, and we’ll talk later.” He got up and turned the radio back on.

Kurt waited until Adam started eating. He looked at both bottles of salad dressing curiously, and started to reach out, then pulled his hand back.

“What’s the matter?” Adam asked.

Kurt shrugged. “I don’t know what I want. We had salad at the store, but there was just one kind of dressing. I’m not even sure what kind it was, but it was kind of boring. And kind of bitter,” he added, shuddering.

“Ah, it might have been oil and vinegar. It’s healthy, but I agree, not terribly tasty. I’m having the Italian dressing with mine. It’s got oil and vinegar, but some other things as well. The other is ranch. It’s creamier, and just a little bit sweet. Just put a little bit on, and if you don’t like it, try the Italian.”

He realized he’d said the magic word with “sweet”. Kurt apparently did like it; he used quite a bit of it. 

He’d served them both ice water with dinner, and as he expected, Kurt didn’t ask for anything else. He wondered if he should have given him milk, since he was still a growing boy, then tried not to giggle when he remembered Kurt would probably be fond of milk. It wasn’t terribly good for him in his hybrid form, but as a human he could certainly drink it.

After dinner, he let Kurt wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen, while he tried to figure out what to say without causing further problems. He wasn’t all that surprised that Kurt was exhibiting distinctly feline methods of coping with stress, but he also didn’t want him to get away with not answering when Adam was trying to find him. He knew it wasn’t a game, or a joke, but it was best to set boundaries sooner than later.

“Let’s go in the living room and talk for a bit, then we can start reading Harry Potter, if you like.” He remembered he’d also suggested they play the piano, but thought it best to tackle that at another time.

“Sure, whatever you want.”

Kurt sounded calm and controlled, but Adam could see his eyes were bright with unshed tears. He took his shoes off, sat on the couch, and gestured for Kurt to sit at the other end. Adam turned so his back was to the arm of the couch, and his knees up to his chin, so he could look directly at Kurt. At first Kurt was very stiff, his hands clutching his knees through the worn fabric of his jeans. Then Kurt sighed, and turned a bit more, to face Adam a little more directly. He took a deep breath, and bit his lip, probably to keep from crying.

“Kurt, I want you to know, I think you’re doing very well, considering you haven’t even been here a full day. But I want to make it clear, I need to know, in general, where you are. I can hear the bell on your collar if you’re moving around, but when you’re deliberately staying still, you know that sound isn’t going to give you away.”

Kurt nodded.

“Do you understand why I was upset that I couldn’t find you?”

“Yes, I think so.”

Adam waited, then sighed. “And that reason was…?”

“You were worried about me, because you couldn’t find me.”

“Good. Do you know why you were hiding from me?”

Kurt slowly shook his head. “Not really. I mean, I know you said you wouldn’t hurt me, and you probably won’t if you say you’re not going to, but I needed time to think about things, and I was having trouble sleeping on the bed. It was too comfortable. I mean, I wanted to fall asleep, but I wasn’t sure I should, because I needed to think about things, but I didn’t want to, I wanted to sleep instead. So I got under the bed, ‘cause it’s a little more like what I’m used to, and I was able to sleep. When I heard you calling me, I thought I’d get in trouble for not being on the bed where you left me, so I didn’t say anything, ‘cause I didn’t want you to get mad at me. Then I knew you’d get mad at me for not answering, and I got kind of scared, and I knew I was making it worse by not saying anything, but I didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t make you upset. So I didn’t say anything.”

Adam listened patiently, trying to make sense of Kurt’s rambling thoughts. Well, he _had_ said they should talk things out, hadn’t he?

“Do you know what you should have done instead?”

“No.”

At least Kurt didn’t sound scared at the moment, just annoyed.

“I’ll make it easy for you and tell you this time,” Adam said, keeping eye contact with him. “Later on you can figure things out for yourself. You should have said something like, “I’m here, under the bed. I’m not ready to come out yet.”

“If I’d said that, you’d have left me alone?”

“Yes. I’d probably have checked on you in a couple of hours, to make sure you were alright. I don’t want to force you to do things you’re not comfortable with, but I need to know you’re okay, and you’re safe. As a cat, you can’t say it, but you could at least meow or something so I know where you are.”

“Okay. I’m sorry, I won’t do it again. I mean, I might, but I’ll let you know, if I hear you looking for me.”

“Another thing you could do, is just tell me, hey, I need some time to myself, I’m going to my room, and I’ll come out when I’m ready.”

Kurt looked so puzzled Adam had to struggle not to laugh. “I can say that? I mean, you won’t get mad if I do?”

“No, not as long as we don’t have to go somewhere. If I’m trying to take you to a doctor appointment, for instance, you can’t decide you’re just not in the mood.”

“The vet, you mean,” Kurt corrected him.

“No, a doctor should be fine.”

Kurt shook his head. “I’m sorry to correct you, I mean, I know we’re not supposed to do that, but I always had to go to the vet, because people doctors don’t treat hybrids.”

Now that was new information to Adam. He hadn’t run across that in anything he’d read, but all of this was still very new to him.

“I’ll look into it and see what I can find out, because I do want you to have regular checkups to make sure you’re okay. And it’s okay to correct me if I’m wrong, or you think I’m wrong. As I said, let’s talk it out. Being polite so you don’t hurt my feelings doesn’t really solve the problem, does it?”

“No, but are you sure you won’t get mad?”

Adam laughed. “I promise I won’t get mad. I’m quite used to a variety of people telling me I’m wrong, or I don’t know what I’m talking about. Sometimes they’re right, sometimes I am, but you’re not going to hurt my feelings that way.”

“Okay. I’ll try to remember all this.”

“Kurt, I’m throwing a lot of new things at you at once. I don’t expect you to remember everything, but I’m just trying to make sure you’re not scared I’m going to hurt you or something. I don’t want you to be scared. I want you to learn to make choices, and accept the consequences of your choice. We all make mistakes, but we can still learn from them. And I think that’s quite enough lecturing for tonight.”

Kurt nodded. Adam could see he was shivering a little.

“Are you cold?”

“Uh huh. Can I maybe wrap up in the blanket?”

“Sure. Or – wait, let me get out of this thing.” Adam had put on a hoodie earlier in the day, but he was getting too warm. “I’ve only been wearing it a few hours, and I think it’s pretty clean. It’s not sweaty, anyway.”

“Thank you.” Kurt let Adam help him on with the garment, which was a size or two too large for him. “Oh, this is warm. And it’s got a hood!” He immediately pulled it over his head.  
       
Adam wasn’t sure if it was to keep him warm, or another form of hiding, but it didn’t really matter. Kurt was comfortable, not crying or upset or angry, so he decided to call it a win.

“Why don’t you stay there for a bit and get cozy. Wear the blanket, too, if you want. I’m going to get the first Harry Potter book, and we can read it together, if you want.”  
       
“I’d like that,” Kurt sighed. 

“Okay. If you need to go to the bathroom, now would be a good time. Otherwise, stay here and I’ll be right back.”

“I don’t need to go.”

Adam came back with the book a couple of minutes later, and he sat close to Kurt on the sofa. He opened the book, and began to read aloud. Every now and then he checked to see how Kurt was reacting, if he seemed to be tracking the words. He seemed to be very absorbed in the story. Adam continued reading, and after a little while, Kurt moved closer, till he was almost in Adam’s lap. Adam put one arm around him to hold him securely, and read to him till Kurt’s head fell on his shoulder.

“Sleepy? Are you ready for bed?”

“Mm-hm,” Kurt murmured.

“Come on, let’s get you settled. I’d appreciate it if you could try to sleep in the bed. If it’s too soft, we can put a board under the mattress, or get a new mattress for you, but I’d be less worried about you if you slept in the bed, rather than under it.”

“Okay. Don’t I need to take a shower first?”

“You can wait till tomorrow morning, if you want. Just come out when you’re ready. If I’m still asleep and you’re hungry, you can have some cereal and milk, and I’ll fix you a proper breakfast later.”

“But that is a proper breakfast,” Kurt objected sleepily.

Adam sighed, but kept his arm around Kurt as he steered him towards the bedroom.

“Well, it’s not a proper breakfast in this household. It’s fine every now and then, but I have more energy if I have a hot meal to start the day.”

“Okay.” Kurt tried to suppress a yawn. 

Adam helped him into pajamas and reminded him if he needed anything, he was just down the hall.

“Sleep well, Kurt.”

“No bad dreams?” he asked.

“No bad dreams,” Adam agreed.

He left the door open, and had barely crossed the threshold when he heard a soft snore from the bed. He smiled, and decided their first day had gone very well.


	10. Chapter 10

Kurt woke to an almost completely dark room, and panicked. He hated that particular dream. There were some that were worse, but That Day was still very real. There was a cool blue glow from a nightlight, and he could see the room was unfamiliar, and he was in an actual bed. He calmed slightly when he remembered this was his bedroom, in Adam’s apartment. But he was alone, and that wasn’t right. He almost changed to cat form and hid under the bed, but realized it wouldn’t solve his problem. He would still be alone, in a big, dark room. He saw the door was open, and he knew Adam’s room wasn’t terribly far away, so he decided to make a run for it. He couldn’t run quite as fast as in cat form, even though his human legs were much longer, but he still thought he made it to Adam’s room in slightly under 7 seconds.

“Adam, Adam, Adam, Adam!” he called, pausing only long enough to push the door open further, so he didn’t crash into it.

He was met halfway to the bed by a sleep-rumpled Adam, who held his shoulders to keep from being knocked down, then pulled him into a hug. “What’s the matter, Kurt? What’s got you so scared?”  
        
“Bad dream,” Kurt mumbled against Adam’s chest. He burrowed his nose in deeper, breathing in the comforting scent. “I’m cold,” he realized suddenly.

“Yes, so am I. Come on, let’s get you back to bed.”

“No, no, no, no, no! Your bed. Don’t wanna be alone.”

“I can barely understand you, but alright, come this way.” He gently pushed Kurt’s forehead back, so he could actually breathe. “There, is that better?”

“No,” Kurt muttered petulantly, sticking his face into Adam’s armpit instead.

“Stop it, that tickles!”

“Sorry.” Kurt didn’t let go of him, so Adam had to practically drag him back to his bed.

“You _are_ cold. Here, get under the covers.”

He didn’t want to move that far away from Adam, who was nice and warm, but Adam sort of leaned over and toppled him into the bed. Kurt blinked up at him, and tried to calm down. He was safe now, not alone.

“Kurt, come on, help me a little here. Get all the way under the covers, please.”

He pulled his legs under the covers. The pajamas were nice, but not quite warm enough without covers over them. He thought Adam must be freezing in only sweatpants and a t-shirt, but he looked good. His hair was mussed and his eyes half-closed, but Kurt thought it was a good look for him. He hadn’t seen a bad look for him yet.

Adam sighed and climbed into bed, asking him to move over to make room. Kurt didn’t understand why Adam wanted him to move over; there was still room for Adam to fit between him and the edge of the bed. But he grudgingly scooted over a few inches.

“A little more room, please, Kurt? The bed is huge, you don’t need to take your half out of my side.”

“Too big,” Kurt dared to argue. “Too much space.”

“Ah, I think I get it. You want to cuddle, is that it?”

“Mm-hm.” Kurt never had enough chances to cuddle, as a cat or human. His dad wasn’t all that comfortable with it if he was in human form, or any of the guys at New Directions, in either form. They just shoved him away, yelled at him, and moved further away. The girls weren’t much better, though Brittany had seemed to want to do more than cuddle. He hadn’t really understood what she wanted, and Santana finally came over and snarled at him, pulling Brittany away. Girls were strange, and he’d heard that even non-hybrid girls didn’t make much sense.

As soon as Adam could get into the bed, Kurt burrowed into his side, and stuck his cold feet in between Adam’s ankles.

“Ah! Damn it, Kurt, your feet are freezing!”

“They are,” Kurt agreed sleepily.

“You’re not going to move them, are you?” Adam sighed.

“Huh?” Kurt asked, yawning.

With a muttered curse, Adam got untangled from him and got out of bed.

Kurt was wide awake again. “I’m sorry, Adam, please don’t make me go back to my bed! I’ll stay on this side.” He glanced over at the wide, cold expanse of bed and whined unhappily.

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Adam muttered. He walked over to his dresser and rummaged through it, looking for something. “You can stay here. I’m just getting you a pair of socks to keep your feet warm.”

“Oh!” Kurt thought that was a brilliant idea. His human was _so_ smart. “Yes, please,” he remembered to add. He waited impatiently for Adam to return.

He came back with two pairs of warm socks. He handed one pair to Kurt and put the other pair on. “Why I didn’t think of this before, I’ll never know,” he muttered.

Kurt realized Adam expected him to put the socks on himself and pouted, until he realized it was too dark for Adam to see his expression. He sighed to himself and pushed the covers down and got the socks on. They were too big, but he felt better. Adam lay down and adjusted the covers over both of them. Kurt immediately snuggled up as tightly as he could.

“Maybe I need to get you a giant teddy bear.” Adam’s voice sounded growly, but he was petting Kurt’s hair and that felt nice. He didn’t like anyone else to touch his hair when he was human, but he decided Adam was allowed to do it. “Good night. We’ll talk about your nightmare in the morning, if you want.”

“No,” Kurt mumbled into Adam’s shoulder. 

“Suit yourself. I’m going back to sleep.”

Kurt’s only answer was a loud purr that soon turned into a snore. Adam sighed, made himself as comfortable as he could with an octopuss clinging to him. 

 

 

In the morning, Adam woke slowly. He felt well-rested, and had definitely been warmer than usual. He heard a steady rumbling and remembered why. Kurt was still attached like a limpet, hanging onto him for dear life, and fast asleep.

“Ohhhhh, God,” Adam moaned. He wasn’t sure this was what he had signed on for. He had to admit, though, it felt good to have someone cuddled so close to him. In fact, it felt very, very good…

“Damn it!” Adam pulled free of Kurt’s tight grasp and jumped out of bed.

“What’s the matter?” Kurt asked, wide-awake.

“Nothing, never mind. Go back to sleep.”

“But you’re upset.”

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault.” Not entirely; Adam’s hormones could take a large share of the blame.

“But –“

“I’m going to take a shower. I suggest, if you can’t go back to sleep, you do the same. I’ll meet you for breakfast in the kitchen in a little while.”

Kurt’s eyes were wide, and his lower lip was trembling, but he bit down on it and nodded. “Okay.” He slid out of bed and stopped, perhaps realizing he had the same problem Adam did. “Oh!” He raced out of the room and Adam shook his head, muttering about clingy teenage hybrids.

While showering, he realized he would have to admit the truth, whether he thought it was morally right or not, he was very attracted to Kurt. It wasn’t just that any body that was wound around him like that all night would likely produce the same reaction. That was part of it, but it was Kurt specifically he was thinking of in the shower. He wondered how much of Kurt’s physical affection was from fear, loneliness, and the need for touch, and how much of it might be an attraction to Adam specifically. He could admit he wasn’t likely to scare anyone away with his face, but he wasn’t exactly movie-star good-looking, either. Though Kurt did seem to think he was more attractive than the royals…but again, how many men had Kurt seen over the last few years in the shop, or in Emma’s magazines? He might not have that much to go on. Or maybe some of it was simply the White Knight syndrome, where Kurt could see him as a rescuer figure and be attracted to the role, rather than the specific person?

Adam knew he wasn’t going to resolve the overall problem immediately, and he needed to finish showering and get ready to meet Kurt for breakfast. Though perhaps Kurt was taking a long shower, as well.

That line of thinking was definitely not helping. 

Kurt tried to shower, and take care of his very noticeable problem, as quickly as possible. He didn’t very often wake up as a human, so he hadn’t had to deal with a morning erection too many times. He knew, from listening to the other hybrid males talk, that it was not unusual at his age to wake up with an erection every morning. And possibly have one several times during the day, as well. His hormones in his cat state had been a bit different, or maybe it was just because, as a cat, he’d never met another cat that he was attracted to, so it wasn’t really a problem. He knew how to fix the problem for the moment, but had Adam noticed? Was that why he’d gotten out of bed in a panic? Was he disgusted by Kurt’s lack of control? Or Kurt’s attraction to him? Was he going to take him back to the store and demand his money back, and maybe get a hybrid who had better control of his hormones, and emotions? 

He was beginning to think Adam wasn’t that type of person, that if he was upset about Kurt’s inappropriate boner, he wouldn’t send him back just for that. Kurt sighed. He’d probably want to _talk_ about it instead. Kurt wondered if it might not be better to go back to the store…

No, no matter what, he didn’t want to leave Adam. He was nice, and pretty to look at, he smelled really good, and Kurt felt safe being near him. He wasn’t going to give that up just because Adam was confused about the roles of hybrid and human, and was trying to treat him too well.

He was tempted to take a long time fixing his hair, doing his moisturizing, and picking out just the right outfit, but he didn’t think he really could take the time today. Maybe tomorrow things would be a little different. It might help if he slept in his own bed. Kurt saw that the bed was messy, and hurriedly made the bed, smoothing and straightening the covers the way Martha Stewart said it should be done. Miss Martha was a very smart lady, and knew everything there was to know about housekeeping. His dad had given him his mother’s copy of Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook, and he’d read it and abided by it religiously. Until the people from the Hybrid Control Department came to take him away from his dad. They wouldn’t let him take any of his books.

Now wasn’t a good time to think about that. He’d have to see if maybe the book was in that huge library in Adam’s living room. Or maybe Adam’s neighbor, Miss Lily, had a copy? Would she let him borrow it, if he promised to take very good care of it? At one time he’d had it practically memorized, but that was a long time ago. He’d forgotten so many things from Before. They were encouraged to forget, and it seemed easier sometimes. He sighed and finished his morning routine and got dressed as quickly as possible. Having the nightmare about that night probably wasn’t helping. It had helped in one respect; he was still attracted to Adam, but at least there was no evidence of that anymore. Maybe Adam would forget about this morning and they wouldn’t have to talk about it.

Adam wasn’t there yet when he got to the kitchen. He debated about fixing himself a bowl of cereal, like Adam said he could, but then he’d said they’d have breakfast together, so Kurt decided to wait. It was confusing, Adam telling him one thing and then another, but he was perfectly capable of being patient and waiting. Cats, including hybrids, could be very patient when they felt it necessary.

After five minutes he was bored. He looked around the kitchen for something to do, something to clean or put away or organize. He’d noticed at lunch and last night that there were things that weren’t in the right place, and maybe Adam would appreciate having things put in a more convenient spot, the right spot. It would make his life easier, and that was one thing Kurt wanted to do for him. Maybe he could just re-do the silverware drawer…

For some reason, he thought of Miss Emma, and her reaction the time he’d tried to organize her office. He’d meant it to be helpful, and he’d thought she’d appreciate things being more efficient, and having more time to do other things. He knew he’d done a good job of cleaning; he knew how to dust, and his hands were clean to start with. But when she’d come in a few minutes early, and seen the way he’d moved things around, she shrieked, then started to cry. Kurt thought his bottom still hurt at just the memory of the spanking he’d gotten from Mr. Will. Maybe it would be better to leave Adam’s kitchen the way it was for now, and ask him if he wanted help making it more efficient. There. Kurt was proud of himself for thinking a problem through. He thought Adam might be proud, too.

Just when he was mentally patting himself on the back, and trying to figure out if he was flexible enough to actually do that, Adam walked into the kitchen. He looked much more relaxed than when he first woke up. Even better, he didn’t look angry about the way Kurt had rudely woken him up with his unintentional erection.

“Good morning, Kurt. I hope you haven’t been waiting too long?”

“No, not at all.” Just seeing Adam made Kurt feel better. He wondered what he’d done to get so lucky with the human who adopted him.

“I’m going to fix breakfast, and you can help me if you like. You don’t have to eat all of it, but I’d like you to at least try a little of everything. Unless – your file didn’t say anything about allergies, so I’m guessing you don’t have any?”

“No, not that I know of. But, there are a lot of things I shouldn’t have when I’m a cat.”

“Right, that’s true. I suppose we’d better pick up some of that canned hybrid food, so we have some on hand for you.”

“That would be nice.” Kurt realized he had spent more time as a human in the last 24 hours than he probably had in the last week. He found that he didn’t really mind, either.

It looked like he might be lucky, and they wouldn’t have to talk about this morning.

“Kurt, after breakfast, I think we should talk about what happened last night, and this morning. I’m not upset…well, more at myself than at you…but I think we need to discuss it.”

Of course they did. Kurt kept his sigh very quiet.


	11. Chapter 11

After the dishes were washed, they returned to the living room. Adam sat on the sofa, and waited to see where Kurt would sit. To his surprise, Kurt sat on the floor nearby.

“Are you okay there, Kurt? Wouldn’t you rather sit on the sofa, or a chair?”

“No, I’m fine, Adam, really.”

Adam wasn’t entirely fine with the idea of looking down at Kurt…but he had wanted a pet, and he admitted it was pet-like behavior. He hoped he hadn’t made a mistake – not with Kurt himself, but with what he wanted from him.

“I see you’re still wearing my hoodie. Are you still cold?”

“Yes – no. Not really. I just like wearing it. But I should give it back to you, maybe?”

“No, you don’t need to give it back right now. When we go shopping, if you like, we can pick up one for you, one that will fit you better.”

Kurt shook his head. “I like this one.”

“But it doesn’t fit you.”

“It doesn’t matter. It smells like you.”

“Oh. Well, it won’t after we wash it,” Adam pointed out.

Kurt shook his head stubbornly. “Then we won’t wash it.”

“Kurt, be reasonable.” 

“I am being reasonable. I like the way you smell.”

Adam was thinking about something he’d read, about imprinting, and pets often wanting to sleep on an article of their owner’s clothing, or deriving comfort from their owner’s scent.

“So, it’s sort of a comfort thing, or a security thing?” he asked hopefully.

Kurt thought about it. “Something like that.”

“Okay, that’s fine. I still think you’re going to have to wash it at some point. And the more you wear it, the more it will smell like you rather than me.”

Kurt clearly hadn’t thought about that aspect. “Oh, I guess that’s true. But can I keep it?”

Adam smiled, and reached down to touch Kurt’s shoulder. “Of course you can. I can get another one for myself.”

Kurt sighed in relief. “Thank you! By the way, what does it say on the back? I don’t think I’ve seen that word before.”

“NYADA? It stands for New York Adademy of the Dramatic Arts. It’s the performing arts college I attended.”

“Oh, then it’s special! You probably can’t get another one like this. I should give it back.” 

Kurt sounded so disappointed.

“No, darling, keep it, really. I still have friends at the school, they can pick one up for me. Even if I couldn’t get another one, it’s okay. I want you to have it.”

Kurt looked startled. 

“It’s okay,” Adam repeated.

“Thank you.” Kurt moved closer, and rested his head on Adam’s knee. Adam would have protested, but it felt nice. Without really thinking about it, he moved his hand from Kurt’s shoulder to his hair, and started petting it. The way he would pet a cat. He stopped for a second, thinking he shouldn’t, but Kurt made an unhappy sound low in his throat, so Adam resumed his petting. Soon Kurt was purring, or as close as his human vocal cords could come to it. It was both adorable and very soothing, and Adam found himself relaxing. He knew he should talk to Kurt about the appropriateness (or not) of them sleeping in the same bed, for the obvious reasons they’d both discovered that morning, but he didn’t want to spoil the moment.

 

 

  
After a while Adam remembered that they had important things to do that day.

“So, darling, do you want to go shopping today? We can get you some more clothes, and definitely new shoes, your drawing supplies, and at least look at some sewing machines. Maybe we can figure out what you need.”

Kurt sat up and nodded. “Sure. But what if there are more people like that man yesterday, who don’t want me in the same store as them?”

“Screw them,” Adam replied succinctly. “They don’t matter. Believe me, there are several managers of stores that know me well, and they will NOT allow anyone to harass you. Not if they ever want to see any of my money again,” he threatened.

Kurt grinned. “Then let’s go, before the stores get too crowded.”

Adam almost forgot to get Kurt’s leash out of the closet, but Kurt reminded him that they could both get in trouble if he went out without it.

“Stupid leash laws,” Adam muttered, securing the leash to Kurt’s collar. “By the way, do you want to get a different collar or leash, one that maybe looks a little more fashionable?”

Kurt shrugged. “I don’t care. Black leather goes with everything.”

Adam paused for a moment, his mind’s eye supplying some rather distracting images, then he shook off the thoughts. “Let’s go.”

Their first stop was the shoe store where Adam bought almost all his shoes. He knew the owner, who waited on them himself. Antonio didn’t bat an eyelash at Adam bringing Kurt in on a leash. He treated them both politely, and if any customers didn’t like it, they could always shop elsewhere. He didn’t know how the man managed to convey that without saying any words, but it must have come across, because no one said anything rude to them. 

Kurt quickly found a pair of tennis shoes he really liked, in a bright yellow, but there were no more in the back.

“I’m sorry, this color is discontinued, so I regret that I can’t order them in your size. Unless you’d like them in another color?” 

Kurt shook his head. “I like these.”

Antonio nodded. “If I’m not mistaken, you may have one, or more, growth spurts, and this pair will fit you then.”

“We’ll take them,” Adam agreed, over Kurt’s protests that he not waste his money.

“But what if I my feet don’t get any bigger?”

“Then they’ll fit me,” Adam shrugged. “Don’t worry, darling, it’s fine.”

Kurt gave him a bigger smile than he thought a pair of tennis shoes warranted, but Adam didn’t mind. He loved it when Kurt smiled. He just practically glowed when he was happy.

They bought some casual shoes, and two pair of dress shoes.

“But what if I outgrow these? Shouldn’t we just get one pair of each type now, and see what happens?”

Adam shook his head. “It will be nice for you to have some choice over what to wear.” He hesitated, wondering if that was part of the problem, but Kurt needed to get used to making all kinds of choices. He’d had almost all his decisions made for him for years, first by the government, then by that stupid pet store. Adam thought it was high time Kurt start taking more charge of his own life. Within reason, of course.

The next stop was the mall. Kurt used to love going to the mall when he was younger, but people hadn’t seem to mind a young hybrid obviously out with his father, but now that he was with Adam, it was different. He assumed that was the problem, anyway, when they were met with hostile looks from a few people.

“Ignore them, Kurt. We’re not looking for trouble from any homophobes.”

Kurt wanted to know what the word meant, but thought it was best to keep his head down, and just focus on keeping up with Adam. Maybe if he didn’t look directly at anyone, they wouldn’t even see him.

“Come on, love, we’re almost there.” Adam was very careful in directlng Kurt with the leash. He didn’t tug on it, but he did shorten it so that Kurt was within arm’s reach. It seemed best in a crowd.

Kurt stopped dragging his feet, and Adam thought his mood was a little better. He was probably anxious to look at the art supplies.

At first Kurt wanted to just use charcoal for the designs, but Adam persuaded him that if he got colored pencils as well, he could add color to the designs. It was only after they were out of the store, with a large bag of supplies, that Kurt thought of some objections. Adam found a bench they could sit on while Kurt gathered his thoughts.

“But what if I want to see what a shirt will look like in green, and in red, too? I guess I could draw several on the same page.”

“Or you could use my printer, which has a copier function.”

“What?”

“My printer, for my computer, it can be used as a copy machine. If you want to try different colors, we can make copies of the original drawing.”

“But that’s expensive! It would be a lot of paper, and ink, and – and – and –” Kurt was clearly too flustered to even be able to list all his objections.

“I don’t mind. I have a lot of paper, and extra ink cartridges. I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it.”

“Oh!” 

He could practically see the light dawning in Kurt’s eyes as he comprehended that.

“So, when you say I can do something, or have something, you really mean it? You want me to say yes?”

Adam closed his eyes briefly, then smiled reassuringly at Kurt. “Yes. If I say something, it’s because I mean it. If you don’t want what I’m offering, say so, but you can change your mind later, you know.”

“I can? You mean you’ll let me?”

“Will I let you change your mind?” Adam wanted to be sure he understood.

“Yes. My dad didn’t have a problem with it, but just about everyone else has,” Kurt explained.

“Well, I don’t. You’re allowed to change your mind about things, but if you could keep me updated, it would help,” Adam explained.

“Yes, thanks, I will. Let you know if I change my mind about things,” Kurt clarified.

Adam reflected, not for the first time, that for someone who had apparently spoken very little over the last few years, Kurt was doing very well. Perhaps he was making up for lost time, now that he had someone to listen to him. Adam supposed he was doing the same thing himself.

After going to a couple of more stores, they were both hungry. Adam debated about going to the food court, but thought that perhaps presenting Kurt with over 20 choices of restaurants, let alone their menus, was a bit much at this stage. Instead they went to the mall’s family-style restaurant. It was another place where Adam was well known. As much as he hated shopping, he did like good food at reasonable prices, so he was a fairly frequent customer.

Soon after they were seated, the owner came over to wait on them personally.  Adam knew she had worked there for over 30 years, and had gone from a waitress to owner during that time, so she understood most aspects of running the restaurant from personal experience. She had also dealt with many, many different types of customers during that time, and had seen hyrid pets go from being a rare sight to a much more common one. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be any trouble.  


 

 

“Hello, Adam, dear, how are you?” The matronly woman beamed at him. Kurt wasn’t too concerned; she was old enough to be Adam’s mother, so she couldn’t possibly be flirting with him. Besides, Adam liked boys. Didn’t he?

“I’m fantastic, Sonia darling, and you?”

_ Wait… Why did he call her ‘darling’? That’s my name! _

“I can’t complain. And who is this young man?”

Kurt had been trying to avoid her notice by not looking directly at her, but for some reason, the tactic wasn’t working. It rarely did, for some reason.

“Sonia, this is my pet, Kurt. Kurt – look up, please. Kurt, this is Sonia, the owner of this fine establishment.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Kurt. I hope you’ll like the food.”

“Everything’s good here,” Adam confided to Kurt, and Sonia smiled.

He asked for the specials that day, but Kurt didn’t really hear her. He was too busy trying to process the betrayal – or his possible misunderstanding – but either way, it wasn’t fair.

“Kurt?” He realized Adam was trying to get his attention. He also realized Sonia had left, though she would apparently come back to take their orders. Unless Adam had already ordered for him. Had he? Kurt hadn’t heard him, but then, he wasn’t paying attention.

“Kurt!” Adam’s voice was low, but the force behind his name startled him.

“Yes, Adam?” He forced himself to listen, even though he needed time to think.

“You should have said something to Sonia, about looking forward to trying the food, anything. Your mind is clearly elsewhere.”

“Uh-huh. Yes, I mean.” Kurt sighed. “I’m sorry, I just have stuff to think about.”

Adam conceded that they’d probably done a little too much, and should probably go home after lunch. 

“Maybe a nap will put you in a better mood?” he suggested.

Kurt considered it. “Maybe.” He wasn’t sure what would make him feel better, but he was getting awfully hungry.

“Why don’t you look at the menu, and decide what you want to eat?”

Kurt hadn’t even thought about that. He picked up the menu, which had several pages, all full of different things. How was he supposed to figure out what he wanted? He started to breathe a little faster, and the more he tried to calm down, the more he worried.

“What’s the matter?”

Kurt looked up at him, miserable. “I don’t know what I want. There’s too much here to read, and not enough pictures for me to see what the words mean.”

“I’m sorry, Kurt, I didn’t think about that. They have all sorts of things here. What are you in the mood for? Salad? A sandwich? A hamburger?”

Kurt perked up at that. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a hamburger, but it was sometime when he was still living with his dad.

“Can I get a cheeseburger? And French fries?”

“Of course. Do you want a diet soda, or a milkshake?” Adam realized immediately what the answer would be for his sugar-starved boy.

“Milkshake! Chocolate?” he asked hopefully.

“Yes, I’m sure they have that.”

Kurt was in a much better mood when Sonia came back. He decided to worry about things later, because Adam was being nice to him, and he wanted to soak that up as much as he could.

“Have you boys decided what you want?” Sonia asked.

Adam handed her the menus. “Yes. I think I’ll have the same thing Kurt’s having. So, two cheeseburgers, chips – I mean, French fries,” he corrected.

“I knew what you meant,” Sonia smiled. “How do you want yours cooked, Kurt?”

_ She remembered my name? _

Adam looked at Kurt expectantly.

“Um, grilled, please.”

Sonia and Adam smiled, then she asked him, “Would you like the meat rare, medium, or well done?”

“Oh, um, rare, please.”

Adam grimaced. “Well done for me, thanks.”

She took their drink orders, and Kurt realized something important.

“But, you didn’t write anything down! How will you remember what we ordered?”

Adam coughed, and his face kind of scrunched up. 

It occurred to him belatedly that he might have accidentally insulted the woman. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean –“

“It’s alright, dear. I’ve been taking people’s orders for so many years, I’ve developed a good memory for them. I’m going to go right to the kitchen now and put your order in. Two cheeseburgers, one rare, one well done, two orders of fries, and two chocolate milkshakes.”

“That’s right!” Kurt noted, delighted.

“I’ll be back soon with your food.”

Adam seemed to have recovered from his little coughing fit, but he drank a lot of water before he spoke again.

“Thank you for talking to Sonia this time.”

“No problem. She’s a nice lady,” he realized.

“Yes, she is.”

When Sonia brought the food, Kurt was surprised to see he had a lot more French fries on his plate than Adam did. He thought a mistake had been made, but Adam quickly corrected him. “I think she likes you, and she might think you’re a little underweight, so she’s trying to help.”

It didn’t make sense to Kurt, but he appreciated the extra fries anyway.

By the time they got home, Kurt was more than ready for a nap. He didn’t think he’d eaten so much in a long time, and for some reason, he was even more tired than usual.

“You can nap as long as you like, but I’ll wake you when dinner’s ready,” Adam promised.

“I’m not sure I can eat dinner.”

“Well, you might change your mind in a few hours.”

Kurt decided he should probably nap in his room. It wasn’t nearly as dark in the middle of the day, and he thought having Adam nearby might be a little too distracting.  



	12. Chapter 12

While they were eating dinner, something occurred to Kurt. “Adam, what do you usually do? I mean, do you have a job you go to during the day, and you’re staying home with me instead? Because I don’t want to keep you from your work.”

Adam shook his head. “You’re not keeping me from anything. I don’t have a regular job. I finished school, and I do try out for off-Broadway shows, but I haven’t gotten anything yet. My parents gave me a lot of money, mainly to ensure they’d never have to see me again.”

“What?!? But why?” Kurt couldn’t think of any reason for Adam’s family to reject him. He was intelligent, good-looking, kind, and funny. What family wouldn’t want a son like Adam?

“It’s complicated, but the main reason the object to me is I’m gay.”

_Well, that’s a relief. I was beginning to wonder…_  
        
“But what’s wrong with being gay? I mean, everyone made fun of me, at school and at the pet shop, but that’s because I’m too feminine for them or something like that.” Kurt sighed. “I know my voice is high, but I’m a male. I like some things girls like, some things boys like. Some people thought I dressed too much like a girl. But fashion has no gender!”

“Well, then you understand some of the reasons my family objected.”

“But you’re not feminine! I mean, you’re not a super macho type guy, but so what? You’re much more polite than most guys I know, but I figure that’s more from being British than gay.”

Adam had another little coughing fit, holding his napkin up to his face like he’d done in the restaurant. 

“Sorry, choked on something. I don’t know if my being polite is either from being British or gay, I prefer to think I’m just a nice person in general.”

“Oh, yeah, that too,” Kurt conceded.

“Well, it’s not so much my appearance or mannerisms or whatever that they objected to, but the fact that I refused to consider getting married and having children, and carrying on the family name, the way they expected me to. I was the oldest, so they were very disappointed. When I was 18, I told them I wanted to be a writer, or an actor, and they were properly horrified. But then, when I also told them I was gay, they kicked me out, and insisted I legally change my last name to my mother’s. They didn’t want any chance that I might mess up my brother being the one to inherit the family name and fortune. They did, however, give me a huge trust fund, so I’ve been supporting myself from that. I auditioned for NYADA, was accepted, and just graduated last year. There’s no specific career I want, other than writing or acting, so I’m just pursuing those.

“That means, I make my own hours. So you’re not interrupting anything, yet. If I’m ever at the computer, writing, and you want to me for something, I may tell you to wait, so I don’t lose my train of thought. But you’re going to have things of your own to do, I expect.”

Kurt tried to take in everything Adam had said.

“I’m really sorry your family felt that way. I think it’s ridiculous that they reacted like that. I’m glad my father never rejected me for being a hybrid, but he knew, because of my mother, that any kid they had would be a hybrid, too. He said they hadn’t intended to have kids, and that I was a happy accident. Once they realized Mom was pregnant, they couldn’t bear the thought of…terminating me. He said he was grateful to have had me as long as he did, but he was really angry when they came to take me away on my 13th birthday.”

“I’ll bet. I’d be furious, too, if someone tried to take you away, and I’ve only known you for a few days. So I can’t imagine how hard it was for your father, and I’m really sorry you both had to go through that.”

Kurt shrugged. “I knew, ‘cause they told us at school, that we couldn’t get too attached to our birth family, because the government would take us away in a few years. I was scared, but I didn’t know how bad it would be.” He started to tremble, but Adam got up and came around to his side of the table. He knelt down beside Kurt and put his arms around him.

“It’s okay, Kurt. I’m sorry about things that happened to you in the past, but you’re here now, and you’re safe with me. We’re both better off now than we have been, right?”

Kurt nodded, and calmed down under Adam’s touch.

“If you’re finished with your dinner, let’s go read for a little while. Or would you like to play the piano for a while?”

He shook his head.  “Not right now. I do want to play, but when I’m not so sad.”

“Okay, love, that’s fine.”

Kurt had completely lost his appetite, so he helped Adam do the dishes. When the settled in the living room, Kurt sat as close to Adam as he could. He wanted to be able to read along with the story, but more importantly, he wanted to be near Adam, touching him. He wanted the reassurance that Adam wanted him.

After a few chapters, Adam stopped reading.

“You seem restless.”

“Yeah. I don’t know why.”

“Well, for one thing, you’ve stayed in human form since I brought you home from the store. Maybe you need to spend some time as a cat.”

“I guess that’s true. I’d like that. I want to explore everything again, that way. It just looks different. I can learn more things about this place.”

“Really? That’s fine. Just please, do me a favor and don’t hide anywhere. Let me know if you want to stay out of sight for a while.”

“Okay. You don’t mind me exploring?”

“No. Try not to stay up too late. You don’t have to check everything out all at once, do you?”

Kurt thought about it. “No, I guess not.”

Very smoothly, he thought, Adam suggested, “If you want to sleep that way tonight, that’s fine. If you want, you can sleep on my bed. But if you change back, it might be best to go to your own bed.”

Kurt sighed in disappointment. Maybe he’d misjudged Adam’s interest? Maybe calling him ‘darling’ and ‘love’ didn’t mean what he thought it did, if Adam didn’t want to sleep with him in human form. Really, if he didn’t even want to _sleep_ with him, then he surely wouldn’t want to do anything else?

“Yes, Adam.”

“Alright, what’s wrong now?”

“Nothing.” He didn’t mean for it to sound so sullen. He would have to watch his tone.

Adam gently touched Kurt’s face, and turned it slightly so they were looking directly at each other. “I can tell something’s bothering you, and I want to know what it is. If I’ve said something to offend you, I’m sorry, but I need to know what I said.”

Kurt really didn’t want to Talk About It right then, but obviously Adam did. “I don’t mind sleeping as a cat, I’m used to it. But I really liked sleeping with you last night. I mean, in your bed.” He was getting more flustered, and he knew his face was getting redder by the second. “I know you didn’t like it, and I’m sorry. I won’t do it again if it upset you that much. It’s just that I really liked it, and then you kept calling me “darling” today, and “love”, so I thought maybe you like me, too, and maybe you’d forgiven me for making you uncomfortable this morning. But then you called that woman at the restaurant “darling”, too, and it confused me. I guess maybe you don’t like me as much as I thought, or the same way I like you, but I’m sorry, I can’t help being a little upset, because I really like you, and I want you to like me.” He paused to take a deep breath.

“Oh! Kurt, I’m so sorry.” Adam turned so they could see each other more easily. “I should have been more careful. I call people I like “darling” or “love” or “sweetheart”, but it’s not necessarily romantic. It’s more a term of affection rather than passion.”

Kurt’s lower lip trembled, and he didn’t want to cry, he really didn’t, but it was just so unfair!

“Look, Kurt, I do like you a lot. And I find you very attractive. But I think we should take some more time to get to know each other, don’t you?”

Kurt shook his head. “I know enough about you to know how I feel. I like you, I like being around you. I know most people get a hybrid because they want the sex without having to treat their partner like an equal. I get that.”

“No, Kurt, stop right there! I want more than that from you, and I think you know that. I don’t want to just use you for sex. I’m afraid if we sleep in the same bed, we’ll end up rushing into the physical part of things before we have all our feelings sorted out, and I don’t want either of us to wish we’d have waited a bit longer. I don’t want you to end up resenting me because you think I’m just using you. I like sex, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve never had sex with someone just to get rid of the physical urge, and I don’t want to start that now. It’s because I care about you that I want to wait till my emotions catch up with my hormones. Does that make sense?”

Kurt didn’t understand why Adam didn’t feel the same way he did, as fast as he did. But then, Adam wasn’t a hybrid. Maybe it was a cat thing, to feel so attached to Adam after just a couple of days. But he couldn’t help it. If it was part of his nature, he didn’t think he could change it. Maybe Adam just needed a little more time.

“So, you’re not saying you don’t ever want to sleep with me, or have sex with me, or that you don’t like me, right?”

“Right.” Adam looked a bit confused.

“Then maybe I should just wait, and you’ll let me know when you catch up with me and like me as much as I like you?”

Adam smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Something like that, yes. I think the cat part of you is bonding to me, which is normal, but I also want to make sure the human part of you really knows what he wants. Okay?”

“Okay,” Kurt sighed. Within moments, he was a cat again. He climbed onto Adam’s lap and rubbed his head against Adam’s chin, then jumped down and started exploring the apartment.

“Give me a little warning next time, will you?” Adam called. “And don’t run in front of me and trip me!”

Kurt shook his head, causing the bell to jingle in an intriguing way. Humans were so silly sometimes.

 

 

While Kurt was rather noisily exploring the apartment, Adam did some more research into hybrids, and cat hybrid/human sexual dynamics. He concluded that they were both right; Kurt’s cat characteristics included bonding quickly to his owner, emotionally as well as physically craving his owner’s attention. Adam had tried to take stock of his own feelings. What he felt for human Kurt was complex. Protectiveness, fondness, exasperation, attraction, and affection. He admitted to himself that he liked cuddling with Kurt while reading to him, and liked petting that gorgeous, soft hair. So why was it hard to believe Kurt would feel the same? He knew Kurt was more relaxed around him than away from him; he liked Adam’s scent and derived some form of comfort from it; and he had no concept of personal space whatsoever. Were those human Kurt traits, or cat Kurt traits? Or a mixture of both?

He gave up on the computer and thought it might be a good idea to check on Kurt. It had been a little while since he’d heard the bell ringing or any thumping sounds from Kurt jumping onto things. He found him in the TV room, curled up on the loveseat on the sofa. For a smallish cat, he took up a surprising amount of room. Adam was tempted to pet him and wake him up, then scolded himself for being as bad as Kurt about personal space. Best to let sleeping cats lie.

It had been a surprisingly exhausting day, and he was ready to go to bed. He left his bedroom door open in case Kurt wanted to come in, but hoped he wouldn’t wake to find human Kurt in his bed. He might be tempted to give in to his baser impulses, and that wouldn’t do.

A couple of hours later, Adam woke when something landed on the bed and stalked across it. He hoped it was Kurt, because he wasn’t in the mood for dealing with an intruder. He pretended to be asleep, and waited to see what Kurt would do. He heard a tiny “mrp?” that he interpreted as, “Are you awake?” He didn’t answer. He heard a sulky, quiet growl, then Kurt walked behind him. Adam was sleeping on his right side, and Kurt walked the length of his body, as if trying to decide where to settle. He then walked over Adam’s body to see if he found a better sleeping place along Adam’s front. He finally climbed back up on top of Adam, and lay across his legs, effectively pinning him in place. Adam hoped Kurt would realize that the soft mattress would be much more comfortable than bony knees and shins, but Kurt apparently disagreed. He supposed there could be worse places for Kurt to sleep, and tried to get back to the rather pleasant dream that had been so rudely interrupted.

 

 

In the morning, Adam found he had the same problem he’d had the previous morning, but he really couldn’t blame it on Kurt. Having 12 pounds of cat sleeping across his legs was not the slightest bit arousing. Yet he was hesitant to move and disturb Kurt, who was sleeping soundly. As carefully as he could, he lifted the covers and moved his legs so Kurt would just slide down to the bed, without waking him. As he got out of bed, he heard a noise somewhere between a hiss and a growl, which was probably the cat version of swearing. He ignored it, and went to start his day.

When he came out of the bathroom, he expected to find Kurt in the warm spot on the bed where he’d been sleeping, but he seemed to be more well-trained than that. He wasn’t on the bed. Adam went to Kurt’s room, and saw he wasn’t on the bed there, either, but the shower was running, so he’d obviously changed back to human.

They still hadn’t bought any of the hybrid canned food, so Adam started to fix a hearty breakfast. He was just about finished when Kurt walked into the kitchen dressed in a new pair of jeans (tight enough that Adam wondered how he could walk in them), a white shirt, and a bright blue scarf tied fetchingly around his neck, as well as the brown dress shoes. Damn. He hadn’t gotten less attractive since the evening before.

“Good morning, Kurt. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I did, thank you.” Kurt set the table and Adam served the food.

“Do you want milk or juice?” Adam asked, hoping it wouldn’t cause an existential crisis.

“Milk, please.” Kurt answered placidly. “How did you sleep?”

“Oh, just fine until about 2:00 in the morning, when you decided to join me.”

Kurt’s mouth was full, but he swallowed before saying, “I’m sorry, I was hoping you’d slept through that.”

Adam didn’t know how he was supposed to sleep through it, but simply said, “I’m a light sleeper.”

“Me, too. I’ll try to keep that in mind, and not be so disruptive.”

“Okay. Did you enjoy your exploration of the apartment?”

“Mm-hm. I couldn’t get through nearly the whole place, but thank you.”

“You’re welcome. And don’t forget, we’re going to Lily’s this afternoon for a little while.” Kurt didn’t say anything, and Adam looked carefully at his expression for any clues, but he couldn’t see anything to give away Kurt’s mood. “You don’t have any objections to that, do you?”

“Hm? No, she was nice. And she promised us cookies, right?”

“That she did. And I can assure you, my friend, Lily bakes the most amazing cookies.”

“So do I,” Kurt mentioned. “Well, I used to.”

“That sounds good. Let me know what ingredients you need. I think I can get hybrid food at the grocery store.”

Kurt nodded. “Yes, they should carry it.”

“Do you have any preferences?”

He shrugged. “Not really. I like the chicken, and beef, and tuna, and shrimp…”

“Perhaps a better question is, is there any type you don’t like?”

“Not really.”

“That should make it easy, then.”

Kurt asked if he could start working on some clothing designs after breakfast, unless there was something else Adam wanted him to do.

“That will be fine. We’ll go to the store later, before we go to Lily’s.”

Kurt sat at the kitchen table and sketched all morning, but wasn’t entirely satisfied with any of the designs. Adam asked to see them, and while he didn’t have any suggestions for improvements, he did like what he saw, so Kurt felt a bit better about that. Nobody else had liked his designs. His father had looked at them, and praised him, but considering his father’s sense of fashion, Kurt had thought it was more out of loyalty than genuine admiration. But it did make him wonder what he should wear to visit Lily.

“What you have on is fine.”

“And what are you going to wear?”

“This. I’m not going to change.”

“Adam! You can’t wear that out of the house!”

“And why not?” Adam’s annoyance was tempered by the tone of Kurt’s voice. He wasn’t so much trying to tell him what to do, as wanting to help with Adam’s wardrobe. Adam still didn’t see anything wrong with an old pair of jeans, that were only slightly faded, a gray t-shirt and multi-colored striped vest, and a mustard-colored beanie.

“Will you let me help you?”

More amused than insulted, Adam agreed, and let Kurt go through his closet and bureau. After rejecting half of what he found, Kurt picked out a nice pair of gray slacks, a maroon shirt, and a gray vest. He agreed to allow Adam to wear a multi-colored beanie that included some dark red, and a nice pair of black boots.

“All right, I’d better get to the store and back. Do you think you’ll be okay here alone? I’m only going to be gone about 20 or 30 minutes.”

Kurt’s eyes widened in alarm. “That’s what my mom said, and she didn’t come back!”

“I promise you, Kurt, I’ll be as careful as I possibly can be. The grocery store is two blocks away, it’s broad daylight, and we’re not on a busy street.”

Kurt sighed, then nodded. “I guess I have to get used to letting you go to the store by yourself.”

Adam sounded solemn as he said, “Thank you, Kurt. I’ll see you in probably less than half an hour. If you need anything, I’ve written my cell phone number down next to the phone in the kitchen. But don’t call me unless something goes wrong, or I’m gone a long time, okay?”

“Okay.”

Kurt walked Adam to the door.

When Adam returned, 23 minutes later, Kurt was sitting on the floor, waiting patiently for him.

“Oh, Kurt,” he sighed. “You didn’t have to wait right here for me.”

“Yes I did,” Kurt insisted.

Adam wasn’t going to argue the point, at least not right then. “Well, most of the time I’m probably going to be gone longer than that, so how about we compromise. If you want to wait, that’s fine, but you should at least bring a chair over here so you’ll be more comfortable. And maybe a book or magazine or something.”

“No, I have to watch the door.”

Adam opened his mouth to protest, then recalled Lily telling him how Misty was never more than two feet from the door whenever she returned to the apartment. 

“But, maybe a chair is a good idea,” Kurt agreed.

It seemed like a decent compromise.


	13. Chapter 13

After Adam put the groceries away, he said it was time to go to Lily’s.

Kurt reminded him about the leash.

“No, Kurt, we’re not going out in public. We’re going next door, in the same building, and I’ll be damned if I’ll put you on a leash for that.”

He still looked troubled. “But won’t Miss Lily expect it?”

“I don’t think so, Kurt. She’s not going to complain if you don’t. Now let’s go.”

Kurt waited, and walked two steps behind Adam rather than next to him.

Adam thought Kurt would be relieved to not have to wear the leash. He didn’t intend to subject Kurt to that humiliation any more than absolutely necessary. He paused, as he considered something. Maybe Kurt didn’t see it as humiliating? Adam would, but Kurt was a hybrid, had been raised all his life as part human, part animal, and expected the leash in public.

“What’s the matter?” Kurt asked, stopping beside him.

“Will it make you feel better to wear the leash?”

“I’m used to it in public. Dad used to have to bring both Mom and me out on leashes when he’d take us places. Not that we went anywhere that often, ‘cause he’d get really upset at the way people would talk to us, or look at us.”

“The more I hear about your father, the more I like him.”

“Do I talk about him too much?” Kurt asked, worried.

“No, not at all. If you want us to go back and get the leash, we can.”

“Please?”

“Okay. I’m sorry, I misunderstood something. We’ll talk about it later.”

It took only a minute to go back to the apartment, get the leash and attach it to Kurt’s collar. Adam noticed Kurt seemed a bit more confident, less hesitant, with the leash on.

_ I’m so stupid sometimes. I have to remember, he wasn’t raised like I was. What I find humiliating, he might not, and vice versa.  _ That was another thing he’d have to think about later.

Adam rang the bell next to Lily’s door. Adam was sure Kurt was nervous, so he slipped the loop of the leash over his wrist, and took Kurt’s hand in his.

Kurt looked up at him, eyes wide with shock.

Adam gently squeezed his hand, and Kurt squeezed back, then took a deep breath.

A moment later, Lily opened the door. She was wearing a dress, but as Adam had hoped, it was more casual than formal. Instead of heels, she wore comfortable house slippers. Her white hair was down today, in a long ponytail rather than the upswept style she’d worn before. She glanced at the leash, but the look of surprise on her face was smoothed away so quickly, Adam hoped Kurt hadn’t noticed.

“Hello, boys. Please come in.”

“Thank you, Lily.” Adam smiled warmly at her. “We’ve been looking forward to this.”

She returned his smile, and nodded to Kurt. “Oh, good. I’ve been looking forward to it as well. If you don’t mind, please take off your shoes.”

Adam thought the white carpet was terribly impractical, especially as Lily had a cat, but it looked pristine. Kurt looked up at him curiously, but followed his lead in removing his shoes and leaving them by the door.

“Do you mind if I leave Kurt’s leash here?”

“Not at all.”

Kurt didn’t object, so Adam unfastened the leash, and left it on a coat hook by the door.

“Please, come into the living room and sit down.”

Adam knew Kurt was dying to see the apartment, but he was trying not to be too obvious. They followed Lily into a comfortable living room, and sat down on the sofa together. Kurt scooted closer to Adam, still holding his hand tightly.

“Let me get the cookies and tea. Or would you rather have lemonade with your cookies, Kurt?”

Adam had asked him to think about it ahead of time, so he was pleased that Kurt answered promptly. “Lemonade, please.”

“I’ll be back soon.” Lily headed towards the kitchen.

“Wait here just a moment, please,” Adam instructed. “I’ll help Lily carry the tray. I have a feeling it might be heavy.”

Kurt nodded, and reluctantly let go of his hand.

Adam hurried into the kitchen. “I’m sorry, Lily, I wasn’t thinking, please let me carry some of that.”

She didn’t seem too surprised he was there. “Here, if you want to carry the glass with Kurt’s lemonade, I can carry the tea tray.”

“I think that should be the other way around,” he suggested, taking the heavy tray. It contained a teapot, two cups, a creamer, and a sugar cube bowl with tongs, as well as three spoons, and three dessert plates.

“Thank you.” Lily poured the lemonade from a fresh pitcher. “By the way, Misty is in my room, with the door closed. I thought it might be best if she and Kurt met after we’ve all had a chance to talk.”

“That’s probably a good idea. One less distraction.”

They returned to the living room, and found Kurt exactly as they’d left him. As far as Adam could tell, he hadn’t moved a millimeter, except his hands were now tightly clutching his knees.

Adam set the tray down, and Lily put a coaster on the table before setting the glass of lemonade down. She sat in a straight-backed, upholstered chair at an angle to the sofa, so they could see each other and talk easily. Adam poured the tea for both of them; he already knew how Lily liked her tea, so he added cream, no sugar to his, and two lumps of sugar to hers.

“Go ahead and try the lemonade, dear,” she suggested to Kurt. “I made it fresh this morning. Just fresh-squeezed lemons, water, and a little sugar. You might want to add more.” She indicated the lumps of sugar.

“You made this? I mean, you didn’t buy it? I didn’t know anyone actually made it.”

Lily shrugged her shoulders delicately. “We had a lemon tree at my home growing up, so my mother used to make it fresh. If you don’t like it, there’s plenty of tea left, and I think I have some soda.”

“I’ll try it.” Kurt took a cautious sip, but to Adam’s relief, didn’t look too startled or displeased. “It’s good,” he said, sounding surprised.

“I’m glad you like it. But if you do want to add a lump of sugar and stir it in, I won’t be offended.”

“Thank you!” Kurt immediately did so.

Adam quickly took a sip of tea to hide his grin.

“Please, have some cookies, both of you. They’re just plain sugar cookies.”

Kurt looked to Adam first, and when he nodded, he started to reach for the plate of cookies, then hesitated again.

Adam thought he knew he problem. He was probably afraid if he accidentally touched a cookie he didn’t mean to take, Lily would be upset because of “cat germs” or something ridiculous like that.

“I’d like to try them.” Adam reached out and took several. He put two on a plate for Kurt and handed it to him. Kurt looked so grateful, he was sure he’d done the right thing.

Lily was apparently too well-mannered to comment of any of it.

Kurt was halfway into his second cookie before he remembered to compliment Lily on them. “These are really good, ma’am.”

“Thank you, dear. Don’t bother with “ma’am,” just Lily will do fine.”

Adam could tell he was confused, but he would have to get used to some people treating him like anybody else. Adam thought it would be good for him.

“Where are you from originally, Kurt?” Lily asked. “You don’t sound like a native New Yorker.”

“Ohio. Somewhere in Ohio. I don’t remember the name of the town anymore. Some kind of bean, I think.”

“Oh, you’ve come a long way, then.”

She must have seen the look on Kurt’s face, because she immediately changed the subject. “Adam told me you design clothing.”

Kurt blinked, not expecting that. “I haven’t done it in a while. I did some drawings today, but I wasn’t really satisfied with them.”

“What types of things do you design?”

Kurt shrugged. “All sorts of things, for men and women. For myself, I like bold statements, and often use bright colors.”

Adam listened in fascination. He hadn’t really known what to ask Kurt about his hobby.

“I see. I’ve been having trouble finding anything lately that suits me. I like comfortable clothes that are flattering, but not too fussy. I don’t want to look like an old lady, but I’m not trying to look really young, either. It’s hard to find things in between.”

Kurt looked at Lily carefully, studying her. It didn’t seem to make her uncomfortable.

“Would you mind showing me some of the things you have that you do like? Perhaps I can design something for you that might work.”

“Really? I would love that.”

“And maybe – do you think – would you let me do a makeover on you? I mean, you looked lovely the other day, and you look really nice now, but…” He glanced down at her hands. “I’d love to do a manicure. It looks like you’re neglecting your nails, and –“

“Kurt, I think that’s enough,” Adam protested.

Lily shook her head and patted Kurt’s hand. “No, dear, he’s right. I don’t pay much attention to my nails, other than to try to keep them short. Whenever I get my hair done at the salon, they always want to do my nails, but I just didn’t want to be bothered. But if you think you can do something to shape them… I think I have a few bottles of polish here, too, that my granddaughter left.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!”

“Should we take up your time today, though, Lily, or should we do this another time?” Adam wondered.

Lily considered. “Well, it depends on your schedule, but maybe Kurt can come over this weekend and do my nails? Would that be alright? You don’t need to be here, dear, we’ll be fine on our own. Won’t we, Kurt?”

“Yes, ma’am, I mean, Lily. Adam, can I, please?”

Adam shook his head in fond exasperation. “Well, if it will make you both so happy, I don’t see why not. I can bring you over, or you can walk here by yourself…”  
          
“I don’t think that’s allowed, Adam,” Lily interjected. “I certainly wouldn’t tell anyone, but Kurt should probably follow all the laws, so he doesn’t get out of the habit,” Lily pointed out.

Adam hated all these stupid laws and rules. “Fine, I can bring him over, on the leash, it’s no trouble.”

“In the meantime, I can see what we have at home that I can use to soften your nails,” Kurt mused.

“This is going to be fun!” Lily said. She joked, or at least Adam hoped she was joking, “If you do a good job with my nails, maybe Misty will let you do hers as well.”

“Misty?”

“Did Adam tell you I have a cat? She’s just a regular cat, not a hybrid, but she’s been good company for me. But she can’t stand to have anyone touch her paws, let alone trim her nails. But it’s got to be done, and the vet has to sedate her, and none of us likes that.”

“Where is she?” Kurt’s face brightened, and he looked around. “I like regular cats. They’re a lot nicer than the other hybrids are. And sure, I can see if she’ll let me trim her nails. I’m pretty sure I can do it without hurting her. Do you think she’ll let me paint them, too?”  
          
It made sense to Adam, that a human who could become a cat would be much more aware of how sensitive a cat’s claws would be, and how to avoid cutting too deep, or whatever the problem was.

Lily blinked a couple of times, but didn’t otherwise betray her surprise at his evaluation of real cats versus hybrids. “That might be a bit much to ask her to sit still for, but if she doesn’t mind, it’s fine with me. I’ll pick up a bottle for her, a nice color she’ll like.”

Kurt looked relieved. Adam couldn’t believe it. Who ever heard of a cat wearing nail polish?

Lily continued. “Would you like to meet Misty? I thought you might want to finish your cookies and lemonade first, then I can bring her out.”

The cookies were long gone, so Kurt finished the little bit of lemonade he had left. “I’m done. Yes, I’d love to meet your cat.”

“Don’t be surprised if she’s shy, she’s like that around strangers. She’s still not entirely sure she likes Adam yet.”

“Why not?” Kurt protested. “How could she not like Adam?” 

Adam was pleased that Kurt was so protective of him. It was a rare enough occurrence for anyone to protect him.

“I don’t know, dear. If she’s been trying to tell me, I certainly haven’t been able to understand her,” Lily explained, leaning forward. 

“Oh, I can try to translate for you!” Kurt eagerly offered.

Both Adam and Lily did a double-take on that, not sure if he was trying to be funny or not, but he looked perfectly serious.

“Er, that would be nice. I’ll be back in a moment. Or, if you’d like to take a look at my wardrobe, Misty is in my room, so she could get used to you being in the room without focusing too much attention on her. Maybe she’ll respond better that way.”

Kurt nodded. 

“Adam, I don’t know how much fun It would be for you, but you’re welcome to accompany us,” Lily offered.

“Why don’t I just clean up the tea things while you’re with Kurt and Misty?”

“You’ll do no such thing, Adam Crawford! You’re a guest. I’ll take care of it.”

“No, I insist. Misty probably won’t want so many people in there at once, anyway.”

“That’s true. Well, if you really want to, I won’t object.”

“Then it’s settled. Kurt, you go with Lily, it will be fine.”

“Okay.”

Adam noticed Kurt was already much more comfortable with Lily than he would have expected.

 

 

Kurt followed his hostess into her room. This room, at least, had more color than the all-white living room, and was done mostly in pastel shades of pink, with a hint of brighter pink here and there. The beautiful white Persian, with gorgeous blue eyes, really stood out. She was curled up on a chair in the corner, and looked like she’d just woken from a nap. She was carefully groomed and brushed. 

Lily introduced them.

“Misty, dear, this is Kurt. I think you might get along well. Kurt, this is Misty. You can just ignore us for now, we’re going to be busy.”

Judging from the look Misty gave Lily, Kurt didn’t think she was amused.

Kurt tried to say hello to Misty. Of course, his human vocal cords couldn’t produce quite the right sound. If she could understand him, she’d probably think he had an awful accent. She looked intrigued rather than frightened. 

Misty replied to him, a cautious, “Hello,” In response. He purred at her, and she gave him a pleased purr back.

Lily stared at them, looking from one to the other, and Kurt tried not to laugh. 

“Um, you were going to show me some of the clothes you have now?” he reminded Lily.

“Oh, yes.” She opened the door of a large walk-in closet, that was woefully under-filled. Kurt looked carefully at the garments, without touching them, and concluded that she preferred classic, simple lines, but he thought she needed a little more sass, and more color.

He hesitantly suggested that, and Lily shrugged. “It’s not that I don’t like both jewel tones and pastels, it’s just getting harder to find them in the styles I like.”

“I’d love to try to come up with a few things, some designs for dresses, and some slacks, blouses, and sweaters, and see what you think. It might at least give you some ideas.”

“If I really like anything, I’d be happy to pay you to actually create it for me, if you could. I do have some idea of the going rate for designer clothes, and I’m willing to pay it to get something I’ll like and be able to wear.”

“You’d p-p-pay me? Actual money? But I’m not – I can’t – and I’m not even a real designer!”

Lily blinked, as though she’d forgotten, or maybe she never knew, that he wasn’t allowed to earn money. 

“Well, I would certainly reimburse Adam for the cost of the materials, and pay him for your time, and any other costs associated with it. I’d have to have final approval of the material, so we don’t go over budget, but I would be generous in my assessment of the value of your time.”

Kurt thought she was saying she would pay Adam, to allow him to actually design and create some clothes for her. He couldn’t wait to get started. He hoped Adam would be willing to pay the money up front, if Lily would then pay him back.

“That sounds wonderful. If Adam says it’s okay.”

“Well, I’m sure Adam will agree.”

There was something in her tone he couldn’t pinpoint, something between amusement and determination. 

“Thank you! I’ll get started as soon as I get home. Later on I’ll need to know your sizes, your measurements and all that…”

“You’ll get whatever you need, dear. I really am quite looking forward to it. But you don’t need to start immediately. When you come to do my nails this weekend, if you have any sketches, you can show me then, but you don’t have to finish anything.”

Kurt was aware that Misty had jumped down from the chair, and was ever so slowly approaching him, but he didn’t want to startle her. He let her come to him. When she came into his view, finally, making a wide berth around his feet, he had an idea.

“Lily, where did you get Misty from? A pet store, or did she belong to someone else first?”

“Well, she was sort of a rescue cat. Her previous owner treated her terribly, and so I’ve been trying to make up for it ever since.”

“That was nice of you to take care of her. I think maybe her previous owner kicked her. Was her owner male?”

“Yes, but I don’t know much more about him.”

“Well, not only is Adam a male, but even without shoes, his feet would look pretty big to her. Maybe she’s worried he’ll hurt her.”

Lily scoffed at the thought. “I would never let him near her if I thought that, but I know better. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat animals, and he’s been nothing but kind to Misty.” She picked the cat up, and said, “Adam’s probably finished with the dishes and quite bored by now. Let’s come out to the living room, and you and Misty can get better acquainted.”

She set the cat on the floor, near the sofa. Misty ignored Adam, who was sitting patiently waiting for them.

Kurt sat on the floor, with the legs crossed, creating a sort of cradle with his legs. He sat still and waited, and to Lily and Adam’s apparent shock, Misty stepped over his ankles and settled onto his lap, staring at him with big blue eyes.

He slowly brought his hand up, making sure she could see it, and smell it, before he set it on her back, and started stroking the soft fur. After a bit, he began petting her neck, head and face, scratching behind her ears, under her chin, and her cheeks, carefully avoiding her whiskers. 

Adam paid careful attention.

Misty started murmuring happy little sounds, and looked like she was prepared to stay there indefinitely. She was purring in no time, and Kurt was making similar noises.

Lily cleared her throat. “Is she talking to you?”

“Not exactly, not yet. But she’s happy.”

Adam had hoped they’d get along well, but this was going even better than he’d thought.

Misty looked up at Kurt’s face, butted her head against his chin, and made some inquiring sounds.

“Oh! She wants to know if I can play.”

“I hadn’t really thought about that. Do you suppose she know you’re part cat?”

Kurt tilted his head as he thought about it. “I’m not sure, but it will be much easier for us both to communicate if I change.”

“Oh, well, if you want to, and it’s alright with Adam, I don’t mind.”

Adam was leaning forward, watching them intently. “It’s up to you, Kurt. Lily, you don’t mind them dashing around the house?”

“No, it’s been thoroughly cat-proofed. Go ahead, dear, if you want.”

Kurt carefully set Misty down on the floor, and knelt down next to her. In moments he was in cat form.

 

 

Lily gasped quietly, then smiled at the sight of Kurt and Misty rubbing noses. They started meowing at each other. Misty dashed a short distance away, her tail waving playfully. Kurt pursued her, and she ran further, then let him catch up with her. They tumbled together playfully.

“Misty’s been fixed, of course,” Lily murmured to Adam.

“Kurt hasn’t been, but he’s not interested in girls, so Misty’s virtue is safe.”

Lily laughed at that, and they continued to watch the two cats until they ran out of the room.

“He’ll be careful not to hurt her,” Adam assured her. “I don’t think they’ll roughhouse all that much, but if they do, he won’t bite or scratch her.”

“She won’t hurt him, either. I’ve been thinking about getting another cat for her, to keep her company when I’m out, but I’m rarely gone out for more than a few hours at a time. Just occasionally days at a time.”

Adam had done some cat-sitting in the past, mainly to feed and water Misty, clean out her box, and play with her a bit.

“Kurt had an interesting theory about why Misty might not trust you.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

She explained what he’d interpreted.

“I hadn’t thought of that. I’m not sure what I can do to make her feel safer, but I’ll try.”

“Or perhaps Kurt can somehow explain to her that you’re nothing like her former owner,” Lily grinned.

“That would be nice. I’m still trying to get used to this whole concept. I’m not sure whether to treat Kurt like a pet, a potential boyfriend, or what.”

“Well, what do you want?”

“I wanted a pet who could talk to me as well. I wasn’t really thinking as much about the sexual component with a hybrid. But then I saw Kurt, and --  Well, it doesn’t just matter what I want, it depends on what he wants, too.”

“I don’t think he’s been raised to see it that way,” Lily explained. “It might confuse him if you expect him to tell you what he wants, though with a full human, it would be different. As strange as it may seem to us, he probably expects you to just tell him what you want.”

“Well, once I’m certain, I’ll be sure to let him know.  But I’m still not going to treat him in a way that will make either of us feel guilty or resentful later. I love it when he’s having fun as a cat, but as a human, I do find him very attractive. I know he’s gay, and so am I, but I’m not sure if he’s really able to consent the way he should.”

Lily shook her head. “I think he’s very fond of you, and will trust you no matter what you decide. He probably does expect sex. I think most of them do, even if they’re supposedly bought for other purposes.”

Adam sighed. “There are so many things to consider. I’d really like to find Kurt’s father. His mother has been dead for over 10 years, but he and his father seemed pretty close before he was taken away. The owner of the pet store said she’d contact him to let him know Kurt had been adopted, but I was thinking, perhaps I should talk to him myself, maybe even go to Ohio to see him. Or invite him here to see Kurt. I haven’t talked to him about it yet, because he’s still adjusting to so many things.”

Lily thought for a moment. “It’s not my place to say, but I really think you should talk to Kurt before you talk to his father, to make sure they both want to be in touch again. I know from friends that the hybrids are discouraged from seeing their birth parents again after they’re taken away. I’ve never known whether that’s a good policy or not, but I guess some don’t become all that attached in the first place.”

“How could you not have an attachment to your own child?” As soon as he spoke the words, Adam recalled his own relationship with his family, which had never been that warm, even before he came out. “I mean, it sounds like they were very close in this particular case.”

“Well, I wouldn’t advise you to see his father without talking to Kurt first, to at least make sure he wants to see his father, and thinks his father will want to see him again. Think of it as a human adoption situation, for just a moment. I know in this case, Kurt’s father had no choice, but for some hybrids, the human parent might be relieved to only be dealing with one hybrid again. In this case, since Kurt’s mother is dead, it’s hard to say what’s happened. He might have found someone else, another hybrid, or human, and might not want any reminders of his earlier family.”

“I really didn’t think about it like that,” Adam admitted. “I guess I’ve got a lot of thinking to do. Plus, I don’t even know the man’s name. All I know is he owns some type of mechanic’s shop in some town in Ohio named after a type of bean.”

“Good luck on your research, dear,” Lily advised. “I have one more thing for you to think about, as though you don’t have enough.”

“Oh? What’s that?” Adam was wary, though he trusted Lily. He just had a lot to adjust to as it was.

Lily told him about her plan to get some clothes she would enjoy, and her desire to pay Kurt. “I know he’s not supposed to earn money, but I wish I could pay him, above and beyond reimbursing you.”

Adam thought it sounded like a great idea, and would give Kurt something to do. “I could keep the money in a separate interest-bearing account for him. I can use it to get him some things he really wants, perhaps.”

“Give it some thought, and let me know.”

“Oh, before I forget…” They agreed on a pro-rated amount for the extra tenancy for that month, and Adam wrote Lily a check.

“I suppose I’d better round up Kurt and bring him home.”

“That’s probably a good idea. This is more company than Misty is used to. She might be enjoying it, but it’s bound to tire her out.”

Adam wondered if the same were true for Lily.

It didn’t take long to find the two cats. They were curled up together, taking a nap in the hallway leading to Lily’s bedroom.

“They’re so adorable. I hate to wake them up, but we really should go,” Adam decided with regret. “Kurt! Please wake up, it’s time to go.”

Both cats startled awake. They murmured to each other sleepily, and didn’t try to hide their hostility from Adam.

“I’m sorry. Come on, Kurt, let’s get you home, and you can finish your nap there.”

Kurt and Misty rubbed noses again as Adam carefully picked Kurt up.

“You two can visit again later, I promise.”

“They definitely should,” Lily agreed. “Goodbye, Kurt.”

He meowed at her somewhat mournfully. Adam set him down to put his own shoes on, then clipped the leash on. He carried Kurt under one arm, and Kurt’s shoes under the other. “This will be interesting.”

“Here, I’ll help you.” Lily accompanied them as far as their own door, and held Kurt’s shoes while Adam unlocked the door.

“Thank you for a lovely afternoon, Lily.”

“I enjoyed it so much. I look forward to seeing you both again.”

Once they were inside, Adam set Kurt down, and put his shoes by the closet. “Go ahead and finish your nap, if you want.”

He was feeling a bit sleepy himself, and stretched out on the couch to take his own nap. Within seconds, Kurt had leaped up to join him. Adam didn’t protest too much, but let Kurt make himself comfortable, sprawled out across Adam’s stomach and chest, with his head tucked under Adam’s chin. Adam sighed and gave in, and fell asleep with his hands buried in Kurt’s soft fur.


	14. Chapter 14

Adam woke slowly. He was warm, very warm, above the waist, but the air was chilly on his legs. How very strange; usually the covers would slip down, not up. Then he realized he was on the sofa, not his bed, and cat Kurt was snoring, laying on his stomach and chest. It wasn’t an unpleasant sound. Then Adam’s stomach rumbled, loud enough to fully wake them both. Adam felt tiny needles jabbing him through two layers of shirts.

“Sorry, Kurt, but I’m starving.”

Kurt retracted his claws and nodded, fuzzy ears twitching, the bell on his collar tinkling quietly. His fur tickled Adam’s neck and beneath his chin.

Adam grinned at him. “You’re hungry, too? Then let’s get up and fix dinner.”

He took his hands off Kurt, already missing the soft, warm feel of his fur. He tilted his head so Kurt could get off him more easily. Kurt nuzzled Adam’s neck for a moment, before scooting backwards a bit so he had enough room to stretch. He leaped off Adam and ran towards his bedroom.

“I could use some help with dinner, if you want to change,” Adam called. He figured Kurt would need a few minutes to clean up. He looked down at his shirt and realized he would, too. He would definitely need to invest in one of those sticky rollers to more easily get the cat hair off his clothes. 

It didn’t take long to change his shirt and comb his hair. Not that it would stay neat for long; it never did.

He contemplated how best to deal with Kurt. He was completely and utterly adorable as a cat, and Adam could admit he enjoyed cuddling with the cat. Cuddling with human Kurt was even more enjoyable, for entirely different reasons, but was also more dangerous. He knew how Kurt felt, or thought he felt. But really, who was he to judge, to assume that Kurt didn’t really know what he felt? He’d been part human, part cat all his life. He must know by now how to separate the feelings of one from the other. Yet surely they were entwined, to some degree? 

When he got to the kitchen, he remembered he’d bought chicken earlier. Maybe grilled chicken, rice, and salad would be enough. He found the indoor grill and started it up, and decided instant rice, boiled in a bag, would do, instead of waiting. Kurt joined him in the kitchen, back in human form again. He’d done something different with his hair. It was upswept a bit in the front. It was a nice look, and made him look a little older, a little closer to his real age.

“You look great,” Adam observed. “Would you like to fix the salad?”

“Sure.” Kurt seemed comfortable enough cutting vegetables, so Adam didn’t worry about him hurting himself with the knife.

Then something occurred to him, and he mentally kicked himself. “I’m sorry, I just thought of this. I just assumed you’d want to change back for dinner. But did you need more time as a cat?”

Kurt shrugged. “It would have been nice, but this is good, too. I’m starting to get used to being human more often than cat. Maybe eventually I can get a better balance.”

“Do you mean closer to 50/50? The books I read couldn’t agree on how much time a hybrid should spend in animal form, as opposed to human.”

“I’m not really sure, yet. When I was a kid, I spent a bit more time as a human than a cat. I think my mom spent more time as a human, too, though sometimes we’d change at the same time and both be cats together. Sometimes it made my dad laugh, and other times I’d catch him crying. I wasn’t sure why, and he wouldn’t talk about it.”

“Maybe he was sad he couldn’t change, too?” Adam suggested. “I have to admit, watching you and Misty play together was awfully cute. It sort of made me want to join you, just for a bit, to see what it was like.”

Kurt looked at him with surprise. “I never thought of that. I’ve never heard a human ever say anything like that.”

“Well, maybe it’s just me,” Adam sighed. “Anyway, it isn’t going to happen. But to get back to what we were talking about, I don’t want to inhibit you from doing what you need to do. I would like some warning, please, if possible, so I know what to expect, but I don’t just want you to be who you think I need you to be.” He paused, frowning. “Did that make sense?”

“Sort of,” Kurt replied. “So you don’t want me to stay human for longer periods of time than I really want to, just so you can have me here in human form? Something like that?”

“Something like that,” Adam agreed. “I want you to be comfortable, and I know it’s tiring to change back and forth too much.”

“Should I tell you, then, when I really want to change, or feel like I need to?”

“Exactly.” Adam smiled, his eyes crinkling with humor. “You’ve stated it much better than I did.”

Kurt grinned, pleased at the compliment.

“Now, would you please set the table? Dinner’s almost ready. Get whatever you want to drink out of the fridge. I’ll have ice water.”

Kurt kept the door open a bit longer than Adam would have liked, debating what to have, but he finally chose a diet soda. “Is this okay?”

Adam shrugged. “It’s up to you. I think it will probably be healthier for you to limit the sodas to one a day, rather than all the time, and you should have some water every day, but I’ll let you decide how you want to distribute that. And how much milk you have is up to you, but you know it’s not all that good for you as a cat.”

“True. As a hybrid, it’s not as bad for me as for a regular cat, but I’m fine with drinking water when I’m a cat.”

“Okay.” They ate without saying much. Adam had decided it was probably better for his digestion, and Kurt’s, to not talk about upsetting things, or anything requiring too much thought, while trying to eat.

After dinner, they moved to separate chairs in the living room. Adam found what he thought was a safer topic to bring up.

“I wanted to let you know that Emma said she would contact your father to let him know you’d been adopted, and found a good home.”

“Really? That’s great! I hope he’s okay. He was real sick for a while before they took me away.”

“Oh? You mean like pneumonia, or something like that?”

“No.” Kurt shook his head vehemently. “He had a heart attack. And I was taking good care of him, I really was, and he was getting better. But then it was my 13th birthday. Dad got a cake for me, and we watched The Sound of Music, but before it was over, people came to take me away. Dad got really mad and yelled at them. I was worried he’d have another heart attack. He’d asked them…” He paused, scrunching his face up as he tried to remember the exact words, then continued, “Can’t the kid at least finish watching the goddamn movie? What is wrong with you people?” But they said they were very busy and had to take me then. They only let me take a few of my clothes. They wouldn’t let me take my iPod, or much of anything else. I hid my moisturizer in with the clothes, and Miss Emma let me keep that. But I had to leave everything else behind. I didn’t mind everything else so much, but I didn’t want to leave Dad. Who’s been taking care of him? Is he still okay? Will Miss Emma tell you?”

Kurt was starting to hyperventilate, and shaking with stress. Adam knelt down on the floor next to Kurt’s legs, and gently pulled him out of the chair and onto his lap. He held him for a long time while Kurt cried. When he finally cried himself to sleep, Adam had made up his mind. Come hell or high water, he was going to find Kurt’s father. He settled them both on the sofa, while he thought about what to say the man if he did manage to find him.

He would try looking up car repair stores in Ohio, and see if he could narrow it down. 

Kurt opened his eyes, but stayed where he was on the sofa. He tried to turn his head to look at Adam. “I need – I can’t stay asleep. I’m thinking too much, and need to stop thinking, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I didn’t mean to upset you earlier. I’ve got to do some things on the computer. What do you want to do?”

“Want to do? What do I want to do?” Kurt seemed overwhelmed at the concept.

“What do you usually do to relax or calm down?”

“Sleep, usually. But maybe I need to go to my room and sleep in there?”

“You don’t have to. I’m going to get up, so you can have the sofa to yourself if you want it, or you can sleep in your room.”

“I think I’ll do that.” 

Kurt gave Adam a weak smile as they untangled themselves.

Kurt reached up and touched his own face, then his hair. He gasped and ran out of the room, no doubt to do some emergency repairs. 

Adam didn’t think red eyes and a tear-stained face was a good look on anybody, but he particularly hated to see Kurt so upset. He realized he probably wasn’t getting quite as much sleep as he needed, and maybe that was making him more emotional. He would have to rely on Kurt to actually tell him when he needed a nap, but he’d try to remember, to make sure he was rested enough.

He started his research with auto repair stores in Ohio. He remembered Kurt mentioning his last name, something that started with an H. Of course, even if Kurt’s father still owned the shop, it wasn’t necessarily in town. It actually took surprisingly little time to find “Hummel Tires & Lube” in Lima, Ohio. That was the name he said, Hummel! And he’d heard of lima beans, though he didn’t think he’d ever eaten one. Adam clicked on the website, and found it to be very basic, with not a lot of information, though a phone number was prominently displayed. There was also a picture of a middle-aged man, wearing a baseball cap and overalls. He didn’t look anything like Kurt, but…Burt Hummel, Proprietor. Burt and Kurt? What were the odds? He wrote down the number, and shut the computer down. He checked on Kurt. He’d left his door open, and was curled up on top of the bed, fast asleep.

Adam took his cell phone into his own bedroom and closed the door. It was earlier in Ohio than New York, and according to the hours on the website, the shop should still be open.

The phone was answered on the third ring, the voice a little out of breath.

“Hummel Tires & Lube.”

Adam did his best to keep his voice calm and respectful. “Hello. Am I speaking with Burt Hummel?”

“Yeah. I’m the owner.”

Taking a deep breath, Adam continued. “My name is Adam Crawford. I want to know – is Kurt Hummel your son?”

There was a long pause, then a cross between a sob and a snarl. “What’s this about?”

“Please, Mr. Hummel, I only have Kurt’s best interests at heart. You may have been told by Emma, uh, Schuester, at the New Directions Pet Store, that Kurt was adopted this week.”

Mr. Hummel sighed, and his voice was slightly muffled. “Yeah, she told me. Wouldn’t tell me nothin’ but that he found a home. Are you the guy that adopted him?”

His voice was so cautious, yet hopeful, Adam was sure he was doing the right thing.

“Yes, sir, I am. I know Kurt misses you terribly, and he’s been very concerned about you, about your health, and he wanted to be sure you were alright. One reason I called was so that I could let him know you’re okay.”

“Does he know you’re calling me? Can I talk to him?”

Adam started pacing the room as he talked. “I didn’t tell him I was going to call you. He’s taking a nap right now. I told him Emma said she would call you, and I guess it brought up a lot of things, memories, and he was so worried about you.”

“He’s worried about me?” Burt asked incredulously. “I’m fine. I wanna know about him. I haven’t seen my boy in nearly six years, or heard a word about him. They took him away, then wouldn’t even tell me where he was going, or what would happen. I didn’t even know if he was still alive. Then this Emma Schuester woman calls me to tell me Kurt had found a home. It ain’t right. He should still be here, with me. This is his home.”

It was breaking Adam’s heart to hear this man so close to tears. “He’s fine, Mr. Hummel, really. He’s had sort of a rough time at the store. They weren’t horrible to him or anything, but the other hybrids…let’s just say he wasn’t very popular.”

Burt laughed bitterly. “No, I guess he wasn’t.  Poor kid never had any friends growing up. He tried, but even the other hybrids at the school didn’t much like him.” He heaved a deep sigh. “I’m sure you’ve noticed, Mr. Crawford –“

“Call me Adam, please.”

“Adam, fine. As you’ve noticed, Kurt isn’t like the others. It’s not just that he’s gay, ‘cause I’m sure some of the others are, too. But he’s really sensitive, and cries easily, and he’s so careful about keeping clean, and dressing really uh – out there – it didn’t exactly endear him to the other kids. The only friends Kurt had were some of the neighborhood cats. He wanted so badly to play with them when he was in cat form, but I was too afraid something would happen to him if I let him outside. But he was real good with them when he was a kid, in people form, I mean. They loved hanging around here.” He sighed. “I miss him more than I can tell you.”

“And he misses you.”

Burt’s tone changed, sharpened. “Listen, Adam, I need to know you’re gonna treat my boy right. He might be a hybrid, but he’s not just some animal. He’s special. And he matters.”

“Yes, sir, trust me, I will take care of him. I know he’s special, and he does matter to me, very much. I’ve never had a hybrid, or any kind of pet before, so of course there’s sort of an adjustment period, for both of us, while we sort out what we want, how things are going to be.”

“You’re not just gonna use my boy for sex, are you? ‘Cause he might be gay, but that don’t mean he’ll like being with just any guy.”

Adam almost wished he hadn’t placed the call. “No, sir, believe me, he means more to me than that. I mean, we haven’t decided just what --  Yes, I’m very attracted to him, but he’s also very vulnerable, and I want to be sure he really knows what he wants. I promise you, sir, I will never force Kurt to have sex, or do anything that would harm him in any way.”

There was another long pause. “You can call me Burt. Look, I gotta close up the shop. Nobody’s here now, but I really want to talk to you some more, tell you some things about Kurt, and I’d feel better doing that from home. Is that okay? Can you call me back at my home number in about 45 minutes?”

Adam looked at his watch. “Certainly, no problem. I really would like to know as much about Kurt as you’re willing to tell me, as much as he would be comfortable with you telling me.”

“I’ll see what I can do. And, if the kid is awake by then, could you please put him on the phone? I need to hear his voice, I gotta know from him that he’s okay. You understand?”

“I completely understand. I think in this case it would be okay if I woke him up. I know he wouldn’t want to miss the chance to talk to you.”

Burt gave him his home number, and Adam wrote it down.

“Burt, please don’t take this the wrong way, but please drive safely.”  
          
“Kurt told you about his mom, huh?”

“Yes. He’s very concerned that I be careful, so I know he’d want the same for you.”

“I’ll be careful. And thank you, Adam. You have no idea how much – just, thank you.”

“Goodbye, Burt. I’ll call you back in about 45 minutes, yes?”

“Yeah. That’ll give me plenty of time to get home, and maybe open a beer. I don’t drink the hard stuff, but somethin’ like this –“

“I know the feeling. I’ll wake Kurt in a few minutes, and give him some time to thoroughly wake up and be ready to talk to you.”

“Thanks again. And I know his mother would thank you, if she were still here.”

“Kurt misses her so much. She sounds like she was a very caring, loving woman.”

“You know she was a hybrid, right? I mean, obviously.”

“Yes, and she was a wonderful mother. The two of you raised an exceptional child, and I want you to know the young man he’s become.”

“I – I can’t – I’ll -- talk to you -- later.”

Adam really didn’t feel good about reducing a grown man to tears, but in this case, it made him even more sure that he’d done the right thing in calling.

 

 

Now came the hard part, waking Kurt, and telling him he could speak to his father. Maybe it was too soon, but in all likelihood, it wasn’t nearly soon enough.

Adam sighed, and went to Kurt’s room to wake him. He debated about giving him a little more time to sleep, but he could go back to sleep, for the rest of the night if he wanted, after the phone call. He would probably need as much time as possible to be ready for this call.

Adam knocked on the door. “Kurt, it’s me, I’d like you to wake up now, please. I need to talk to you about something.”

The groan Kurt let out was so heartfelt, Adam almost laughed. Yes, he’d done quite a bit of talking to Kurt about things already.

“I’m sorry, really, but this is important.”

Kurt rubbed his eyes and sat up, then stretched his limbs as far as they would go, and sort of shook his body out. Exactly the way a cat would do it.

As charming as it was, Adam didn’t laugh at him.

“Do you mind if I sit here on the bed with you, or should we go in the living room?”

Kurt yawned, and covered his mouth with his hand. “Sorry. Let’s stay here, so I can just go back to sleep when we’re done. What’s so important?” He blinked sleepily, but didn’t sound too cross.

Adam took a deep breath. “I did some research on the computer while you were napping. I was trying to locate your father so I could talk to him personally.”

Kurt was wide awake now, his eyes wide with shock. “My dad? Did you find him?”

“I did. Emma had mentioned that he had an auto repair shop, so I looked for those types of businesses in Ohio. I found one in Lima, Ohio.”

“Lima! That’s right! Hummel Tires & Lube! Was Dad there? Can I talk to him?”

Adam took Kurt’s hand in his and squeezed it. “Kurt, darling, please calm down. I know you’re excited and you have a million questions. Let me tell you, and I’m sure it will answer a lot of your questions.”

“Okay.”

Kurt was squeezing back, and his grip was so tight, Adam worried about his hand going numb. Then he decided it didn’t matter, there were more important things to think about.

“I called the number for the store, and your father answered. I told him who I was, and asked if he was your father. He’s very concerned about you, but he, himself, is fine. He was concerned about how I’m treating you, and whether I’ll respect you, and I assured him you were more than a pet to me, and I’ll take care of you. I let him know I’m not going to hurt you – in any way. He’s been worried about you, wondering how you were doing, and he misses you so much.”

Kurt was sniffling a bit, but listened, his attention fully on Adam.

“He wants to talk to you, Kurt. He wanted time to close the shop, go home and relax a little bit and I guess process what I told him, but he really wants to hear your voice.”

Kurt laughed, his voice thick with unshed tears. “He and Mom were the only ones who ever really wanted to hear my voice. Well, now you too, I guess.”

“Yes, Kurt, I love your voice. But your father hasn’t heard it in years, and he’s so anxious about you. I wanted to put his mind at ease, and yours as well. I’m going to call him back in about –” He looked at his watch and estimated, “A little less than half an hour. I’m going to talk with him briefly, then put you on the phone. You can talk as long as you like. If you want, I’ll leave the room.”

Kurt bit his lip. “No, that’s okay. If you don’t mind, I mean, I’d kind of like to have you there. There’s nothing I’m going to say that you can’t hear, or is private from you, I don’t think.”

Adam squeezed his hand again. “Good. But if you do want me to leave the room at any time, just wave at me with your free hand, or point towards the door or something.”

Kurt giggled, then tried to cover his mouth. “I’m sorry, but it’s almost like treating you like _you’re_ the pet.”

“Well, don’t get used to it.” Adam let go of Kurt’s hand, and hugged him. “I’m so proud of you, Kurt, and I know your father will be – he is – and you’re handling this really well.”

“Thank you.” Kurt wiped his face with his hand, and Adam went into the bathroom for some tissues. “Here, you might want to clean up your face a bit, and blow your nose. It might upset your father to think you’ve been crying.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Kurt went into the bathroom and closed the door. Adam went back to his own room, to give him some privacy, and wash his own face. He’d been shedding a few tears, too.


	15. Chapter 15

While he was washing his face and trying to calm down, Kurt tried to think about what to tell his father. There were so many things to tell him…and other things he should never know about. There was no point in worrying or upsetting him. If this was going to be his only chance to talk to his dad, he wanted to reassure him he would be fine, that Adam would take care of him. He wanted to tell his dad about Adam, his new home, the piano, the books, and Adam allowing him to draw designs, both Adam and Lily wanting to wear things he designed, and also his new best friend, Misty. Well, maybe technically Adam was his new best friend, but he wasn’t sure whether it was proper to call, or even consider, his owner his friend. But he loved Adam, and would be happy with him; that was important for his dad to know.

Kurt fixed his hair, and inspected his clothes. They hadn’t really gotten too wrinkled from sleeping in them, but he wondered he if he maybe sleep in pajamas when he took a nap. He shook his head; he could think about that later. He was finally going to talk to his dad, after five years. He wondered if he should tell his dad he was gay. Maybe, just so he wouldn’t worry about anything happening with Adam that he didn’t want. He hoped it wouldn’t be too much of a shock, with Dad’s weak heart and all.

He looked around the bedroom, but didn’t see a clock anywhere. What if it was already time? What is he’d missed the call? He was halfway to the living room to look for Adam before he realized, Adam would find him, he wouldn’t let Kurt get too distracted and miss the call, right?

“Kurt, slow down! Why are you running?”

Kurt stopped, and tried to take a deep breath. He wanted to be calm, and not sound like he’d been crying or upset; Dad had to know everything was fine.

“Kurt?”

“Huh? Oh, Adam, you haven’t called yet, have you? Did I miss it? Was I taking too long getting ready?”

“No, darling, calm down. There’s still a little while to go before I call him. And I certainly would let you know before I do. Sit down and relax.” 

Adam was sitting on the sofa with his laptop, typing something. Kurt sat near him, but remembered that Adam might be working, so he might have to wait with whatever he needed. But this was important!

“Adam! I need – I’m sorry to disturb you, but I –“

“You’re not disturbing me, Kurt.”

“But aren’t you writing? Working?”

Adam smiled at him and patted his knee. “No, darling, I’m just taking some notes. I wanted to try to think of everything I might want to say to your father, to reassure him you’re alright.”

“Oh! Thank you.”

“You’re entirely welcome. I was thinking, does your father know how to Skype?”

“Skype? What’s that?”

“Oh, you might not be familiar with that, either. It’s a way to call someone over the computer, but see them while you’re talking to them. If both computers have a camera, that is.”

Kurt frowned, trying to remember. “Dad doesn’t have a computer at home, at least he didn’t, but he’s got one at work. But I don’t know if it has a camera or not.”

“Well, I’ll ask him. Maybe next time you two can talk face to face.”

“Next time?” Kurt hardly dared to hope he’d heard right.

Adam nodded, his face serious. “Of course. I hope this isn’t going to be the only time you talk to your father. I have no objection to you two staying in touch, if you both want to. As long as he doesn’t want to try to take you away from me.”

Adam looked worried, as if it was a real possibility.

“You know he can’t do that. And he wouldn’t, not if he knows I’m happy here.”

“You are, aren’t you? Happy, I mean?” 

Was Adam serious? Did he really doubt it? Kurt wanted to take away any doubt. “I’m so happy, Adam. Being with you, here, it’s –” He wasn’t sure he had the words to describe what he was feeling. Then he remembered something Finn and some of the others said all the time. “It’s awesome!”

Adam looked so happy to hear that. “Good, I’m glad to know that. I do want you to be happy, Kurt. You deserve it.” He looked at his watch. “Okay, we’d better get ready. We’ve got about 5 minutes to go, and I don’t want to make him wait.”

“Can you call now? I’m sure he won’t mind.”

Adam hesitated, then sighed. He took Kurt’s hand, and Kurt immediately relaxed. One of these days he’d have to tell Adam how important it was to him, to hold hands.

“I think we’d better wait, just to make sure he’d had a chance to get home and be comfortable.”

“Okay. I hope he doesn’t drive too fast going home, because he might if he’s worried about being late.”

“Shhhhh, Kurt, don’t worry about that. I asked him to please drive safely, so you wouldn’t worry about him.”

“You did?” Kurt felt tears starting to gather, and hastily wiped them away with his free hand. “Thank you.”

“I’ll tell you what, why don’t you take a few deep breaths, and just try to relax as much as you can. I know you’re excited, and that’s fine, it’s normal. But it might be easier for you to talk if you’re not too worked up.”

“I’ll try.” Kurt knew Adam was right. He was right about most things. He closed his eyes and slowly breathed in and out. He counted, one in, one out. Two in, two out. He did it for five breaths, and felt much better. Miss Sue had taught him that trick, one night when he’d had a nightmare. It was one of the few times he’d tried to sleep in human form, and she had come over to comfort him. The girls, as far as he could tell, rarely had nightmares, so he was surprised she knew what to do. She held him for a couple of minutes and let him cry, while she patted his back. Then she had pushed him away and said crying wasn’t going to help him get back to sleep. Sometimes it did, but he didn’t want to contradict her. She taught him how to count his breaths and relax, and it had worked. Sometimes he had to count all the way to 10, but often 5 did the trick.

“Kurt? You haven’t relaxed so much you’ve fallen asleep, have you?”

Kurt opened his eyes. “What? Oh, no, I’m awake.” He smiled at Adam and squeezed his hand. “I was just thinking about something.”

“It’s almost time to call your father. I’m going to talk to him for a few minutes, then I’ll give the phone to you, okay?”

“Do you want me to leave the room until you’re ready?”

“No, not at all. But I was thinking, how would you feel about your father maybe coming here for a visit some weekend? If he owns his own business, I’m not sure if that means he can take off when he wants to or not, but you do want to see him, right?”

Kurt was overwhelmed. Adam would let his father come to see him?

“Really? You’d let him come here?”

“Yes. If you both want it.”

“I do! Please, Adam!”

“Alright, I’ll ask him. But let’s see how the conversation goes first, then I’ll ask him at the end, if everything is fine with you.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Dunno. Let’s call him now.”

It looked like Adam had already programmed his father’s number into his phone. He only pushed a couple of buttons. His heart started beating faster, he couldn’t help it.

“Hello, Mr. Hummel? It’s Adam again. Is this a good time to talk?”

He nodded. “Yes, he’s here. I’m going to give him the phone in just a minute. But I wanted to know, do you know how to Skype?”  
          
“Skype? What the hell is that?”

Kurt didn’t have to hear his father to know his response.

“It’s a computer program that would let you and Kurt speak to each other through the computer and see each other, as long as both computers have a camera.”

Adam paused while he listened. Kurt was tempted to take the phone out of his hand, but restrained himself.

“I see. Well, it was worth a try. Kurt is very anxious to talk to you. I’m going to give him the phone now.”

Kurt took one more deep breath, then took the phone from Adam.

“Hi, Dad. It’s me.”

“Kurt, it’s good to hear your voice, son. I miss you so much.”

_ His voice sounds exactly the same! _

“It’s good to hear yours, Dad. I miss you, too.” Kurt took the box of tissues Adam offered him, and set it on his lap. “Are you taking care of yourself?”

His dad chuckled, a rare sound. “I’m fine, kiddo. Just fine. I’m taking care of myself, and Carole – “ 

“Who’s Carole, Dad?”

“She’s my wife. I got married two years ago. She’s a terrific woman, Kurt, I think you’d like her.”

Kurt found he was relieved, rather than upset. His dad had gone a long time without his mother, and never dated. At least he wasn’t alone.

“That’s great, Dad! I’m glad you found someone, too.”

“Are you okay, Kurt? ‘Cause if you’re not --”

“Dad, I’m fine.” Kurt didn’t see any point in reminding his dad that if he wasn’t okay, there still wasn’t anything Burt could do about it. “Adam is really nice, he’s taking good care of me, and I’m happy here. I didn’t like it at the pet store, but I’m here now, and I’m so glad Adam adopted me. I really like him.”

“Is he there, listening to this?”

“Yeah, but Dad, he already knows I like him.” He glanced over at Adam, who actually seemed to be blushing.

“But you’re really okay? You’re not just saying all that to make me feel better?”

Kurt sighed, wishing he knew exactly what to say. “I’m really okay, Dad. I’m not just saying it. Adam said if I wanted to talk to you without him in the room, I could let him know, and he’d go.”

He saw Adam was biting his lip, and wondered if he regretted saying it now?

“I guess you don’t need to do that,” his dad sighed. “You don’t sound like you’re stressed or upset, so I guess he’s not forcing you to say anything.”

Kurt rolled his eyes and sighed. “No, Dad. But there is something I need to tell you, that I didn’t want to say before…well, before. I didn’t want to upset you. Your heart is okay now, right? I mean, I hope you’re not going to be too upset by what I want to say –“

“Kurt, son, it’s okay. Whatever you want to say, say it. My heart is in a lot better shape than the last time you saw me, believe me. But you’re worrying me now.”

“I’m sorry, Dad, I don’t mean to worry you. I just thought I should be honest with you, and so you don’t get upset at Adam for no reason.”

“Okay, just tell me, then we can both relax.”

Kurt took a deep breath. “Dad, I’m gay.”

“That’s what you wanted to tell me?”

“Yeah.” Kurt was tensing every muscle he owned, prepared for his dad to yell, to disown him, to say he never wanted to talk to him again –

“Kurt, I know. I’ve known since you were three years old, and asked for a pair of sensible heels for your birthday.”

“Really, you knew?” He felt Adam’s hand on his shoulder, just resting there, in support. He put his hand on top of Adam’s and held it there a moment.

“Yeah, kid, it’s no shock to me. I kind of wish your mother had been there those last few years, I think some things might have been easier for you, because she could have maybe helped you accept who you are.”

“Did Mom know too?”

“Of course. She knew before I did, ‘cause she was more observant than me. It didn’t change how either of us felt about you. I love you, Kurt, and you being gay, or a hybrid, doesn’t change the fact that you’ll always be my boy. And I will never stop loving you, no matter what.”

Kurt grabbed the tissues and blew his nose. Adam used another tissue to wipe up the tears running down his face, and Kurt smiled at him gratefully.

“Sorry, Dad. It’s just – I worried about it a lot. I wasn’t sure if I should have told you or not. But I also want you to know, I really love Adam, and he likes me. Yeah, I’m pretty sure he likes me.”

Adam rolled his eyes.

“He just likes you? He doesn’t love you?”

“I don’t think he’s there yet, Dad, but he says we’ve only known each other a few days, and we need more time to figure things out. Well, he needs more time. I know how I feel and what I want.” His own face was getting hot, and he wished he’d never brought up the topic. “I just mean, I don’t want you to worry about anything. Adam’s a nice guy, and he’s taking good care of me. You don’t need to worry about him.”

“I’m so glad to hear you say that, kiddo. I don’t know what I’d have done if you ended up with someone who didn’t appreciate you. Well, with someone else, I probably wouldn’t even know. Be sure to put Adam on the phone again when we’re done talking, so I can thank him.”

“I will. I was scared, in the pet store, ‘cause I didn’t know who might adopt me, or why they’d want to, ‘cause hardly anybody liked me. But a few times someone wanted to spend some time with me in the interview room, but I didn’t like them. I didn’t want to go home with them, so I made sure they wouldn’t want me.”

Burt laughed out loud. “How’d you do that, son?”

“Uh, I’d rather not say. Miss Emma wasn’t too happy with me, but I, um, got my feelings across.”

“Good for you, Kurt. I’m so proud of you, that you listened to your gut and didn’t let just anyone take you home with them. I think you did well with Adam.”

“I think so, too. Dad, there are so many things I want to talk to you about, things I want to tell you, but I’m kind of – I can’t think of everything I want to say. There’s too much. But Adam said we can talk again.”

“He did?” Burt sounded not just surprised, but shocked. “That’s terrific, Kurt. Tell you what, why don’t you put Adam back on the phone? I’m so happy you’re doing well, but maybe you need to rest now.”

“Yeah, I do. How did you know?”

“Kurt, I lived with you for 13 years. I doubt you’ve changed _that_ much. I love you, son, don’t ever forget that. Why don’t you put Adam on, okay?”

“Okay, Dad. I love you, too, and I miss you. Bye, Dad.” He handed the phone to Adam. “He wants to talk to you again. And I think I need to rest.”

“Okay. You can lay down here on the sofa if you want.”

Kurt nodded, and made himself comfortable on the sofa, his head pillowed on Adam’s thigh.

Adam sighed, but put one hand on Kurt’s chest and left it there, making him feel secure.

 

 

“Hello, Burt. Kurt didn’t get to finish his nap from earlier. I think when we’re done here I’ll get him to his room so he can sleep for the rest of the night.”

“Wait, Kurt has his own room?”

“Yes.” He didn’t want to lie, but thought it might be more prudent to not mention that Kurt hadn’t yet spent a full night alone in his room.

“That’s good. Listen, this is important. He’s not gonna tell you this stuff, ‘cause I’m not sure he even realizes it. But he has problems with low blood sugar, so he shouldn’t have too much sugar. He’ll crave it, but he shouldn’t have a lot, but he needs some. And he should have several small meals a day, rather than three big meals.”

“Oh, dear,” Adam sighed. “I really wish I’d known this.”

“Or, if you’re used to having three big meals a day, he should probably have smaller portions, and maybe a couple of snacks in between meals, and before bed. His mother used to use cookie cutters, and cut pieces of baloney into different shapes for a bedtime snack.” He laughed at the memory. “And milk is good for him when he’s human, but as tempting as it may be, don’t let him have it when he’s a cat. I still don’t quite understand how hybrid digestive systems work, but I’ll tell ya one thing – they’re mighty sensitive, or at least, his stomach is.”

“Got it. I’ll do some research on hypoglycemia, and see what else I can find out. By the way, I want to take him to a doctor for a check-up, but he insists it needs to be a veterinarian. That doesn’t sound right to me.”

Burt sighed heavily. “It’s never sounded right to me, but I had to take both Kurt and Elizabeth, his mother, to a veterinarian who specialized in hybrids.” He paused. “I didn’t even think to ask, where are you living?”

“New York. There have to be hybrid veterinarians around here.”

“New York, really? He always wanted to go there. He has this thing about musicals, and Broadway plays.”

“Really? Something else we have in common. I’ll take him to a play sometime.” Adam sighed. “I graduated from a musical theater college, and I try out for parts whenever I get the chance, as an actor, or even trying for a part in the chorus in musicals… I told Kurt, and he didn’t say anything about wanting to go.”

“Oh, believe me, he’d love to see anything on Broadway. He always wanted to be an actor and singer on Broadway, but I’m sure you know, that’s never gonna happen. They don’t even let hybrids try out. I guess they’re too afraid they’ll get stressed out, and forget they’re in front of an audience and change, or do something their animal half would do to handle the stress.”

“I know. From what I’ve seen and read, it might be true of some of them, but others could probably handle the pressure as well as anyone else.”

“And Kurt, he’s a talented little guy. He’s got a good voice, even if it’s really high. And he’s a great actor. He gets all his talent from his mother.”

“There’s still so much I need to learn about him. I know we’ve got plenty of time, but I just feel woefully lacking in knowledge, about hybrids generally, and him in particular. There’s only so much you can learn from the Internet.”

“That’s true. I think if you kind of regulate his sugar intake, and make sure he gets enough protein, gets enough rest and all that, he’ll be a lot easier to deal with. He gets really cranky if he doesn’t get enough sleep, or enough to eat.”

“I’ll be sure he gets plenty of rest and food. I really appreciate you telling me all this, Burt. I was told that while he was at the store, he mostly stayed as a cat, because of the way so many of the others made fun of him, and his voice. They didn’t seem to object to him as much as a cat than as a human, apparently.” Adam didn’t bother trying to hide the bitterness in his voice; he was sure Burt would understand. “But since I’ve brought him home, he’s spent most of the time as a human, and not much as a cat. He said something about needing to find a better balance.”

“Well, if it helps any, when he wasn’t at school, he’d run around like crazy, working off all this energy. I’d tell him to change, you know, to cat form, and he’d run around the house even faster, and exhaust himself. He’d take a long nap, wake up and have something to eat, and he’d feel better. He had most of his meals as a human, and he usually slept as a human, at least most of the times I checked on him. He had his favorite TV shows and movies he wanted to watch, but if I was watching sports, and he wanted to stay in the room with me, he’d change into a cat, and cuddle up next to me. In a way I’d have liked it if he’d ever wanted to play sports, or at least watch with me, but he’d rather have a tea party, or play dress up in his mother’s clothes and make-up – if he’s gotten out of that phase, and he probably has, don’t tell him I told you about it. But if he wants to…” Burt sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you, it’s up to you. But it might be a good idea to let him, at least when nobody’s around. It’s like he’s got a lot of different sides of himself he needs to express in different ways. But most people aren’t going to understand.”

Adam realized he’d moved his hand to Kurt’s hair, and had been petting it for the last few minutes. He stopped for a few seconds, and Kurt murmured sleepily and frowned, but he didn’t fully wake up. Adam went back to petting his hair and he settled down again.

“I appreciate knowing these things. I really do want to understand Kurt. I’m going to try harder to get him to tell me, not only when he needs a nap, but whatever other things he really needs to do that I might not think about. I’m encouraging his interest in fashion. You know, he doesn’t have much with him now, but I bought him some new clothes, and when he outgrows those, I’ll get him some more. I know there are more things he needs, and probably things he wants but doesn’t think he needs. He told me how they wouldn’t let him keep hardly any of his own things.”

“No, they didn’t. Those bastards just showed up, with all their damn paperwork I had to fill out. We were watchin’ his favorite movie, the one he and his mother used to watch a lot, “The Sound of Music.” He couldn’t even finish the movie, ‘cause he had to re-pack. They brought this tiny little cardboard suitcase they had him fill. Kurt had everything packed up to go already, just in case. He knew they wouldn’t let him take much, but he still left with such a small amount of stuff. I still have it here, everything. When Carole and I got married, we moved into her house, ‘cause it was in a nicer part of town. But I’ve got all of Kurt’s clothes – and they’re probably all too small for him now – and all his other crap – his stuff, in the attic. And at the garage, I’ve still got his coveralls, with his name in glitter on the pocket, and his tools.” Burt sighed. “I’m sorry, I don’t usually talk this much, but I got a lot on my mind.”

Adam’s heart ached for young Kurt, and the father who loved him so much. “Burt, I’ve got a wonderful idea. I need some work done on my car, and Kurt wants to take care of it for me, but I don’t have any tools. I’m sure Kurt will still want some of his old things. He said he had an iPod, and I’m not sure what else he could maybe still use. I mean, I’d be happy to buy him a new iPod, and we can download whatever he wants, and I can get him the tools he needs, but I’m thinking it might help him to have some familiar things.”

Kurt didn’t say anything, and Adam wasn’t sure if he was fully asleep, because he wasn’t snoring, but he settled himself more comfortably and his face looked more relaxed.

“You want me to send his stuff to you?”

“No, I was thinking…  How far of a drive is it from Ohio to New York?”

“Uh, let’s see… probably 9 or 10 hours.”

“Okay, that’s too long. Maybe going by air would be better.”

“Um, you want me to send his stuff air mail? That’s going to get really expensive.”

Adam almost giggled at the thought. “No, no, I was thinking… I know Kurt would love to see you, and I’m sure you want to see him. Could you maybe get a weekend free and come here to visit him? That way you can see the place for yourself, you and I can meet, and then you’ll hopefully feel a lot better about Kurt staying with me. You can maybe bring a few of his favorite things. The tools, I guess, would probably have to go by mail.”

“Well, I know I don’t really have any choice about him staying with you, but yeah, I really do want to see him. Uh, I’ll have to check the price of plane fare. And I can probably get the tools into an extra suitcase. They might be too small for him now, if his hands are a lot bigger. It’s a ladies’ tool set, actually, with pink handles on everything and a pink case, but he was insistent that’s what he wanted, and they fit his hands better than my tools.”

“It’s fine with me, he can use whatever tools he’s comfortable with. And I’ll be happy to buy you a ticket. I really think it will make Kurt happy to see you again. And what about Carole? I take it she never met Kurt.”

“I can afford it, I think.”

“Please don’t take offense, but I know I can afford it, and I’d really like to do this for you.”

“Then I’d really appreciate it. Carole and I, we got married two years ago. I met her not too long after Kurt was taken away. She doesn’t have any kids. Who knows, maybe we can still have one of our own, or adopt. I hope Kurt won’t be upset if we do.”

"He’d probably be happy for you. What I wanted to ask was, would you like Carole to come with you to New York? I could pay for her ticket, too.”

“I’ll talk to her about it, but my first thought is no. She’d like to meet Kurt, but I think it’s going to be stressful enough without adding anyone else.”

“Whatever you think best. Let me give you my phone number and e-mail, so we can keep in touch. Let me know what would be a good weekend for you, and I’ll get you a roundtrip ticket. Or, we can plan it for more than a weekend, if you can take the time off work.” 

“If there was ever a good reason to take time off work… But I don’t want to confuse the kid, either. I dunno, talk to him, see what he thinks.”

“I will. I think I’d better get him off to bed. He’s fallen asleep with his head on my leg, which fell asleep a while ago.”

“Yeah, that’s another thing about cat hybrids, they don’t understand about personal space. Hey, Adam, I wanted to thank you for being the one to adopt my boy. I was so worried some pervert would find him and –“

“Believe me, I had the same concern about him when I met him. I probably would have taken more time to think about it, but I didn’t want to take a chance on someone getting their hands on Kurt who wouldn’t treat him the way he deserves to be treated.”

“I like the way you think. Your accent – you’re British, right?”

“Yes, sir. I haven’t been back in a few years, but I haven’t lost the accent.”

“Kurt must love that. He would probably love to go there sometime. London is another place he’s always wanted to see.”

“Well, I’ll give that some thought, then. I’m glad we could talk, Burt. I’ve learned a lot more about Kurt, and hopefully now I can make him more comfortable here, and make sure he gets the proper rest and food.”

“Yeah, you do that, and I guarantee, he’ll be less temperamental.”

“Oh, I think he’s done quite well, all things considered, but it does explain a few things. Well, let me know when you’re ready to come here. The sofa in the TV room turns into a bed. I hope it will be comfortable enough.” 

“I’m sure it will be fine. Please tell Kurt I said goodnight. And something his mother used to say, ‘No bad dreams’. It didn’t always work, but 90% of the time it did.”

“Ah, okay, now that makes more sense. It was so good talking to you, Burt. Keep in touch.”

“Goodbye.”

Adam disconnected the call, then turned his focus onto Kurt, who seemed to be sound asleep.

“Let’s get you to bed, shall we?” Adam kept his voice soft, in case Kurt really was asleep. There was no response, so he tried to gather Kurt up in his arms to take him into his room. He realized that task would be much easier if Kurt were a cat, weighing a good hundred-something pounds less, and not nearly as tall as him.

Kurt woke up and managed to get on his feet before Adam hurt his back, so he just helped him into the bedroom.

“Adam, did I have a good dream, or did I really talk to my dad on the phone?”

“It was real, Kurt. I’ll tell you about what he and I talked about tomorrow, but I think it’s time for you to go to sleep. We can talk in the morning.”

“If I change, can I sleep with you? I mean, in your bed, if I’m a cat?”

Adam didn’t want to encourage any potentially bad habits, but he couldn’t resist the look in Kurt’s eyes.

“Yes, you can. But I want to brush you before you get on the bed again.”

“Brush? Yeah, that sounds good.” Kurt yawned. “I can stay awake long enough for that, I think.”

“You don’t need to stay awake, just don’t fight me. I’ll do my best not to pull your hair – fur – or hurt you, but let me know if I do.”

“Oh, you’ll know if you do,” Kurt teased.

By the time Adam found the special comb and brush, and brought a kitchen chair into Kurt’s bathroom, Kurt was alread in cat form.

“Come on, up here.” Adam patted the kitchen chair he’d brought in.

Kurt just sat there, waiting.

“Well, come on…it’s not that high, Kurt. I’m sure you can jump that high.”

Kurt stared at him, and didn’t move. Adam waited another minute.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Alright.” Adam picked him up and set him down on the chair. Kurt rubbed his nose against Adam’s, as a form of thanks, perhaps, then sat back and waited.

“Hopefully this won’t hurt. I don’t see any obvious mats or tangles. I watched a video online on how to do this, so here goes.”

Adam sat on the floor and took the metal comb, which had spaces of varying widths between its teeth, and experimentally ran it down from Kurt’s back to his left side. Kurt didn’t object, and he didn’t encounter any snarls. He tried holding the fur near the bottom, lifting each section to run the comb through it smoothly, then going back and lifting it again to get to the undercoat. Kurt was fine with his sides and back, purring the whole time, and even sat still through Adam very carefully combing his face. Of course, Adam avoided going too near his eyes or ears, and didn't touch his whiskers with the comb. He used a Q-tip dampened with water to clean the inside of Kurt’s ears, and used another one to try to brush his teeth. Kurt growled a bit at that, and Adam decided Kurt did quite a thorough enough job of brushing his teeth when he did it himself as a human, and didn’t really need help with it. Adam talked to him the whole time, a combination of compliments and nonsense, but Kurt seemed to like it. When he got to Kurt’s luxurious tail, however, he encountered some problems. He did find a few snarls, and was very careful to not pull the fur too much, but he and Kurt were both happier about being finished with that. 

Kurt helpfully rolled over onto his back, so Adam could brush the fur on the under side of his body. It was shorter, much lighter in color, sort of a golden blond, and easier to comb. Adam thought he was done, but Kurt batted at the brush, as if to say, “Oh no you’re not.”

Adam sighed, but he didn’t really object. He brushed everywhere he’d already combed. Even though he’d collected a fair amount of hair from the comb, Adam was amazed how much was coming off with the brush. “Well, I can see we’ll need to do this more often, so you don’t get hairballs. I don’t think either of us want that.” Kurt meowed mournfully, and Adam realized he hadn’t really heard him meow very much. “You know, even as a cat, you’ve got a pretty voice. Yes, you do. That’s a good boy.” He continued to brush him carefully and thoroughly. Even though, by the time he was through, he realized it had taken about half an hour, he thought it was time well spent. Kurt certainly seemed to think so. His fur was so soft and silky, Adam was having a hard time keeping his hands off it. Which would probably result in more tangles, if he wasn’t careful.

Adam decided they could clean up the mess in the morning, and looked down at Kurt. “I’ll race you to the bedroom.” The words were barely out of his mouth when he knew the race was already lost. His legs might be much longer than Kurt’s, but he wasn’t sure he could ever match that speed, from 0 to 60, it seemed like, in 1 second flat.

By the time Adam reached his room, Kurt was already curled up on the other side of the bed from the one Adam slept on.

“Good. Just stay there, and I’ll join you in a little while.”

When he was ready to go to bed, pajamas and socks on, teeth brushed, he saw that Kurt was sound asleep, snoring away. He didn’t want to wake him, so he said very quietly, “No bad dreams.”

Oddly enough, he realized he felt better about having Kurt sleeping in his room than if he’d left him somewhere in the apartment, or even in his own bed. It just felt more secure this way. He told himself it was only protectiveness and affection he felt for Kurt, in both his forms. He hoped if he repeated it often enough, he’d start to believe it.


	16. Chapter 16

Adam woke suddenly, because something was tickling his face. It swept over his nose and mouth again. He sighed, and it moved away. Opening his eyes, he saw Kurt staring at him. Well, he could see green eyes; the rest was hard to tell because it was so dark. He hoped it was Kurt. Adam had fallen asleep on his back, and now he had a cat curled up on his chest, no doubt deliberately tickling him with the tip of a fuzzy tail.

“Good morning. I take it you want something?”

Kurt nodded, the bell on his collar tinkling faintly.

“And I’m supposed to guess what it is?”

“Meoooooowwww!”

“Oh, God. Kurt, I don’t speak cat. Let me guess, you want breakfast?”

The furry head nodded.

“You can get it yourself, you know.”

The gorgeous green eyes blinked a couple of times, and Kurt held up one paw. He tried to spread his toes out, but they wouldn’t go very far.

“Ah, right, no opposable thumbs to open the can. And I guess you’re staying like this for now?”

Kurt stared at Adam. “MEOW!”

“What the hell time is it, anyway, it’s not even light out.” He found the alarm clock. “Kurt, it’s 2:15 in the morning! Can’t you wait another 6 hours or so? At least 5, maybe?”

Kurt’s stare was growing baleful, his tail whipping back and forth again. “MEOOOOOWWWWWWW!”

“Alright, I get it. Why don’t you get off me, so I can get up?”

Kurt rolled off of Adam, onto the bed. He must have decided it was fun, because he continued to roll around from side to side. It was, of course, cute as hell, and Adam bet he knew it.

“Give me a few minutes to wake up, and I’ll open a can of whatever, okay, Fuzzy Face?”

Kurt sat up, and jumped off the bed. Adam couldn’t tell what direction he was running off to, but at the moment he didn’t care. He supposed he should mention to human Kurt that he wasn’t exactly a morning person, especially when he was woken this bloody early.

A little while later, Adam strolled into the kitchen, and saw Kurt sitting in front of the food and water bowls. The water bowl was fine – well, no, maybe not. It had been sitting out since early evening; maybe it was getting stale.. Adam sighed, and bent down to rinse out and re-fill the water bowl. Once it was back on the floor, Kurt put one paw on top of his hand.

“You’re welcome. Now, let me see what we have here – Hybrid Cat Chow, in about 7 different flavors. That was all they had. Any preference?”

Kurt blinked, then shook his head. 

“Fine.” Adam grabbed the nearest one, which claimed to be shrimp, or at least shrimp-flavored. He took it over to the counter to open it, and almost tripped over Kurt, who got there first. “Hey, no tripping me, understand?”

Kurt sighed, and looked up at the can opener. “MEOWWWW!”

“Yes, Your Highness, of course, so sorry I wasn’t fast enough.” He figured if Kurt could dish out sarcasm as a cat, he could take it, too.

He was surprised to find it didn’t smell nearly as obnoxious as the pet food Misty ate, but he still wasn’t the slightest bit tempted to trade it for what he intended to fix himself for breakfast, in a few hours. He spooned half of it into Kurt’s bowl, and he barely had time to move out of the way when Kurt buried his face in the bowl. 

“You were really hungry huh? You can have the rest of your breakfast at the usual time, okay?” Then Adam remembered something rather important. “Kurt, I’m sorry! Your dad told me yesterday, and I still forgot to make sure you had some protein before you went to bed.”

Kurt paused, his ears twitching, then went back to eating.

“I’m not sure what that means. Take your time. I’m going back to bed.”

He switched the light out, but it apparently didn’t stop Kurt from eating.

He had finally, almost fallen back asleep when he felt the THUMP! of a cat hitting the bed.

“Kurt, if you weren’t so adorable…”

“Mrp?”

“Never mind. Go to sleep.”

His answer to that sounded almost like a chirp. “You’re sure chatty tonight. Now please, let me go back to sleep?”

He felt a furry face brushing against his, then retreating. “Not sure if that was a kiss or an apology, but thank you. Good night.”

Kurt insisted on walking around the bed, trying to find a good spot. He finally seemed to decide on the area behind Adam’s knees. He turned around three times, then settled. Adam sighed and tried to turn his head enough to see. Kurt was, of course, staring at him. Adam worked one arm out from under the covers and put in on Kurt’s side, and that gorgeous tail immediately wrapped around his wrist to hold his hand in place. “Are you comfortable, your Highness?”

He heard a rumbling purr, then after a couple of minutes, a snore, to tell him his Prince Charming was sound asleep. Too bad he was now wide awake.

 

 

Adam must have finally fallen asleep, because when he woke again the sun was shining, and Kurt was sprawled across the patch of sun that fell on the bed. Adam recalled he’d wanted to take some pictures for Burt, so he sneakily got his camera out and snapped a couple of pictures before Kurt woke up. He managed to get one of a puzzled, sleepy look on Kurt’s face, then a bitchface of supreme annoyance.

“Oh, don’t get your tail in a twist. I’m going to send these to your father.”

He took a few more photos of Kurt looking alarmed, then resigned, then excited. He finally posed regally, sitting on the bed with his tail wrapped around his feet.

When Adam looked at the photos, he wondered if he could crop out the bedclothes that were thrown back, a dead giveaway that Kurt wasn’t sleeping on his own bed. Then he decided not to worry about it. Burt would probably be too thrilled to get pictures of Kurt to look too hard at the background.

“Later today, or whenever you turn back, I’ll get some pictures of you as a human, and you can pick out which ones you want me to send to your dad.”

Kurt leaned over and licked Adam’s hand.

“You’re welcome. Now, I’m ready for my breakfast, as soon as I get cleaned up a bit.”

He only made enough for one, since Kurt was already having the rest of the can of food for his second breakfast. In a little while, he had bacon, eggs, toast, and tea ready. He brought it to the table and sat down, and was immediately joined by his furry companion, who sat down at his feet, staring up at the table.

Adam looked down at that sweet face, with the begging eyes, and very quiet murmur of inquiry.

“Did you already finish the rest of your food? Stupid question, I suppose. You know, you really shouldn’t eat people food right now. If you really want some, you can change and make some for yourself.”

Kurt swished his tail back and forth, sighed, and got to his feet. He dashed out of the kitchen, and Adam could soon hear him running around, occasionally jumping up on things. Kurt knew better than to try jumping on the piano, or anything else either valuable or unstable. Graceful he might be, but Adam didn’t want him to get hurt trying to balance on something that really wasn’t designed to hold a cat.

Adam ate his breakfast leisurely, and thought about his conversation with Burt. He definitely had some research to do, but he also needed to talk to Kurt about his father’s impending visit. 

He recalled he hadn’t cleaned up the mess from Kurt’s bathroom floor yet, and thought it would be considerate to do so. Might as well set a good example. He looked at the rather large ball of fur he’d collected, and debated about saving it. The fur seemed clean enough; maybe he would have enough in a couple of weeks to stuff a pillow for the sofa. “No, that’s a little too creepy,” he decided, and disposed of the hair in the trash can.

He decided to take advantage of a little time to himself to get on the computer. He had e-mail, more research, and possibly some writing to attend to. 

 

 

Kurt was bored. He had looked around the apartment for something to play with, but couldn’t find anything suitable. He finally checked the laundry room. He knew he had to avoid the bottles of laundry soap and anything chemical, but there was something he’d seen when Adam was showing him the room the other day, to use when drying comforters or down jackets. He pushed his shoulder against one low cabinet drawer, and it opened. He could see several of the items he was looking for, but he only needed one. He reached a paw up and – oops, that was four of them on the floor. Oh well, they were big enough Adam probably wouldn’t trip on them. Maybe he should warn him, if he remembered when he changed back. In the meantime, he had a new toy to play with.

Kurt batted the tennis ball around with his front and back paws until he had it out of the laundry room and out in the hall. Now it moved a lot better. He chased after it, whacking it with a paw whenever it stopped. Sometimes it bounced delightfully off the walls, though he had to duck a couple of times to avoid being hit.

Finally Adam came into the hallway. “Kurt, what in the world are you – where did you get that?”

Kurt grabbed his toy with both front paws and rolled it underneath him, settling down on top of it.

Adam sighed. “Yes, yes, you can have that one. I suppose this means you’d like me to get you some toys?”

Kurt nodded cautiously. “Meep!”

“Okay,” Adam laughed. “When you change back, we’ll find a store to go to – not New Directions – and see what they have that might be more appropriate for you.”

Kurt wasn’t about to indicate that the tennis ball was, indeed, a bit too big play with.

“I suppose you got that from the laundry room, hm?” Adam pushed the door all the way open. “Ah, you found them all.” He picked up the others and put them back in the cupboard.

“Well, it could have been worse, but we need to get you something better than a tennis ball.” He looked at Kurt and then knelt down, so he was closer to his level. “I don’t suppose you’d like to give me that, and I can try to find you something else here?” He reached cautiously for the ball, but Kurt moved in such a way that the ball was completely covered. He yowled at Adam and batted his hand away with one paw, though he did keep his claws in.

“Yes, yes, it’s yours, fine.” Adam got back up to his feet. “Just don’t break anything with it, okay, or hurt yourself kicking it around.”

Kurt gave a very low growl that was more petulance than a true warning.

“Yes, of course you’ll be careful, I’m so sorry to have insulted you.”

Kurt hummed in response.

Adam shook his head and grinned. “I think I’m beginning to learn a little ‘cat’ after all.”

Adam went back to whatever he was doing, but Kurt had lost interest in the tennis ball. He batted it into a corner and ignored it. He wandered into his room, and found his hoodie, Adam’s hoodie, hanging off the edge of the bed. He grabbed one sleeve with his teeth, and pulled until it was on the floor. After rolling around on it, and re-shaping it with his feet and nose, it was finally just right for sleeping on. After a brief nap, he woke up, and was just vaguely dissatisfied with things. Something wasn’t right. 

Oh, yes, he was alone. That would have to be remedied. 

He padded into the living room, where Adam was sitting on the sofa, typing away again on the laptop. Kurt walked in and sat at Adam’s feet. He stared up at him, but after several minutes, Adam hadn’t looked away from the stupid laptop. Kurt settled down to wait, deciding Adam’s feet made a decent pillow for his body. Besides, that way he couldn’t get up without Kurt knowing about it. Adam’s feet flexed, and Kurt just let his body move until Adam stopped the annoying motion. He heard a loud sigh and a muttered word that might have been his name, but he ignored it. When Adam was ready to pay him the proper attention he deserved, then he would pay attention to Adam. In the meantime, he’d just stay here on his feet, which were keeping his stomach warm.

Kurt napped a while, but the tapping of the laptop’s keys was annoying. Perhaps he needed to try harder to get Adam’s attention. Maybe he hadn’t actually noticed Kurt on his feet. He got up, stretched, turned, and leaped up on the sofa next to Adam. He laid his head down across the nearest arm, which was resting on Adam’s leg. It was a convenient height for a pillow. He tried to get back to sleep, but his pillow kept moving in a very distracting manner, lifting his head up in an annoying fashion.

Kurt loudly objected, but the motion didn’t stop.

“You’re the one who decided to put your head there, Fuzzy Face, don’t blame me.”

Kurt had decided the nickname was more cute than insulting, so he let it slide.

“Mrrrrrrrrr?”

“I’m busy, Kurt. Just wait a little while, okay?”

Adam did reach over with his free hand and scratched Kurt’s ears, so he tried again to sleep. He finally grumbled and moved a tiny bit further away, so he was leaning against Adam’s leg, but resting his chin on his paws. It wasn’t as comfortable as resting his head anywhere on Adam, but at least he would know when Adam was done with whatever he was doing on the computer. Oh, maybe he was writing. Kurt sighed quietly to himself, and ignored the chuckle he heard next to him. He finally fell asleep, comforted by Adam’s nearness and his warmth.

 

 

Adam wasn’t sure he could explain it if asked, but aside from being a bit distracting, even in cat form, Kurt was good company. He felt a bit better knowing exactly where he was, that he wasn’t maybe getting into mischief somewhere. He finished the mass e-mail to confirm to the Apples about the party on the upcoming weekend, and to let them know Kurt would be joining them. He wondered if any of them had a hybrid pet; he couldn’t recall anyone talking about theirs, if they had one. Well, if they really had a problem with him, Kurt could stay --  No. He would not ask Kurt to stay in his room, not after already telling him he could sing with them. His friends would just have to understand, or they could leave. He couldn’t imagine any of them being that prejudiced against a hybrid, but you never knew. He turned the laptop off and set it on the end table.

He looked to his side and reached over to pet Kurt. He thought he’d been asleep, but he almost immediately heard a contented purr.

“Hey, Kurt, you awake?”

Kurt looked up at him, eyes wide and bright. He climbed into Adam’s lap, then stood there, and tried to put his paws around Adam’s neck. Adam steadied him with his hands.

“You’re certainly affectionate lately. I wanted to talk to you about a few things. Are you ready to change back? So I can talk to you, and I can understand you when you talk to me.”

In seconds, Kurt was in human form, still sitting on Adam’s lap. Now he wrapped his knees as well as his arms, around Adam. Their faces were centimeters apart.

“Kurt, what are you doing?”

He untangled himself from Adam, reluctance clear on his face. He held a hand up to his mouth, eyes wide, and ran out of the room.

Adam hoped he wasn’t going to get sick. Kurt came back a couple of minutes later and smiled sheepishly at Adam. “Sorry. Fish breath. Had to brush my teeth.”

“Well, thank you. That was considerate.”

Kurt didn’t try to climb onto his lap again, but he was still sitting much closer than Adam was used to when talking to most other people.

Adam wedged himself into the corner of the sofa, so he could face Kurt more easily.

“Okay, let’s talk about the phone conversation last night. I think it went pretty well, didn’t you?”

“What I remember of it, yeah,” Kurt agreed. “But I think I fell asleep when you were still talking to Dad. What else did he say? When can I call him again? Is he coming here? When? Where is he going to stay? Did he –“

Adam held up his hand. “Kurt, stop. Breathe. I know you want to know everything. I’ll tell you the best I can. Yes, your dad is planning on coming here, maybe for a weekend, and he’ll let me know when it will be a good time for him. He probably won’t be bringing Carole with him, at least not this time. She wants to meet you, he wants you to meet her, but you’re going to have enough to deal with, with just him visiting. He said he’s glad I adopted you, rather than somebody else.”

“Me, too,” Kurt agreed softly.

“Good. He’s going to bring some of your things that you might want. You might make him a list of things he can bring on the plane with him, like your iPod, and any clothes you think might still fit you.”

Kurt sighed and shook his head. “Maybe some scarves and accessories, but I’m sure I’ve outgrown almost everything else.”

“He was thinking he might bring your tool set. He said he still has everything you didn’t take with you.”

Kurt’s eyes were bright, and he sniffled. “He kept everything?”

“Maybe he hoped that someday, he’d see you again. And he was right! So, do you want him to bring the tool set, the pink one?”

Kurt debated. “I think I can still use it. If he can get it on the plane, yeah.”

“Maybe in a suitcase he can check through. Anyway, if you come up with a list of things you really want here, we’ll find a way to get them to you. I don’t know if your iPod still works, but if we could somehow get the account transferred from your father to me, we can download the songs onto a new one for you.”

“You’d get me a new one?”

“Of course. It would have to be in my name, I’d have to download things for you…how did you do it before, if your dad didn’t have a computer?”

“He let me use the one at work. He gave me all the details, so I could charge his credit card. I just stayed within the limit he gave me.”

“Well, we can work out something like that. And I’ll bet you’ve got years worth of TV shows to catch up on, and movies…”

“That would be nice,” Kurt agreed. “I haven’t even really thought about that stuff yet.”

Adam shrugged. “You’ve had more than enough other things to think about. There’s plenty of time to catch up on that stuff. When your dad gets here, he can stay in the TV room. The sofa converts to a bed.”

“Or he could have my room, and I can sleep on the sofa bed. Or I could sleep in your bed – on your bed, I mean.” 

Adam thought Kurt was adorable when he blushed.

“We’ll figure something out, but yes, your bed would probably be more comfortable for him to sleep on.”

“I don’t mind at all.”

“That’s good.” Adam took a deep breath, then continued. “You dad also told me you have some blood sugar problems.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve read up on it a bit, and I think with a few adjustments you’ll be a lot happier, and a lot more comfortable. Your dad said you should have five to six small meals a day, or three meals, and three snacks. The point is to eat every few hours, and not eat too much sugar, to keep your blood sugar level fairly even. You need to make sure you take your naps, and get enough sleep at night. I don’t know how your cat metabolism affects things, but we should probably try to get some kind of routine going for you.”

“How come he never said anything to me about it?”

“I’m not sure. Do you remember your mother cutting pieces of baloney into shapes with cookie cutters, for a bedtime snack?”

“Yeah. I didn’t know why she did that, but I slept better, I think, when I had that. Dad tried, but sometimes he’s get home late, or he’d forget. Sometimes I’d forget, and then, at the pet store, we all had to eat the same thing at the same time.”

“Well, you may have noticed you get cranky, and a little confused or disoriented when you’re tired or hungry, and it’s really not good for you to try to eat when you’re upset, like having a stressful conversation at mealtimes. So we’ll try to make those changes. I’ve done some research on your condition, hypoglycemia. You can get hypoglycemic, meaning your blood sugar level drops, at certain times, like when you haven’t had enough to eat, or have had too much sugar, or haven’t had enough sleep, and get too emotional. So those are things we need to watch for. I’ll do what I can to help you regulate things. And from what I’ve read, the baloney isn’t the best idea, or any kind of processed meat like that, but that might be a good time for you to have a glass of milk instead. Or have you tried warm milk?”

“I love warm milk! It doesn’t always love me,” he concluded sadly, “but that’s mainly when I’ve tried to drink it as a cat.”

“How does that work?” Adam was trying to picture Kurt as a cat, heating up the milk.

“I’d make it as a human, wait for it to cool off a bit, and change, then drink it. Big mistake.”  
          
“Okay, so you can have it the nights you’re going to sleep as you are now. Maybe I can give you an extra half a can, or third of a can, of food before bed, if you’re going to sleep as a cat.”

“That would work well. I could eat the baloney in either form, but yeah, it worked better when I was human.”

“We’ll try some different things with protein, and see how it works. We’ll also need to watch your carbohydrate intake; white bread, potatoes, white rice, especially the instant stuff, isn’t good for you. I wish I’d known that the other night.”

Kurt shrugged. “I didn’t know, so how would you?” He thought for a minute. “Do you think that’s one reason I have so many nightmares?”

Adam nodded. “It could well be a factor. Not that you don’t have some good reasons to have nightmares, but we don’t need to add to them.”

“Okay. I’ll eat whatever you want me to eat, whenever. I’ll try not to complain about it too much.”

That got a laugh out of Adam. “I didn’t say you couldn’t complain, it just won’t do you much good.”

“Okay. So did Dad say anything else I should know about?”

“Um…let’s see…I think that’s about it. He misses you, he wants to see you, and he’s looking forward to coming here. As soon as he tells me, I’ll be sure to clear my schedule. Meaning I’ll try not to schedule any auditions at that time.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Which reminds me. How come you didn’t tell me, when I told you I went to musical theater school, and that’s what I’d like to work in, that you’re interested in that? I know you like Wicked, but your dad said you really like the theater.”

“I do,” Kurt admitted. “And I’d love to be onstage, too, but what’s the point? I never will be. I’d love to see a show, but it’s not going to happen, so I didn’t mention it.”

“Kurt, don’t be like that! You might not be allowed to try out for parts, which is absolutely, bloody ridiculous, but I’d love to take you to a Broadway show sometime.”

“Really? You would?” Kurt’s face lit up with excitement. “When? What show?”

“Calm down,” Adam laughed, resisting the urge to ruffle Kurt’s hair. “Let’s wait a little while till we’re both more used to being out in public together, and we’ll see what’s playing.”

“That would be awesome! Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome. Now, one more thing. I know you’re going to Lily’s this weekend to do her nails, and a makeover, and whatever else, show her your designs, and that’s fine. I told her I was having some people over Saturday afternoon and evening, so she wanted to know if Sunday, early afternoon, would be okay for you to come over.”

Kurt nodded enthusiastically. “Sure! As long as it’s okay with you.”

“It’s fine. It will give me time to sleep in on Sunday morning, and for us to get the place cleaned up a little bit. Nancy will be coming on Monday, and she can do the rest of the cleanup.”

“Who’s coming over?” Kurt asked hesitantly.

“The Apples, my singing group. Remember, I told you about them?”

“Oh, yeah.” 

“I confirmed with them, this Saturday from 3:00 to whenever. I also told them you would be joining us. They’ve a very nice, understanding group of people. We’re all a little bit of what you might call outcasts,” Adam explained,  “so I don’t think any of them will have a problem with you. There will be a dozen of us, plus you, and I know it’ll probably be a bit overwhelming to be around so many people. If you feel like it’s too much, just let me know, and you can go to your room to be on your own for a bit. I’d like you to have dinner with us, and maybe sing with us for a bit, but you’ll probably want to go to bed before everyone leaves. That’s fine, we may be up late. And there will probably be some drinking, probably wine. You understand you’re not to have any?”

Kurt agreed. “Dad said a long time ago that hybrids and alcohol don’t mix. Or drugs. Unless it’s specific prescription drugs that are taken the right way.”

“Very good. Now, I want everyone to have a good time, and feel relaxed, and this group doesn’t usually get drunk enough to get too stupid, but if you feel uncomfortable, even if you can’t find me, you can just go to your room. I’ll put a sign on the door letting people know it’s off limits. They’ll have to use my bathroom, which won’t be a problem,” he added hastily. “I’ll try to stay fairly sober, but I’m not planning on driving anyone home.” He hesitated. “But, if you’d rather I not drink, if it would make you feel safer or more secure if I don’t, just tell me now, and I won’t. Okay?”

Kurt bit his lip, thinking hard. “I’m really not sure how I feel. Do I have to tell you now?”

“No, but sometime before Saturday afternoon would be helpful.”

“Okay.”

“I was thinking, would you like to play the piano for a little while?”

“Sure!”

“You can read music, right?”

“Yes. I remember how, ‘cause it’s something we had to do for a couple of years at the shop, before Mr. Will gave up on the idea.”

“Good. Let’s find something for you to play.”

Kurt went through Adam’s sheet music, and found some Beatles songs.

“I like these!”

“Okay, then, let’s hear them.”

Kurt played and sang along with “Michelle,” and “Blackbird,” then hesitated with the next one.

“I’m not sure I’m ready to play this one.”

“Why not? It should be pretty easy for you, I’d think.”

Kurt sighed. “I mean, emotionally, I’m not sure I’m ready. I’ll have to tell you about it sometime, another time I mean.”

“Okay.” Adam set aside “I  Want To Hold Your Hand” and found “Yesterday” instead.

When Kurt was done playing, Adam beamed at him. “You have a fantastic voice Kurt. It’s breathtaking. I really, really love your voice.”

Kurt looked so relieved. “Thank you. It’s nice to be able to sing without people throwing things at me, or yelling, or hitting me.”

“Oh, Kurt. Don’t worry, that’s not going to happen again.” Adam stepped forward, then hesitated and stayed where he was. He kept his arms at his sides, though he ached to comfort Kurt.

To his surprise, Kurt jumped up from the piano bench and literally threw himself into Adam’s arms.

“What’s the matter, Kurt?” Adam asked, holding him gingerly.

“Can’t you just please hug me? I need you to touch me – human me,” Kurt begged. “You don’t seem to mind when I’m a cat.”

Adam wondered if his attempts to keep his distance, to avoid his attraction to Kurt, was coming across as disgust or rejection.

“Oh Kurt,” he sighed, wrapping his arms around the slightly smaller body. Instead of holding back, he hugged him the way he’d been wanting to, with his whole body. Kurt clung to him and just breathed deeply.

“Hey,” Adam murmered into Kurt’s hair. “What brought this on?”

“I just need to be held sometimes,” Kurt sniffled. 

Adam took a deep breath, and was surprised to find he really liked the scent of Kurt’s shampoo. Or was it Kurt himself? Either way, it was very nice. 

“Thank you for telling me what you need, Kurt. I’m not very good at guessing these things.”

“’kay,” Kurt mumbled, face pressed against Adam’s chest. He seemed to be hanging on for dear life.

Adam started rubbing circles on Kurt’s back, trying to soothe him. Kurt’s arms around his waist tightened, then relaxed a bit.

After what seemed like a long time, Kurt finally pulled away slightly, and Adam let go.

“Adam, please, I need you. I’ll be whatever you want. Pet, lover, whatever you need. Just tell me, and I’ll do it.”

“Kurt, it’s not that simple. For one thing, I need to know what _you_ want.”

“I’ve been raised all my life to be a pet. I’m not sure I can give that up, or want to. But I want more. I mean, me, as I am now, I need more.”

“So you want both? To be my pet, and my…boyfriend, maybe?”  
          
“I don’t think I can be just one or the other. But boyfriend sounds really nice.”

Of course, he was right. Which actually made it a bit easier for Adam.

“I do want a pet, as well as a boyfriend. Let’s take things a little slow, for now, though. I care about you, so much, and I love you and want to protect you. But I’m not sure I’m in love with you yet, and I want to be.”

Kurt looked devastated. “What do you need from me, to be in love with me?”

“Darling, if I knew that, I would tell you. I’m just really afraid of taking advantage of you, unintentionally hurting you.”

“Well, you’re hurting me now by not loving me.”

“Kurt,” Adam sighed, closing his eyes and holding him tightly. “I’m so sorry. I don’t mean to hurt you. I want to take things slowly enough that you can stop if you want to.”

“Okay,” Kurt cautiously agreed.

“Let’s try something, okay?”

“Anything.”

Adam doubted Kurt really understood what he was doing to him, how much Adam longed to just throw caution to the wind, and act on his instincts, and his growing feelings.

“I’m going to kiss you now, okay?”

“Really?” Kurt looked so thrilled.

“Is this your first kiss?”

“It will be, yes.”

“It should be special. I don’t want you to have any regrets.”

“I won’t! I want you to be the one to give me my first kiss.”

Adam touched Kurt’s chin with one hand, tilting it upwards slightly, and leaned down. He cupped his face in his hands and pressed their lips together, ever so slightly moving his hands against Kurt’s face in a soothing motion. He didn’t want to scare him off with too passionate a kiss, but he wasn’t shrinking away. He was returning the kiss, standing up on his toes to try to get to the same height. Adam gently pulled away.

“Was that okay?”

“It was fantastic,” Kurt answered dreamily. 

Adam decided he would take his cues from Kurt. He wasn’t going to continue for long, but he wanted to give him some idea of what he was in for. This time he rubbed his thumb over Kurt’s bottom lip. He opened his mouth just slightly, and Adam kissed him again. He touched the tip of Kurt’s tongue with his own, then lightly caressed it, before pulling back. Kurt’s eyes were closed, and he let out a little cry of distress.

“That’s enough for now. We can kiss some more later, but if we’re going to do this, we’re going to take things slowly, until I’m certain this is what you want.”

“I know this is what I want,” Kurt pouted, “but I get that you’re trying to protect me. I like it when you protect me from other people, but I don’t want protection from you.”

“I’ll do my best to give you what you want, and what you need, but I don’t want to lose control. There are so many things I want to do to you, Kurt, you can’t even imagine.”

“Really?”

Instead of looking nervous, Kurt looked thrilled.

Adam sighed. He hoped he hadn’t created a monster.


	17. Chapter 17

Kurt wasn’t ready to stop just yet. “Can’t we kiss some more?”

“In a little while,” Adam agreed. “It’s not that I don’t want to – it’s that I want to, too much.”

“But – okay, Adam.” Kurt sighed, and threw in a mournful, “this is so unfair” look as well.

“Tell you what, let’s fix a snack, and watch a movie. We can have popcorn, if you like. Isn’t that traditional?”

“I guess. Hey, is this a date?” Kurt brightened up immediately.

“Well, if you want it to be, yes.”

“My first date! _Our_ first date!” Kurt was thrilled, grinning from ear to ear, clasping his hands tightly together at chest height.

Adam looked a bit distressed, and apologized. “I wish we could go out somewhere nice, but I think for now you and I should get used to each other, before we start acting like a couple in public.”

“It’s fine with me,” Kurt shrugged. And it really was. He wasn’t ready to share Adam with anybody yet, or have any outsiders try to ruin their fun.

“Let’s pick a movie,” Adam suggested. “You might want to look through my collection, and see if you find anything you like.”

Kurt grabbed Adam’s hand and ran into the TV room. Kurt looked through all the movies, trying to find something familiar. He wasn’t in the mood to watch something new. He didn’t recognize a lot of the movies, but then he found the perfect one.

“How about this?” He held it up expectantly. If Adam already had it, he must like it, right?

“Perfect! Have you ever seen “The Princess Bride” before?”

“Uh-huh! Lots of times.” Kurt didn’t let go of Adam’s hand. “My mom got it for me for my birthday, the last birthday she was – before she –” His voice was starting to get hoarse, so he tried to clear his throat.

“So it’s a special memory, hm?” Adam interrupted his thoughts. “I’ve always loved it.”

“Me, too. Oh, we need popcorn, right?” Kurt remembered.

“If that’s what you want, yes.” Adam was relieved Kurt was so easily distracted.

“Can we have butter?”

“Of course! It’s not proper movie-watching popcorn without butter, is it?”

They found the popcorn easily enough. Kurt wondered how Adam could easily find things in his kitchen, which was so disorganized. He really did intend to talk to Adam about making it more efficient, but he supposed it could wait. Right now, he was fascinated watching the butter melt in the pan. He knew it would be healthier to eat plain popcorn, but that was so very boring, and this was a special occasion. His very first date! With Adam! And watching one of his most favorite movies ever.

They agreed they needed diet Pepsi to go with the popcorn. “Might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb,” Adam shrugged.

Kurt’s pondered the statement. “I don’t think I’ve heard that before. What’s it mean?”

Adam grinned as he explained, “Well, it’s an old saying. If you’re going to get caught for poaching animals – stealing them – it’s not going to make a difference if it’s a lamb or a sheep, they’ll hang you either way, so you might as well get the most out of it.” His face clouded. “And that’s certainly morbid, isn’t it? Well, let’s get to the movie before the popcorn gets cold.”

He showed Kurt how to work the Blu-Ray player, and the settled down on the couch. Kurt took the opportunity to sit close to Adam. He figured he could move in a little closer as the movie progressed. Adam didn’t object, so he kept cuddling closer. He was delighted when Adam put his arm around him and pulled him even closer.

When the movie ended, Kurt laid his head on Adam’s shoulder and closed his eyes.

“Hey, you’re not going to fall asleep, are you?” Adam asked, sounding slightly alarmed.

“Mm, why not? ‘m comfortable,” Kurt mumbled.

With his free hand, his took Kurt’s nearer hand and held it.

“That’s nice,” Kurt murmured sleepily, squeezing Adam’s hand. “Nobody’s held my hand, before you, since they took me from my dad.” Adam didn’t interrupt, so he continued, forcing himself to wake up a little. It was important Adam know this. “It’s the first good memory I have after my mama died. It was at her funeral, I was so sad, and I knew I’d never see her again. I looked up at my dad, wanting him to say something to make me feel better. He didn’t say anything, but he did take my hand, and held it all the way through the service. It made me feel like he understood, like we were feeling some of the same things.”

Adam was watching him closely, and nodding in encouragement, so Kurt continued.

“When Dad got sick, with the heart attack, I didn’t know what to do. He went into a coma and wouldn’t wake up. They didn’t want to let me visit him in the hospital, but I wasn’t supposed to stay home alone, either. I finally begged one of Dad’s employees at the shop to take me to the hospital, to try again to see if I could visit Dad. When they saw him bringing me in, with a collar and leash, they started to say I couldn’t be there. But this guy, Danny, had been working for my dad pretty much my whole life, and I’d spent a lot of time at the garage hanging out with Dad and learning how to fix cars. So he kind of yelled at the nurse, but real quiet. He told her she was gonna let me in to see my dad, and he was gonna stay outside the room so nobody would go in and see me. She let me in. I sat next to the bed, and held Dad’s hand and talked to him. I told him how I was gonna take good care of him when he came home, and we’d be fine. Then I sang to him. I sang “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” and even though he’d been in a coma, I think he heard me. He woke up, so I told Danny, and he got the nurse. They made me leave, but Danny told me to stay in his car while he checked on my dad. He took me home with him that night, and his wife made dinner, and let me sleep in her son’s bed. He was away at college. But they treated me like I was family.”

Kurt was sniffling now, and took the handful of Kleenex Adam gave him, even though it meant Adam had to let go of his hand. It was okay, he still had his arm around him.

“Anyway, the hospital released Dad a couple of days later, and I took care of him. He never said whether he really heard me singing, but he did hold my hand a lot when I was taking care of him.”

Now Adam was reaching for the tissues again, and was mopping up his own face.

“Don’t cry, Adam, it’s okay. Dad’s doing real good now, so I don’t need to worry about him. I guess he’s got Carole to take care of him, and hold his hand now.”

“And I’ve got you,” Adam said fiercely, but the hug he gave Kurt was anything but angry. “We’ve got each other.”

That’s right, now they were together, and nobody was going to take either of them away.

Kurt wondered, not for the first time, how he had gotten so lucky that Adam was the one who adopted him.

 

 

  
Kurt spent most of the rest of the day drawing outfits for Lily. Adam asked to see them, and told him he was quite talented.   


“I might not know much about fashion, but I’ve seen a lot of amateur artwork, and you, my friend, have got boatloads of talent.”

“You really think so?” Kurt looked at the designs critically. They still weren’t quite right.

“Give yourself some time, you haven’t had much chance to practice the last few years, have you?”

“Nope,” Kurt sighed. “I designed a lot of things in my head, but I couldn’t get them down on paper.”

“Well, maybe that’s why you’re so good at it, you were practicing in your head.”

“Maybe.” Kurt shrugged. “I still remember all the ideas, but I’ve changed my mind about some of them, so I’m modifying the pictures in my head.”

“That’s amazing, Kurt, really. I don’t know how other designers do things, but it sounds to me like you’re on the right track. Keep at it, but if your hand gets tired or starts to hurt, please stop and do something else that won’t hurt it.”

“How did you know my hand was starting to hurt?” Kurt asked, amazed.

Adam winced. “Lucky guess. Come on, why don’t you come talk to me while I fix dinner.”

After dinner, he read to Kurt until it was time for bed.

Kurt had been thinking about it all day, so he finally got up the courage to ask, “Can I sleep with you tonight? I mean, sleep, as in you know, sleeping, not um, anything elsing.”

“Ah, yes, it’s the anything elsing that can get us in trouble.”

“So, can I?” Kurt begged.

Truth be told, Adam liked having Kurt in his bed, in either form.

“I’d like to see if you can sleep on your own, first. You haven’t yet, since you’ve been here.”

“I can try.” Kurt sounded doubtful, but not really fearful.

“Good. Let’s see how it goes.”

“I guess.”

Kurt decided it was really nice to have his own shower, and not have a bunch of other people around. It seemed like a good idea to work everything out of his system before he went to bed, or else he didn’t think he’d be able to sleep.

He really did try to sleep, but it was hard to get comfortable. For one thing, the bed was too big and too cold. He added another blanket he found in the closet, but it wasn’t right. It wasn’t the same as body heat. He’d managed to sleep on his own most of his life, and at the pet store, he didn’t have to share a cage. On the other hand, the room was full of other people or animals. That had bad points as well as good, but at least there was someone there to comfort him if he had a nightmare, usually Miss Sue or Miss Shannon. Once a week they had others for the night shift, but Miss Holly was really strange, and Mr. Ken even stranger. Kurt was so glad he never had to go back there again. Adam would never send him back now, he was sure of it.

He tried the breathing exercise, and it calmed him down, but didn’t put him to sleep. He just knew if he were in Adam’s bed, with Adam’s warm body next to him, he’d fall asleep instantly. But he’d told Adam he would really try to sleep by himself, so he would.

An hour later, he was still wide awake. Maybe he could change? It was usually easier to fall asleep in cat form, for some reason. But he really wanted to show Adam that he could spend the entire night in his own bed, sleeping, without having to wake Adam by crawling into bed with him.

Kurt looked at the clock again and sighed. It was a whole minute later than the last time he’d looked, yay. Which meant he only had about six more hours to go before he could get up and pretend he’d actually slept. But somehow that didn’t seem like a good idea, either.

 

 

  
Adam wasn’t sure when he’d slept so poorly. He just couldn’t seem to get comfortable. Whenever he’d manage to drift off for a little while, he woke up soon after. He didn’t know what was wrong, he was just restless. After hours of tossing and turning, awake more often than asleep, he decided to check on Kurt. All he had to do was reassure himself that Kurt was sleeping peacefully, then he’d be able to rest, without worrying that Kurt wasn’t sleeping well. He was no doubt sound asleep, so Adam would just have to be careful not to wake him. He padded down the hallway as silently as possible, thankful for the socks he was still wearing to bed. He peeked around Kurt’s open door, and saw the covers were as tangled as his own. He heard a quiet sobbing, and his heart ached.   


“Kurt, darling, what’s the matter?”

He sat down on the bed and gathered Kurt up in his arms. He murmured shushing noises into Kurt’s hair, though he didn’t really expect him to actually stop crying.

“What are you doing here?” Kurt asked, though he threw his arms around Adam, clinging tightly to him. “You’re supposed to be asleep.” His voice was thick with tears, but Adam understood.

“So are you. I just wanted to be sure you’re alright, so I’m glad I checked.” Adam wiped some of the tears away with his thumb. “Now, please tell me, what’s the matter?”

Kurt sniffled, and tried to stop crying. “I was trying to sleep, I really was, but I couldn’t. I wanted to show you I could sleep by myself. But I can’t fall asleep. I tried everything I can think of to calm down. I thought you’d be upset if I didn’t sleep, and that was making it even harder to sleep.”

“Well, I’m here now, and I’m not upset with you. Do you feel a little better?”

“Lots better.” Kurt buried his face in Adam’s shoulder.

Adam sighed quietly, but had to admit, he felt much better, too, with Kurt in his arms.

“I couldn’t stay asleep, either. Something was missing, and I couldn’t figure out what.”

“Yeah,” Kurt mumbled.

Adam tried to extricate himself from Kurt’s grip, but it wasn’t easy, especially since Kurt seemed to see it as a rejection.

“No, please don’t go! I’ll be good, I promise!”

Adam kissed the soft hair and squeezed Kurt tighter for a moment.

“I’m not going anywhere, but I’m not going to sleep like this all night. Let me get under the covers so we can both get comfortable.”

Kurt moved aside enough for Adam to get into bed, then immediately pulled him close.

Adam didn’t even want to discourage him. “Let’s try to get sorted so we’re both comfortable enough to sleep. And if things get…awkward when we wake up, it’s simply nature’s way of telling us it’s time to wake up and start the day…with separate showers.”

“If you insist,” Kurt murmured, happily cuddling close and letting Adam move them both around till he was comfortable. When Adam asked if he could sleep like that, Kurt said of course he could. He’d managed to fall asleep in far more uncomfortable positions. Now that he was safe in Adam’s arms, and Adam was safe in his, he could finally fall asleep.


	18. Chapter 18

When Adam woke up, he realized two things:  He’d slept much later than normal, and he really didn’t want to get out of bed. The first wasn’t really a problem, but the second could get complicated. He spent a few minutes just watching Kurt sleep. He had to keep reminding himself to not brush Kurt’s bangs back with his hand, as it would only wake him. Kurt had gotten through the night without any nightmares, or turning into a cat, and he looked so peaceful now, Adam didn’t want to disturb him. 

After a few minutes, Kurt opened his eyes and stared at Adam, then slowly smiled. “Good morning.”

“Yes, a very good morning to you, too. Did you sleep as well as I did?”

Kurt considered it. “I must have. We need to sleep together every night.” 

He blushed so prettily, Adam couldn’t help but kiss him. “Maybe we should. Now come on, time to get up. I’m in need of a shower.”

That had more to do with that fact that Kurt was wriggling sensuously against him than any matters of hygiene.

“And stop doing that.”

“Doing what?” 

Kurt looked so genuinely puzzled, Adam figured he wasn’t even aware what he was doing. Just great.

“Moving your body like that.”

“Like what? Oh.”

Adam had no idea Kurt’s face could turn such a dark shade of red. “Come on, get up.”

It took a lot of awkward maneuvering to get them both out of bed, on opposite sides. Kurt rushed into his bathroom, so Adam was able to enjoy the view from behind.

“Alright, Adam old chap, what are you going to do about it?” He sighed, not having an answer for himself. He could no longer pretend he wasn’t attracted to Kurt. Not that he’d done a very good job of convincing himself, but it seemed like he owed it to Kurt to not treat him the way someone else might have. He wanted to treat him with respect, not just lust after him like Kurt was only there for his personal pleasure…

He stayed in the shower for a long time.

 

 

  
  
Adam thought it was time to lighten things up a bit. He’d had to be serious with Kurt, while they were working out their relationship, but it wasn’t really in his nature to be so solemn all the time. He liked to have a good time, and he really wanted to know what Kurt was like when he wasn’t so worried about saying or doing the wrong thing. He wished he’d met him years ago, before the government got their hands on him. He’d have been too young for Adam to have any interest in him sexually, but he had a feeling he would have liked Kurt as a friend in any event. But since there was no way to go back and undo the past, they’d just have to start where they were, and work forward from there.  
They were just finishing up breakfast, listening to the radio in lieu of accidentally getting into a stressful conversation. Adam felt there had been quite enough of those already.  


“Let’s do something really fun today!”

“Like what?” Kurt asked, looking up from his eggs.

“I dunno, something wild! Let’s think of something.”

Kurt looked puzzled at first, then grinned broadly. “We could bake cookies!”

Adam paused, holding his toast in the air as he asked, “Cookies?”

“Yeah! We can try something really cool, like…chocolate chip cookies stuffed with Oreos!”

“Wait – how does that work, exactly?”

“You just put the Oreos in with the batter, and cover the Oreo with the dough, then bake them.”

“Hm. That’s…interesting. Have you ever tried to make them like that?”

“No, but I’m sure it would work!”

Adam considered for a moment. “It’s certainly wild, as far as cookies are concerned. But we don’t have any Oreos.”

“We could maybe get some?” 

Kurt looked so enthusiastic, Adam didn’t have the heart to ruin his fun. “Okay, it will be a start. Hey, if they come out well, we can serve them at the party.”

Kurt looked pensive. “Adam, the party is tomorrow, right? It’s not much time to get things ready.”

“Well, it’s not exactly a party, more a group of friends getting together to have a good meal and sing for a while. It really won’t take that long to get ready. Nancy will be coming this afternoon to clean, so we’ll just have to try to keep things clean till the party starts. While she’s doing that, you can help me set the table – well, tables -- with plates, glasses, silverware, all that stuff.”

“Do you have enough for that many people?”

“Yeah. Sometimes we just use paper plates and disposable stuff, but I like to use actual dishes. They don’t all match, but I’ve picked up things here and there, mostly at thrift stores.”

Kurt seemed relieved. “So it’s not all that formal, not really fancy?”

Adam considered it. “No, not really. I mean, you don’t have to dress up. We all just wear whatever we feel like wearing.”

Kurt’s eyes widened. “But I need to make a good first impression! I mean, I don’t want anybody to get upset, or offended that I’m there or anything.”

“Kurt, darling, they won’t.” Adam reached across the table and took his hand, and looked into his eyes. “I promise, I won’t put you in a situation where any guests are going to make you feel uncomfortable. This is your home now, they’re my guests, and yours. Anything you want to wear is fine. All I’m going to suggest is that you wear something comfortable you can relax in, so you’re not worrying all night about spilling anything on your clothes. You want to be able to sing and dance and move around freely.”

He withdrew his hand, so he could finish his breakfast.

Kurt was nodding. “Okay, I think I get it.”

“So you might want to reconsider those skin-tight jeans. I don’t know how you can even move in them. I also don’t want to tempt anybody else to try to steal you from me.”

“They can’t do that!” Kurt protested indignantly. “It’s illegal, unless you decided to sell me to someone.” 

He looked so distressed at the thought, Adam hastened to reassure him.

“Well, no, legally they can’t, and I’d never sell you, to anyone! But I don’t want anyone lusting after you and being annoyed that you’re not available. Hm, that’s not coming out right. You’re gorgeous, so some of the girls, and guys, will no doubt want you. So it might be kinder to…not tone down your appeal, because that’s not possible, but just don’t – don’t make yourself irresistible.”

Kurt’s eyes glinted in amusement as he answered, “I get it. You want me to make myself resistible.”

“Exactly!” Adam grinned in delight. “Erm, wait. What I mean is, for instance, that black shirt and the gold pants you were wearing when I first saw you, dear God, don’t wear that outfit. It simply won’t be fair.”

Kurt’s fair skin tone gave away his embarrassment again. “I wasn’t planning on wearing those pants. Will you help me find something?”

Adam shrugged. “Sure, if you want, but I thought you were the fashion expert.”

Kurt hesitated. “I know, but it’s a lot more strangers than I’m used to being around. I don’t want to embarrass you by wearing the wrong thing.”

“If you want. I haven’t decided what I’m wearing, yet, either.”

Kurt bit his lip, then finally spoke up. “I don’t want anybody taking you away from me, either.”

“What do you mean?” Adam wondered if he thought that somehow the government, or the pet store, would try to nullify their contract.

“I mean, it’s none of my business, because I know I have no say in who you want, or what you do, or who you do, or any of that –“

“Kurt –“

“But you’re such a wonderful man, I’m sure some day you’ll find someone you really want to be with, and maybe it might even be one of your friends, I mean, aren’t they all in love with you?”

Adam laughed heartily at that notion, until he realized Kurt was quite serious, and getting distressed.

“No, darling, don’t worry about that. If any of them wanted me, they’ve had their chance for a few years now, but none of the Apples has ever expressed any interest in me. Or me in them, for that matter. And I’m not sure why you think I’ll eventually find someone else I want to be with, other than you. I’m not looking for anyone else, Kurt, believe me.”

“But I’m just, like, temporary, right, until you find someone?” Kurt looked both anxious and resigned at the thought.

“Sweetheart, no! What makes you think that?”

Kurt was biting his lip so hard Adam was afraid he was going to draw blood.

“Well, that’s the way things usually work with hybrids. Sometimes people buy us for their teenagers, for a first-time sexual experience or relationship they can completely control, that’s not quite as embarrassing as sending them to a prostitute, you know.”

“No, Kurt, I did not know that. Why would you think I’d want that?”

Oh, wonderful, now he’d done it. Kurt looked nervous again.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply I thought you were a virgin or anything, or that you couldn’t find someone on your own. It’s just that, well, I don’t understand why you haven’t found anybody yet, why you settled for a pet, for me, when you could have your pick of just about anybody. So I thought maybe there was some specific reason why you were looking for a hybrid, and settled for me, though I still don’t know why you wanted me instead of Blaine, or Sam, or Finn…well, Finn isn’t gay, and he and Blaine are dogs, and it seemed like you really wanted a cat, but still –“

“Kurt! Take a breath, please.” Adam tried to think of the best approach to take. “I want you to listen to me carefully. I had no idea you were still this insecure, or I suppose I’d have handled things a little differently. It didn’t occur to me to tell you all the reasons I adopted you, I suppose partly because I’m not that clear on them myself. But I owe it to you to make sure you understand that this isn’t some casual fling, or me wanting complete control over someone, or guilt-free sex, or whatever else you might be thinking.”

“Then what is it?”

“I think I told you when I first met you, I was looking for a companion. And that’s true, at least that’s part of it. I have friends, not only the Apples, but other people I’ve met since I moved here. But there are parts of me that are hard to share with other people. Most of my friends know I want to sing, and act, and some know I want to write. I would say writing is the dearest thing to my heart, that’s the best way to express myself. But it’s not so easy to share with someone else.

“Let me give you an example. If I have a part in a play, anyone can come and see me in the play, and some might talk to me afterwards and tell me what they think, or there might be reviews in a newspaper or online. If I sing, odds are good the audience will know the song, and will let me know if I’ve sung it well. Even if it’s an original composition, it’s easy enough to find places to sing in public, if I’m willing to put myself out there for ridicule. Are you following this?”

Kurt nodded. “I think so.”

“Good. I can get feedback from the other Apples, if they’re around, or possibly someone in the audience, or if I were to sing on a street corner, people might throw coins or dollar bills, or make a comment or two. I might even get some positive feedback. But writing, Kurt, is an entirely different thing. I’ve written short stories, and even a couple of novels, but I honestly don’t think I can get them published anywhere. It’s not like I’ve really tried, but I’m hesitant to just send them out there. I put so much of myself into my writing, it’s hard to take the chance that someone will be harshly critical. I can take some criticism, if it’s constructive, but people just trying to be hurtful, that’s a different thing entirely. 

“I’ve tried to get some of my friends to read my stories, and the novels, but they’re reluctant to do so, and it’s even harder to find out why. Maybe they’re afraid my writing will be terrible, and they don’t want to have to lie, I don’t really know. But the point is, nobody wants to read what I’ve written. What if I try to get something published, and nobody really wants to read it? Or if it sells well, but I don’t really get much reaction, I won’t know if it’s because they don’t like it, or they like it well enough, but not enough to let me know, that sort of thing. But really, it’s kind of discouraging, if even my closest friends don’t want to read my writing.

“I do it for myself, because I have these stories I want to tell, and people have told me I’m a good storyteller. But at least that way, you get some reaction from whoever you’re talking to; they laugh, or give you some sort of indication whether or not they like it. But trying to get someone to read a story, and give me feedback, is like pulling teeth. Nobody wants to put themselves through it.”

“What about just doing a website, and posting your writing there?” Kurt suggested.

Adam started pacing the room, breakfast forgotten. “I could do that, I suppose. But if I did, then I wouldn’t likely be able to get it published by a professional publisher. There are some sites where you can pay them to publish your writing, and some places you can even try to get some exposure, even if you don’t get paid. But that’s not really what I want.

“And I know it sounds strange, but I’m not just looking for someone to read my writing.”

“Wait, that’s what you wanted me for? Or a hybrid pet in general? Is that why you asked me if I could read? I’m sorry I’m not better at that, I promise I’ll try to get better –“

Adam patted Kurt on the shoulder and continued his pacing. “That’s alright, that wasn’t exactly that I was thinking of. I don’t mind that you don’t read that well yet. I suppose I could always read the stories aloud to you –“

“I’d like that, I really do want to hear them,” Kurt interjected. 

He looked very sincere, so Adam didn’t doubt him.

“That’s sweet of you, and maybe we’ll do that sometime. That was one reason, I did want to find someone who would hopefully like my writing. But it’s not like you can just make that a requirement from a pet.” Adam paused, and thought about it some more. “Well, I suppose you could, but who wants that kind of forced reaction? I guess I was thinking partly of a companion to do things with, to go places with, to keep me company, someone to share my life with. That’s why I wanted a hybrid, rather than a regular cat or dog, to have that human component, but I was hoping it would be a mutual thing. That we would both want to spend time together, I mean.”

Kurt was nodding as he listened. “But you got that with me! I mean, I don’t exactly know why you picked me instead of any of the others – I mean, I get that you don’t like girls, at least romantically, but there were plenty of other male hybrids.”

“You’re the only one I wanted, Kurt. There was something about you, something vulnerable that made me want to protect you, yet at the same time, I loved your independent attitude as a cat. And I was amazed by your brilliant singing. I thought you were very attractive, and I was willing to take the chance that getting to know you would be worth all the complications, the difficulty, of owning another person. I still feel really weird about that.”

“Adam, don’t feel bad. It must be strange for you, but I always knew someone would buy me, would own me, someday. That’s just the way things work. I’d have stayed with my dad if I could, but I knew pretty early on that wasn’t going to happen. I didn’t like any of the other people who seemed interested in me, but you seemed different. You were nice to me, it seemed like you cared, you’re good-looking, you smell nice, you’re funny, and it just felt right when I jumped up on your lap and you let me stay, instead of pushing me off. You talked to me like I mattered, and nobody ever did that before. You didn’t just choose me, Adam, I chose you. And I hope – I think – we both made the right choice.”

Adam took a deep breath, and smiled at his wonderful, thoughtful, amazing Kurt.

“Thank you for choosing me, Kurt, for taking the chance on me. I do think we both made the right choice.”

“But I still want to know why you don’t already have a boyfriend, and what’s going to happen to me when you do find one.”

Every time he thought he was making progress, it seemed like Kurt took a step backwards, away from him.

“Let’s go somewhere more comfortable to talk. Do you want to sit on the sofa with me, while I try to make things a little more clear?”

“Sure.” Kurt surveyed the kitchen table, which still held the remains of their breakfast. “Let me just clean up a little…”

“No, we’ll do that later. Did you have enough to eat?”

“Uh-huh. But you didn’t finish your breakfast.”

“It doesn’t matter, I had enough. Let’s take care of that later. I want to explain things some more, then maybe we can go to the grocery store and get some Oreos, and whatever else we might need. I know I’ve got chocolate chips here, and I think everything else for the cookies.”

“Okay, if you want me to go to the store with you, I’d like that.”

Adam took Kurt’s hand and led him into the living room. They settled on the couch together, each sitting at one end, facing each other. Their shoes were on the floor, and Adam trapped Kurt’s socked feet between his own, as he searched for the right words.

“I thought, when I first came out here, it would be pretty easy to make friends, and to find a boyfriend. I had to be very careful in England, because I didn’t want my parents to know, at first, that I was gay. I didn’t really find anyone who seemed suitable, that I could trust not to tell anyone. So I had a couple of crushes, but couldn’t let on. And of course, they were straight, so I knew it wouldn’t do me any good. The only gay boys I knew around my age were terrible gossips, and I couldn’t trust them to be discreet. Plus, even though I knew them, it doesn’t mean I was attracted to them. So I thought, when I applied and auditioned, and was accepted at NYADA, here would be my big chance to meet lots of gay guys, who would be out of the closet.”

He was quiet for a moment, thinking back on his younger, more naïve self.

“It didn’t work out that way?” Kurt suggested. “Why not?”

“Well, for one thing, I had all these classes, and I really had to do well. I couldn’t just focus on singing and acting, I had to take dance classes, and stagecraft, and fencing, all sorts of things, and it took a lot of my time. Some I enjoyed, some I didn’t, but it’s all part of the overall field of entertainment. I couldn’t slack off in Cassandra July’s dance class, just because I didn’t want to be a professional dancer. It was a skill that could come in handy, even if I’m hired, in theory, as an actor. Plus, Miss July is an absolute harridan, and if she doesn’t like you, she’s merciless in her criticism and public humiliation. She’s not much better if she does like you, to tell the truth.”

Kurt grinned, and Adam hoped he wouldn’t be bored to hear his rambling thoughts.

“I heard interesting rumors about some of the older students, and which ones had reputations. Which ones to avoid, or which ones to seek out, if you just wanted to have a good time for one night. But that wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted a boyfriend, someone I could be seen with in public. Someone I could hold hands with, or hug, or even kiss, without being insulted or threatened. I dated a couple different guys, but they didn’t want a relationship so much as convenient sex. 

“Then I met this older student, who was really cute, a fantastic singer, and he seemed to like me a lot, too. I knew he’d just broken up with his boyfriend, and was really upset, ‘cause the guy had cheated on him. We went out for about six months, and things were getting pretty serious, or so I thought. Then, he goes home at spring break, and gets back together with his ex. In fact, he dropped out of NYADA, and was able to get into the same school as his ex. It fair broke my heart, but he didn’t seem that upset about it. It really made me question my judgment, and whether I’m really capable to telling when someone’s in love with me, and when they just think they are.”

He stopped, afraid he’d maybe said too much.

Too late, Kurt had picked up on it. “Is that why you’re afraid to let yourself really love me?”

“Maybe?” Adam wasn’t really sure if that was the only reason, but it was certainly one reason.

“That’s silly,” Kurt pointed out. “I don’t have an ex-boyfriend, and even if I did, I know I love you. I’m not going to change my mind, you know, and decide I’m not in love with you after all. You’re pretty much stuck with me.” He paused. “Or is that the problem? Are you afraid you’ll meet someone else, fall in love with them, and be stuck with me?”

“No, no, that’s not going to happen. I thought about that already, and realized you’re more important to me than any potential boyfriend I might meet in the future.”

“Really?” Kurt seemed both relieved and delighted at the news.

“Yes, really. It wouldn’t work, for me to have you as a pet and someone else as a boyfriend, because you would always come first with me. Um, I would always put your needs first, and that’s not likely to go over well with someone else. Which means, there won’t be anyone else.”

Kurt was grinning from ear to ear. In fact, his teeth were showing, instead of him trying to hide them.

“So you’re not going to give me away or sell me, if you get a boyfriend? ‘Cause you’re not going to get a boyfriend?”

“Right, there will be no boyfriend, other than you. I’m afraid we’re both stuck with each other.” Adam grinned to take any perceived sting out of his words.

Kurt threw himself at Adam, covering his face with kisses. Adam had been half-way expecting it, though, so he simply held onto Kurt and hugged him tightly, and returned his kisses, with interest.


	19. Chapter 19

After a few minutes, Adam had to call a halt to their impromptu make-out session. For one thing, Kurt had progressed from open-mouthed kisses all over Adam’s face, to actually licking his face, and he wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about that. For another, Kurt was getting entirely too excited, and Adam wasn’t sure he had the inner fortitude to control both of them.

“Kurt, stop, for now, please.”

Kurt let out a heartfelt whimper, but stopped licking Adam’s jawline.

Adam was embarrassed to realize he had one hand on Kurt’s ass, holding him in place, while the other was higher on his back. He couldn’t resist, but squeezed only once, then moved his hand higher.

Kurt squeaked adorably, more in surprise than indignation, it seemed.

“Okay, enough of that. Enjoyable as it’s been, we need to cool down.”

Kurt pouted, but didn’t protest.

“Can we do that again sometime? That was fun!”

“That is an understatement, and yes, of course we can do that, and more, but for now, you need to get up off me.”

Kurt reluctantly slid off Adam and onto the floor. He made himself comfortable, looking up at Adam and blinking sleepily.

“Oh, God.” Adam put his face in both hands as he contemplated the safest course of action. “We need to get to the store, remember? Nancy’s coming at 1:00, so I wanted to get back to let her in, and we need to fix some lunch. Do you want to go with me, or take a quick nap while I’m gone?”

Kurt thought about it, but didn’t seem too distressed at having to make a choice. “I want to go with you, but I’m tired.”

“Maybe next time, then. Do you want to take a nap here on the couch?”

“No!” Now Kurt seemed more awake. “I’ve got to wait for you at the door.”

Adam petted Kurt’s short hair, winding the strands around his finger. “You don’t have to do anything. If you really want to wait, of course you can, but I promise, I’ll be careful, and I’ll be right back.”

“I can sleep on the floor by the door,” Kurt suggested.

Adam shook his head. “If you really want to, but it might be more comfortable to bring a chair over and sleep in the chair. Just don’t sleep against the door. I need to be able to get in when I get home.”

“Okay.” Kurt yawned. “You can go ahead, and I’ll be waiting when you get back.”

“Fine.” Adam kissed Kurt on the forehead, so as not to start something he would soon have to stop. “I’ll be back soon. I’m taking my phone with me.”

Kurt nodded, but Adam could see he was half asleep already. He didn’t want to upset Kurt, or take away any routines that gave him comfort, but he really didn’t like the idea of Kurt sleeping on the floor, even if it was carpeted. Then he recalled that the cages at the pet store had only a very thin mat between the hybrids and the floor, so he supposed this was a slight improvement. But damn it, Kurt deserved better!

“Be right back. Is there anything else you can think of you want from the store?”

“Some catnip would be nice.”

“I didn’t hear that.” From what Adam had heard, it was an aphrodisiac for kitties.

“I said, some catnip would be nice,” Kurt repeated, louder.

Adam rolled his eyes. “If they have some at the store, I’ll pick some up.” He intended to avoid the pet aisle, so that should let him off the hook without making a liar out of him. But hadn’t he promised Kurt some toys? Damn it!

“I love you. ‘Bye,” Kurt called out sleepily, resting his upper body against the sofa.

“Love you too! See you soon.” As he walked out the door, Adam realized the words were true. He still might not be entirely in love with Kurt, mainly because he was resisting it like mad, but he definitely did love him.

 

 

  
Adam kept the short list in his head; there weren’t enough items to write down. He put a few things in the basket, then went looking for the Oreos. Since they were on sale, and Kurt apparently liked them, he bought two packages. The last aisle he went to was the pet aisle. He didn’t see any of the little catnip plants that came in the little planter boxes at the pet store, so he didn’t need to feel guilty. He debated whether he should bring Kurt to another pet store and let him pick out his own toys, then compromised by deciding to just get him one toy for now, and hoping he guessed correctly.   


There wasn’t a huge selection, but he did find a soft toy mouse, about the length of his finger, that had a little bit of weight to it. He supposed if Kurt didn’t like it, he simply wouldn’t play with it, but hopefully he wouldn’t be insulted. Against his better judgment, he checked the labels on all the toys, and none of them claimed to contain catnip. There were a couple that had hidden compartments where one could add catnip, but since they didn’t provide it, he didn’t think it would be necessary to buy them.

He did pick up a few more cans of Hybrid Chow, and decided that was enough until they went to an actual pet store.

He picked the line for 10 items or less, but still had to wait behind several other people. He glanced through the last-minute items on the shelves, seeing mostly candy and gum, but decided Kurt didn’t need any more candy at the moment. He didn’t see anything else that Kurt couldn’t do without.

Because he was thinking about Kurt, rather than paying a lot of attention to what else was around him, he jumped a bit when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

“Well, if it isn’t Adam Crawford! I haven’t seen you in a couple of years.”

Adam was trying to figure out if he could get away with pretending he didn’t hear the other man, or pretending he was mistaken, and just bore a slight resemblance to this ‘Adam Crawford’ fellow.

“Don’t play coy with me, Adam, we have some unfinished business.”

Now people were starting to look at them.

Adam sighed quietly, then turned and smiled slightly at the man standing behind him. It seemed he was only at the store for a couple of bottles of wine.

“Hello, Sebastian.”

“So you do remember me after all! I’d be flattered, but then nobody ever forgets this face.”

Adam sincerely wished he could forget. He hadn’t been stupid enough to have sex with Sebastian Smythe, but it wasn’t for lack of trying on the other man’s part.

“We’ll have to get caught up sometime,” he lied, hoping to never see him again, “but I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

The line moved glacially, considering how few items the people ahead of him had. He wondered if he could get away with leaving everything here, and going to the next nearest store, about five blocks away. No, that would cut things too close.

“Yes, I see. Are you turning into a crazy cat lady, Adam? Oh, wait, that’s Hybrid Chow, well, I guess that’s not quite so bad, then.”

“So glad you approve,” Adam murmured, wishing the line would hurry the hell up.

“Well, at least with a hybrid you get sex in exchange for taking care of them. I have no use at all for cats myself, of any variety, but we had a dog hybrid when I was growing up, and when I was 13, my dad decided Thomas would be a good introduction to sex for me, since he couldn’t convince me to shag any of the servant girls.”

Adam sincerely wished a hole would open up in the store and swallow him, or better yet, that Sebastian would walk into it. Now they were not only getting looks, but sneers and a few muttered curses. One woman had her hands over her child’s ears, probably too late to keep the girl from hearing things she really shouldn’t.

The ding of the cash register let Adam know he was almost free, and he barely let the woman ahead of him collect her change before getting his wallet out. 

Sebastian didn’t seem to be deterred, he just raised his voice a bit, in case Adam couldn’t hear him, two feet away. “It wasn’t too bad, you know, because they train them pretty well, so they know what they’re doing. Still, I’m sure you’d agree that people are better at sex. Or – maybe you don’t know? Maybe that’s why you’ve got a hybrid, at your age, because you can’t find anyone human who wants you. You had your chance, you know –“

Adam barely restrained himself from following his natural instincts, but he didn’t want to be arrested. It would be too upsetting for Kurt. He collected his change and the bag of groceries, and walked out, biting his lip so he wouldn’t be tempted to answer Sebastian.

Unfortunately for him, though he was walking rapidly, it only took a few moments for the other man to pay for his wine, so he was soon hot on Adam’s heels.

“Wait up, old chum, maybe I took things too far. You used to have a better sense of humor in school.”

Adam realized that even if Sebastian had a car nearby, he wasn’t likely to get in it and leave him now, he was determined to say whatever it was that was so bloody important. He stopped and turned to face his former tormenter.

“Go on, Sebastard, spit it out. What’s so important that you need to disrupt my day?”

“Oh, clever. Surely you can do better than that?”

“I don’t have all day. If that’s all you have to say, I have things to do.”

“Like fuck your cat hybrid? It can’t be _that_ good. I might be willing to give you another chance, just to show you what you’re missing.”

Adam grinned at that. “Oh, trust me, he’s _so_ much better than you, at everything, I would imagine. And thank you, I really don’t think I’m missing anything. I don’t want anything half of NYADA already had, anyway.”

“Aw, come on, Adam! We never got to resolve that unfortunate incident that was so blatantly rigged. If you hadn’t had your entire barrel of Apples in the room, you’d never have won Midnight Madness.”

“So that’s what’s gotten your knickers in a twist, hm? You never had a chance to even the score? That’s such a shame. If you hadn’t gotten thrown out of the school for cheating on that exam, you might have had a chance the following year.”

“You’re just jealous because I refused to join that ridiculous group of yours. Don’t you care that the lot of you were the laughingstocks of the school?”

Adam shrugged. “I may have been, until I won Midnight Madness. I actually got a bit more respect after that. Besides, there’ll be no more Midnight Madness challenges for either of us, so why don’t you just let it go?”

Sebastian didn’t seem mollified by this bit of logic. “Well, there’s still Callbacks. We can meet there, perhaps tomorrow night, and see who gets the most applause.”

“Sorry, I have plans. In fact, I have plans for the next…oh, rest of my life. I’m sorry, you’ll just have to accept defeat.”

Sebastian started to answer, but his phone rang. He pulled it out and glared at it so hard, Adam wondered if he’d somehow accidentally pocket-dialled that number.

“We’re not finished!” he muttered to Adam, then answered the call. “Yes, Father, I’m – I’ll be right – just another five minutes and –“

Adam took the opportunity to take a shortcut through a store. The back door was only half a block from his apartment building, and with luck, he could get there before Sebastian caught up. He was pretty certain the other man didn’t know where he lived, and he was unlisted in the telephone directory. He was very glad Kurt had decided to stay home. There’s no telling how he’d have reacted to Sebastian’s insinuations, but it wouldn’t have been pretty. On the other hand, maybe some scratches to his face would be an improvement.

By the time he got home, he’d been gone over half an hour, and he knew Kurt would be worried. Sure enough, the first words out of Kurt’s mouth were, “Where were you?” Followed quickly by, “What happened? Are you okay?”

Adam managed to smile, though he doubted it reached his eyes. “I’m fine. I’m sorry I’m late, but I ran into an old…acquaintance at the store, and I couldn’t get away from him fast enough. I tried, but he was determined to talk my ear off.”

Kurt had apparently been sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. His hair was mussed, like he’d been running his hands through it, so Adam knew he was really worried.

“Did you get a chance to nap at all?”

“No, not really. I’ll be okay, I can sleep later on, after we have lunch and get the table set and all that.”

“Don’t worry about that. Come on, let’s get lunch, then you can take your nap, and if I need any help setting the tables, Nancy can do that.”

He started to put the groceries away, and hesitated when he saw the mouse. Now he felt a little foolish about it. “Um, Kurt, I hope you’ll – look, I saw this, and thought you might like it. They didn’t have any catnip, but I got you this. If you don’t want it, don’t worry about it, we’ll go to the pet store later and get you some more things you do want, but –“

“Adam, breathe!” Kurt ordered.

Adam did as instructed, mildly concerned to find out how turned on he was by Kurt’s voice. But he could worry about that later.

“What did you get me?” Kurt asked eagerly, sounding a lot more like the young man Adam had been getting to know all this time.

He reluctantly handed over the hot-pink dyed toy mouse. He’d thought it would be easy to see on any surface in the house, and suspected it might end up in all sorts of odd spots. Mostly likely under the refrigerator or sofa, if Kurt were anything like Misty when he played. The thought made him smile.

Kurt laughed when he saw the mouse, and looked it over carefully, gently stroking the fur with one finger, and lightly tugging on the long felt tail. “I love it! This will be great. Thank you!” He kissed Adam on the cheek, and set the mouse on the counter, in a corner. “You can find it there later and give it to me when I’m looking for something to do.”

Adam agreed that he would indeed be able to see the toy on the white counter; in fact, it was such an aggressively bright shade of fuschia, he might even be able to see it in a dark room.

“Let’s get these groceries put away, then we’ll have lunch. Do you have any idea what you want?”

“Mm, I dunno. Maybe tuna sandwiches?”

Adam looked carefully at Kurt’s face (not a hardship) and concluded he was perfectly serious.

“If you’d like. Do you want mayonnaise, or anything else mixed in?”

“Mom used to make it with mayonnaise, a little bit of mustard, and diced dill pickles and onions, but I’ve never been able to get the amounts quite right.”

“Well, practice makes perfect. Luckily, we have all those things. Why don’t you start making the sandwiches, and I’ll finish up here.”

“How do you want yours?”

Adam shrugged. “Just make it the same as yours, that sounds good.” He looked at the clock, and saw they’d have just about enough time to eat and clean up the kitchen before Nancy got there. A tiny voice in his mind told him it was silly to clean up the kitchen when the cleaning woman was about to arrive, but the more rational side of him felt she’d have quite enough to do as it was, without the added annoyance of cleaning up after their breakfast and lunch. He realized Kurt saw the breakfast dishes at the same time he did, as he gasped and ran over to the table, immediately collecting everything to take it over to the sink.

“Sorry, I forgot about that,” Adam said. “Don’t worry about doing them now, let’s eat first, and we can do all the dishes at once.”

“I’m sorry, I could have washed these and cleaned everything while you were gone, but I forgot, and I wanted to wait for you, and –“

“Kurt, it’s alright. Please, you don’t need to apologize. I didn’t remember either, and you can’t be two places at once. It’s fine.”

Kurt breathed more deeply, and Adam nodded, thinking, _crisis averted_. 

Adam told Kurt, quite truthfully, that the tuna sandwiches were the best he’d ever eaten. Kurt shrugged, and said they were pretty good, but not quite right. “There must have been something else Mom put in there, that I just didn’t know about.”

“Ah, perhaps the special ingredient was love.”

“What?” Kurt blinked.

“Love. Haven’t you noticed, that food prepared by someone who loves you, always tastes better than if you’d fixed the exact same thing yourself?”

“Oh! Maybe that’s it.”

“So I’ll bet my sandwich tasted better than yours, simply because you made it for me.”

“But I wasn’t thinking about making it with love,” Kurt fretted, “I was thinking about making it right!”

“It doesn’t matter, you still intended for me to enjoy it, so it still counts.”

“I guess so. How come you’re always so smart about things like this?”

Adam shrugged. “I honestly don’t know, but I do know Nancy will be here any minute. I’d like you to meet her, so that hopefully you’ll be comfortable around her, but if you’d like to go to your room and nap while she’s working, that will be fine.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“No, darling, not at all. In fact –“

The phone rang, alerting him that Nancy was waiting in the lobby. He pressed the combination that would open the door for her. “I’ll be back in just a minute. I need to meet Nancy downstairs, so I can bring her up in the elevator. Otherwise she won’t be able to get up to this floor.”

“Okay. I’ll be here.”

Adam hesitated, but thought it would be kinder to say something. “You might want to run a comb through your hair before Nancy gets here.”

Kurt gasped and gingerly touched his hair. He yelped, and ran for his room. Adam chuckled, but felt a bit guilty for laughing at him. But he couldn’t help it, Kurt was so darned cute sometimes, especially when he didn’t know it.


	20. Chapter 20

Kurt combed his hair and checked his appearance in the mirror.  He looked okay, he decided.  He still didn’t know what he was going to wear to the party, and that worried him.  Hopefully Adam would be willing to help him decide on something to wear, so he wouldn’t have to worry about it the next day.

He hurried back to his post at the front door, and sat in the chair there, waiting for Adam and his guest.  No, his housekeeper.  Not quite the same thing, technically, but he still wanted to make a good impression.  It was so important that anyone in Adam’s life like him as well, so they didn’t try to talk Adam into getting rid of him.  That was another reason he had to look good tomorrow.  Not that it seemed likely to happen in this case, but he’d heard of it happening to other hybrids.  A family member or close friend would object to the presence of the hybrid, and soon the hybrid was gone, either replaced by a more acceptable one who didn’t cause problems, or offend by their very existence, or sometimes replaced with a human instead.  Kurt was glad Adam had taken the time to explain he wouldn’t be replaced by a human, but still…that’s what he was saying now.  He’d had Kurt less than a week, and they hadn’t even had sex yet.  What if he decided Kurt wasn’t good enough, didn’t know enough, or wasn’t quite what he was expecting?

He started breathing faster as his mind took over.  He needed something else to focus on, something to think about… He thought of something that would be comforting.  But did he have time to get it before Adam came back?  What if he walked in the door and Kurt wasn’t right there waiting for him?  How upset would he be?  In fact, would Adam even show up?  Now he realized something else.  He desperately needed to pee.  Why the hell hadn’t he thought of it while he was in his bathroom?  Was there time to go before Adam got back?  What if there wasn’t?  Wouldn’t it be worse to not be able to hold it?  No, that was silly, he could hold it for hours, if necessary, he’d proven that a number of times, but still, the more he thought about it, the more he had to go.

With one more anxious look at the door, Kurt ran as fast as he could to his bathroom, emptied his bladder, and was almost out the door again before he remembered Miss Emma’s admonition to always wash his hands.  Maybe this one time – no.  He whined, not sure which was more important, then washed his hands as quickly as he could, and ran back to the front door.  He had barely sat his butt down on the seat again when he heard the key in the lock.

Safe!  He was safe, he’d made it back, which meant Adam would be okay.  How could he have possibly taken a risk that something might happen to Adam, because he wasn’t there waiting, just because he had to –

“—glad you’ll be available Monday, to clean up after, because --  Oh, Kurt!”

Kurt blinked, and tried to smile, though he was afraid it probably came out rather twisted.

“H-h-hi, Adam.”

Adam’s forehead crinkled, and he looked like he was going to ask a question, then his face smoothed out.  He stepped aside to let someone else in.  Oh, right, the housekeeper!  He kept the door open.

“Nancy, this is Kurt, my, um, pet I told you about.  Kurt, this is Nancy, my – our housekeeper.”

A short, red-haired young woman with freckles and green eyes smiled at him.  “Hello, Kurt!”

“H-h-h-h-hello,” he stammered.  Why had Adam introduced him as his pet, not his boyfriend?  Well, what should he expect, that’s really what he was.  Adam could call him whatever he wanted, but in reality, Kurt was only his pet, and nothing was going to change that.

He noticed something very odd.  Nancy was holding her hand out to him.  Did she want him to shake hands?  Or should he kiss it?  Or what?  He looked up at Adam in confusion.

Adam mimed shaking hands, so Kurt sighed in relief.  He was very glad he’d decided to wash his hands after all.  He took Nancy’s hand in his and gently, but firmly, shook it twice, before pulling it back.

She looked only a little puzzled before she smiled.  “It’s so nice to meet you, Kurt.”

“N-n-n-nice to m-m-meet you, too,” he whispered, looking down at his feet.

Adam cleared his throat.  “Let me take your coat, Nancy.”  He helped her take off her heavy coat, and she went back into the hall.  Kurt was torn between watching Adam hanging up the coat, and looking to see what Nancy was doing.  She returned with a vacuum cleaner.  Adam took it from her and helped her bring the other things in.  Kurt wondered if he should help them, or continue to stay there until Adam told him otherwise.

They brought in a mop, broom, bucket, and some other things, too many for Kurt to keep track of.  How had she managed to get all those things there, even if she had a car?  She must be stronger than she looked.

“If you want to go ahead and get started here in the living room, Kurt and I have some things to finish up in the kitchen,” Adam announced.

Kurt opened his mouth, about to remind Adam that they’d already cleaned up all the dishes, but Adam was looking very serious, maybe a little angry?  Kurt sighed, wishing he wasn’t such a disappointment to everyone.  He followed Adam into the kitchen, dragging his feet.  He was surprised when Adam pulled the door closed; he’d never noticed before that there was a sliding door to the kitchen.

“Alright, Kurt, do you want to tell me what that was about?”

Adam did look annoyed, he decided, but maybe concerned, as well.  He’d spent a good deal of his life, especially the last five years, interpreting other people’s expressions, so he could adapt himself accordingly.

“Um, what do you mean?”  He tried his most innocent look, but Adam didn’t seem to be buying it.

Then Adam’s expression cleared.  “What’s the matter, Kurt?  I haven’t seen you like this since I brought you home.  Can you tell me what’s going on, why you’re so anxious?”

“I – I – I –“  Kurt was breathing too fast again, he knew it.  He closed his eyes and tried to calm down.  He felt the weight of Adam’s hand on his shoulder, and he sighed, and relaxed as much as he could.

“Come on, darling, sit down.  Take a few deep breaths.  Whatever is going on, I only want to help you.  I’m not angry, I just don’t know why you’re acting like this.”

Kurt nodded, listening more to the tone of voice than the words.  Sometimes they didn’t match, with some people, and in that case, it was usually better to listen to the voice itself than what the words were saying.  He decided Adam was concerned, more than angry.

Adam continued talking, and sat down near Kurt.  “You were fine when I left to get Nancy, and less than five minutes later you were nervous, and scared, and I wanted to know why.  Can you tell me?”

“No,” Kurt answered automatically, then stopped to consider.  “I’m not sure,” he amended.

“Okay, let’s play 20 questions, then.”

Kurt didn’t understand why Adam wanted to play a game now, but – oh, right, that meant Adam was going to ask him some questions, and he was supposed to answer.  If he understood the rules to this game.

“Was it because I left you alone?”

Kurt shook his head.  Or did Adam need a verbal answer?  “No.”

“Well, that’s twice in one day, in a very short amount of time, that I went out without you, and I was wondering if that might have upset you.”

“No, that’s not it.”  But was that part of it?  He wasn’t sure.  “I mean, I don’t think so.  I wasn’t really upset about you going out before.”

“Okay.”  Adam took Kurt’s hand in his, and started gently stroking his thumb along the back of Kurt’s hand.  It felt really nice, and soothing.  “Is it because of Nancy?  No, it couldn’t be, you were scared before she even came in the door.”

“Well, that’s kind of – I mean, I – she – I don’t know her.  She might not like me.  She might not approve, and might tell you that you should get rid of me.”

He looked up at Adam, worried about how he might react.

Adam sighed.  He squeezed Kurt’s hand, and looked so sad.

“What am I going to do with you, Kurt?”

Oh, no, now he’d really upset Adam, and he would get rid of him for sure, he was causing too much trouble, and now he didn’t know whether to keep him or not, and he’d send him back, or –

“Kurt!  Stop it right now!”

Kurt gasped, and blinked at Adam.  He hiccupped, but didn’t cry like he’d thought he was going to do.

“Darling, listen to me.  I don’t know why you’re so upset, except you didn’t get your nap.  What makes you think I’m going to get rid of you, and you’re causing too much trouble?”

“What – how – did I say that out loud?”

“I’m not sure what all you said, because you talk as fast as a bloody auctioneer sometimes, but I think that was the gist of it.  The main part of it,” he clarified.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say all that.”

“But I’m glad you did.”  

Adam was talking softly, but Kurt was listening very carefully, because he wanted to be sure he was paying attention.

“Now, Kurt, I do want to understand why you’re upset, because I want to ease your mind, if I can.  But this might not be the best time to go into it.  I just want you to know, nobody is going to talk me into giving you back to the store, or getting rid of you, or anything like that.  I’m trying to understand you, and get to know you, and help you get to know me.  I know a lot of this is new to you, and it’s natural for you to be afraid of some things you’re not sure about yet.  But I promise you, you’re safe with me.”

Adam took a deep breath.  “I was just thinking, if you’re this upset about Nancy, who is a very sweet and shy girl by the way, how are you going to feel about my friends coming over tomorrow?  If it’s going to upset you this much, I don’t want –“

“No, no, I promise, I’ll be good, I’ll calm down, I won’t embarrass you, really, I won’t!”

Adam smiled patiently.  He could tell; it was the same way his dad looked when Kurt used to ramble too much about a movie he’d seen or a song he liked.

“It’s okay, Kurt.  I’m not worried about that, I just want you to feel comfortable.  I’ll tell you what, why don’t you lay down and take a nap now, and we’ll talk some more later, okay?  I want to do whatever I can to make you feel okay tomorrow when everyone is here.”

Somehow, even though he knew it was a lot of people, Kurt wasn’t that scared right then about meeting them.  “Okay.”  He thought of something important.  “Can you help me tonight, maybe, please, f-f-f-igure out what I should wear t-t-tomorrow, so I don’t wear the wrong thing?  I don’t want people to laugh at me, or, or m-m-m-make f-f-f-fun of you because of m-m-me.”

“Oh, darling, please, don’t worry about that.  They’re nice people.  Some of them do get a bit sarcastic, and so do I, but they’re not malicious about it.  If it means that much to you, yes, we’ll find the perfect outfit for you tonight.”

“Thank you!”  Kurt hugged Adam, and kissed him quickly, before retreating again.

Adam was still looking at him with concern.  “Now, is there anything else I can say or do to help you right now?”

Kurt sighed, and looked at the corner of the counter.  Adam followed his gaze.

“You want the mouse?  Do you want to change now?”

“Yes, no.”

Adam blinked.  “Er –“

Kurt blushed, and tried to explain better.  “Yes, I’d like to have it now, just to hold it.  I was thinking earlier, while I was waiting, it might make me feel better to have something to hold, but I didn’t think I had time to get it and get back to the door, and then I worried about what if I had to go to the bathroom, and suddenly I did – think I had to go, I mean.  I did take a chance, and got to the bathroom and back – I even washed my hands! – and got back just before you came in.”  He took a deep breath.  “And no, I don’t need to change now, but maybe after we find the right outfit, I can?”

“Whatever makes you feel better, darling, of course.”  Adam got up and handed the mouse to Kurt.

He immediately started petting it, his eyes transfixed by the pretty color.  He loved bright things, and shiny things, and sometimes he could stare at them for a really long time.  Even more so when he was a cat.

“Kurt, would you look at me for a second, please?”

Kurt looked up, and held his hands still, but didn’t let go of the mouse.  After a moment, he started petting it again, but kept his eyes on Adam.

“Darling, it’s fine with me if you don’t wait by the door.  You can if you want to, but I’m not going to get upset with you if you’re not there.  I might come looking for you, just to make sure I know where you are, and that you’re okay, but I don’t expect you to be there waiting every time.”

“But I have to!  I was bad, today, taking a chance that something might happen to you because I wasn’t there.”

Adam blinked a couple of times, open and shut his mouth, then sighed.  “I know you don’t want anything bad to happen to me, and I appreciate it, but – well, I don’t think I’m going to change your mind about things right now, and maybe I shouldn’t even try.  But I don’t want you to feel guilty about not being right there at the door when I arrive, okay?  I promise, that’s not going to make the difference between me being just fine, and something happening to me.”

“How do you know?”

Adam closed his eyes and tightened his jaw, and Kurt tensed.  Then Adam looked at him again and smiled.  It wasn’t his “You’re funny,” smile, or his “I really like you” smile, or even the “I’m trying to be patient with you” smile.  This was even more forced that that.  

“I’m so sorry I don’t know the right thing to say, Kurt. I understand why you’re worried, but I really, honestly don’t think your mother’s death had anything to do with you.  Accidents happen, and bad things sometimes happen to good people, for no reason that anyone can figure out.  I just wish, for your sake, that you weren’t so guilty and anxious about everything, because I want you to be happy.  But just because I want it, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen, or at least, it won’t happen overnight.  And I’m totally babbling now, because I think I’m in over my head.  But that’s not for you to worry about, Kurt, I mean it.”  

He sighed, and hugged Kurt, and it did make him feel better.  “Come on, let’s get you to bed.  You need your nap.”

Kurt nodded, and clutched the mouse tight in one hand, and took Adam’s hand with the other.

As they walked through the living room, Kurt saw that Nancy was dusting the furniture.

“Nancy,” Adam called out, as they paused, “Kurt’s going to take a nap now, so I was thinking, perhaps you can vacuum after you’ve done everything else?”

“Oh, sure, no problem.  I’ll try to be quiet.”

She seemed a little worried, and Kurt didn’t want anybody to worry for his sake.  “It’s okay, I can sleep, I think.”

She smiled.  “Does the vacuum make you nervous?  My sister gets scared of it, when she’s a cat, but she’s not quite as scared when she’s human.”

Kurt’s mouth dropped open in shock, and it took a few tries to get any words out.  “Your sister – she’s a hybrid?”

Nancy nodded.  “Uh huh.”

“Then are you –“

Nancy blushed, then laughed nervously.  “No, I’m sorry, I didn’t explain it very well.  My step-sister.  Her mother died, and my father married my mother about a year after that, then they had me.  But I grew up with her, and always thought of her as my sister.”

Kurt noticed that Adam was very relaxed now, and strangely enough, he was, too.  “Oh, so you don’t mind me being a hybrid?”

Nancy looked confused.  “No, why would I mind?  Oh, you mean because some people are stupid, and think they’re better than hybrids, just because they’re fully human?  Screw them.”

Kurt was shocked, but he laughed, too, along with Adam.

Nancy held her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock.  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, dear, you absolutely should have said it,” Adam reassured her.  “So, Kurt, _are_ you scared of vacuum cleaners?  I never thought about that before, but Misty is afraid of them.”

Nancy nodded, and Kurt remembered that she would know Misty from working for Miss Lily.

“No.  I was at first, but Mom told me they wouldn’t hurt me.  She got me a toy vacuum cleaner, that didn’t really work, but when you pushed the button, it was noisy, but not as bad as a real vacuum, and when you pushed it across the floor, or the carpet, it lit up.  So I’d help her clean the house, and I got used to the real one.”

Nancy clasped her hands together and bounced up on her toes.  “That’s such a neat idea!  I wish my mom had thought of that for Donna.  But I’d better get back to work now.”

Oh, that’s right!  He didn’t want to keep her from her work, because then Adam might –

His hand was gripped tighter as Adam started walking again.  “Thanks for asking, Nancy, I appreciate it.  You go ahead, and I’ll get Kurt settled.”

They went into Kurt’s room and shut the door.  Kurt looked at the big, cold, lonely bed and sighed mournfully.  He knew Adam wouldn’t stay in the room with him.  He was busy and had things to do, so Kurt wasn’t even going to ask him.

“You know, Kurt, I’ve been thinking, perhaps we need a different bed for you.  Let me see if I can come up with something more suitable.  In the meantime, do you think you’ll be alright in here, while I’m on the computer?”

“Could you bring the computer in here?  Since it’s a laptop?”  Kurt put his hand up to his mouth, horrified that the words had come out without his permission.  He squeezed the mouse tight with the other hand, then immediately relaxed it, not wanting to hurt Harriet.  She hadn’t done anything to make him upset, so he shouldn’t hurt her.  And he didn’t know why he’d named her Harriet, but that was her name.

Adam didn’t look annoyed, just a little surprised.  “I guess I could, this time, but I’m hoping eventually you’ll like being alone in here.  It’s supposed to be a sanctuary of sorts, for you, it’s not meant to be a punishment.”

“No, I didn’t think that,” Kurt told him.  “I just get lonely.”

“I know you do, darling.  But some people, and some cats, like to be alone now and again.  If you want, I’ll bring the laptop in here while you get settled.  I can’t guarantee I’ll stay here the whole time, because I wanted to get the tables set and other things done for the party – “

“Oh, that’s right!  I’m sorry, I don’t mean to keep you from that!  I should help you.”

“It’s okay, Kurt.  Nancy can help me.  Why don’t you change into something more comfortable, pajamas, or sweats or something, and I’ll be back in a couple of minutes, okay?  I may leave again after you’re asleep, so if you wake up and I’m not here, don’t get upset, okay?  I won’t be far away.  You can come out and find me if you want.”

“Okay.  Thank you.”  Kurt didn’t even want to admit to himself how relieved he was.  “It’s okay, Harriet can keep me company for a couple of minutes.”  He held the fuschia mouse up to his face, rubbing the soft fur against his cheek, and immediately felt better.

“Harriet, hm?”  Adam was grinning now, and looked more amused than anything else.  “Okay.  Harriet, take good care of Kurt while I’m gone.”

Harriet didn’t answer, but Kurt knew they would take good care of each other.

He thought he heard Adam mumble something like, “I AM going to get you a bear,” but that couldn’t be right.  He must have misheard.


	21. Chapter 21

Adam told Nancy he would need her help with the place settings as well as the cleaning, and she didn’t mind at all.

“Kurt was going to help me, but he really needs to sleep right now.  He’s upset about, I don’t know, a number of things.  He was doing really well, and then – it’s like he takes one step forward, and three steps back.  So I’m going to  be using the laptop, in his room.  If you should need me, the door will be open, just tap on it lightly.”

“Okay, Adam.  Thanks for telling me.”  Nancy hesitated, then continued.  “About Kurt – Donna was part of the family before I was, so I didn’t have to adjust to her.  But it was so difficult on all of us when she was taken away.  I was only 10, and I didn’t really understand.  It’s never made sense to me why hybrids can’t be allowed to stay with their families.”

“I agree, though in this case, I have to say, selfishly, I’m glad Kurt is with me.  But I did manage to find his father, and they talked on the phone, and I’m going to bring him here to visit Kurt soon, whenever Burt can arrange to get away for a few days.”

“Really?  How did you manage that?  We’d love to get in touch with Donna, wherever she is now, just to make sure she’s okay, and let her know we still love her.”  Nancy was starting to sniffle, so Adam handed her some tissues.

“Well, some things Kurt remembered helped me locate his father.  I think the bigger issue, unfortunately for your family, is that I wanted to contact Kurt’s family, and let them know he was okay, and so he would know his father was alright.  I get the feeling a lot of hybrid owners are discouraged from contacting the family.”

“Or just don’t give a damn,” Nancy sighed.  “Well, I’m glad to know it’s not something that we neglected to do, that we could do.”

“If I think of anything, or hear of anything, any way you can get in touch with her, I’ll let you know.”  Adam was struck with inspiration.  “Have you tried going to any of the pet stores around here?  If she was there at any time, they might have records.”

Nancy shook her head.  “I’ve heard that they usually send the hybrids to a different state, just for that reason, so the original family isn’t trying to contact the new one.  Well, I’ll just hope that Donna was adopted by someone who cares as much about her as you do about Kurt.”

Adam wished he could say something to make her feel better.  “Let’s hope so.  Well, I’d better get back to Kurt, he’s really moody today.”

“He seemed a little quiet and shy at first, but he was alright when I talked to him later.”

“That was after I’d given him quite a pep talk,” Adam sighed.  “But thank you for telling him about Donna, I think it did make him feel better to realize there are a lot of people who won’t hate him on sight just because of what he is.”

“Poor boy.  It’s a shame he’s had such bad experiences.  Most people, that I saw, were nice to Donna, there were just a few here and there who were rude or hateful.”

Adam shook his head, annoyed that anyone had to be treated like that.

“I’d better let you get back to him,” Nancy added.

Adam nodded, and grabbed his laptop.  By the time he got back to Kurt’s room, he’d changed into pajamas and gotten into bed, though he was still wide awake.  Adam couldn’t help but notice Harriet was “sleeping” on Kurt’s chest, held in place by one hand.

“I’m sorry I took so long, I was just talking to Nancy.”

“Oh, okay.  You can sit on the bed, if you want.”

Adam shook his head.  “I’m more comfortable with something to lean my back against, so I’ll sit here in the floor.”  He settled himself as comfortably as he could, with his back against the side of the bed.

“That’s not right,” Kurt protested.  He moved closer to the edge of the bed, nearer to Adam.

“I’ll be fine.  But I’m not going to stay here for too long.  Sleep as long as you like, and I’ll be here at least until you fall asleep.”  He wondered if Kurt might try to stay awake, to keep him there longer.

“Mm, okay.  G’night.”

“Good night.”  Adam didn’t mention it wasn’t even 1:30 in the afternoon.

He wasn’t too surprised, a minute or so later, to feel Kurt’s hand on the back of his neck, playing with his hair.  It felt nice, so he just focused on his laptop.  Once again, he had some research to do, but he thought this might be fun.  He checked out a few sites for things like cat toys, cat furniture, and people furniture, to see what he could come up with that would work out for Kurt.  The queen size bed was apparently too large for him, so the next size down, he discovered, was a double, also known as a full.  He was rather surprised to learn there was no specific furniture for hybrids, where they might be equally comfortable in both forms.  He did see one item he decided to buy.  It would arrive on Monday.  It looked like something both he and Kurt would find useful.

He considered something like the kitty castle they’d had in the interview room at the store, and how Kurt hadn’t been interested in it.  Still it might help kitty!Kurt to get some exercise.  He bookmarked a few kitty trees he thought might interest Kurt.  Then he looked at pet beds.  The best he found looked comfortable, with a soft pillow, and had a sort of half-dome on top, to keep the cat feeling protected on most sides, and could be heated with a very low-wattage heater inside the pillow.  He bookmarked that, and continued to check out beds for people, and quickly found the loft beds.  He saw some that were wildly entertaining, but obviously designed for children.  He rather regretted that Kurt was probably too old to enjoy them, but bookmarked them anyway.  He could show them to Kurt and see what he thought, but he’d already decided Kurt should be the one to choose his own furniture.  The first purchase, Adam decided, was for himself, and if Kurt wanted to use it, too, as intended, that would be great.  If not, he still had a use for it.

Some of the loft beds were incredibly efficient, managing to get an entire room’s worth of furniture into one structure.  He saw several configurations he thought might work, but there were none that seemed exactly what he was looking for.  Well, the important thing was to find something Kurt liked, that would make him feel more at home in his own room.  He would have to tell Kurt to ignore the price; some were ridiculously expensive, but if they’d make Kurt happy…he couldn’t really put a price on Kurt’s happiness.   Not that he’d let him go completely wild, either, but he was sure they’d eventually come up with something Kurt liked, that wouldn’t actually make Adam cringe at the price.

He realized from the gentle snoring and the lack of hair-grooming that Kurt had fallen asleep a while ago.  He really should get up and get some things done, like get ready for the party.  But he could certainly stay where he was a while longer, until he was good and ready to move.

 

 

About an hour later, Nancy gently tapped on the door, then regretted it as she saw both Kurt and Adam were sound asleep.  Kurt was on his side, a garish pink mouse clutched to his throat, while his other hand was tangled in Adam’s hair.  As for her employer, he was sitting on the floor, with his back to the side of the bed, his laptop open.  She wished she had a camera.  As she debated whether to disturb him or not, Adam opened his eyes, blinked a couple of times, and turned to look at her.  He set the laptop aside and closed it, and gingerly extricated his hair from Kurt’s grasp.  She saw Kurt frown and tighten his fingers, but Adam was on his feet now, following her out of the room.

She’d helped Adam with his dinner parties before, so she really could have set things up without his help, but it was good to be sure everything was the way he wanted it.  Of all her clients, Adam was her favorite.  He was the funniest, and she had to admit, the cutest.  Her boyfriend, Jason, would have been jealous if she hadn’t been able to assure him that Adam was gay.  Now he’d probably be even less upset, since she could tell him Adam had a boyfriend.  He could call the hybrid a pet, but she could tell, from the little time she’d seen them together, that Kurt was far more than a pet to Adam, and not just some kind of sexual plaything, either.  Well, he could well be that, too, but it was obvious he wasn’t just using Kurt for sex, either.

They were so cute together, she almost couldn’t stand it.  She wanted to hug the both of them, and take pictures of them being adorable together, like when they’d been holding hands while talking to her earlier.  She was so happy for Kurt that he’d gotten to talk to his dad, and was going to see him again.  She’d give anything to see Donna again, but she was realistic enough to know that wasn’t likely to happen.  But it didn’t stop her from being happy for someone else getting what she’d like to have for herself.

It didn’t take long, between the two of them, to have everything in place.  The first time she’d helped, she’d asked Adam if he wanted name cards for everyone, but he assured her it wasn’t that formal.  People would sit wherever they wanted, with whomever they wanted, and as long as there were enough chairs that no one had to sit on anyone else’s lap, it was fine.  He’d gone over to Lily’s briefly to borrow some more chairs, with the understanding that Nancy would call him on his cell immediately if Kurt came looking for him and was upset.

After they’d set up the chairs, Adam had explained about Kurt’s habit of sitting and waiting at the door for him.  He seemed to think it was all due to his mother’s death, but Nancy had another idea.

“Donna used to do the same thing, with Dad, and I’ve seen regular cats that do that.  One friend had a family cat, that had really bonded with her sister.  Every day, about an hour before her sister was due to come home from work, the cat would sit by the door and wait.  You couldn’t coax her away with petting, treats, anything.  It was like she was just sitting and waiting for her favorite human to get there, then she could resume her life.  It was kind of sweet, and kind of creepy at the same time.  And sad, because every day, even if she was playing or napping or whatever, at exactly 4:30 on the dot, that cat would go to the door and sit and wait.  And if my friend’s sister was late, even a few minutes, the cat would get distressed, and let her know, in no uncertain terms, that she was _late_ and it was unacceptable.”

Adam laughed, but he said now he felt a little better about Kurt.  “It’s hard for me to know sometimes, whether some of the things he does are part of his cat nature, or from being a hybrid and maybe having two natures sometimes wanting different things at the same time, or if it’s just a human thing, something he’s developed because of the life he’s led.  I’m trying so hard to do the right thing.  I don’t always know whether to try to coax him away from something that might be unhealthy for him, or just leave him alone because he knows best what works for him.”

Nancy shrugged.  “I don’t know that you can ever get that sort of thing right all the time, even with people.  You know, we try to change each other all the time, sometimes we think we know what’s best for someone else.  I think it’s just human nature sometimes to want to try to give advice, to help, or steer someone back onto the right path if you think they’re going the wrong way.  But we might be wrong, too.”

“This is all so new to me, and I’m afraid I’m going to do something wrong, and really upset him.  I think he knows now, that whatever happens, I’m willing to talk things out.  I think he knows better than to try to run away, because I will always do my best to help him, and give him what he needs, even if it’s not necessarily the same as what he wants.”

“That’s all anybody can ask of us, isn’t it?  Oh, look at the time!  I’d better get started on the vacuuming, because I’m supposed to be at my next client's house in less than an hour.”

“Okay.  And maybe this time, why don’t you skip the hallway, and the bedrooms?  You can maybe do those on Monday.”

“Got it.  I don’t want to wake Kurt up.  He looked so sweet, and so relaxed.  He should always look relaxed, and not panicked,” she concluded.

“From your mouth to God’s ear.  It’s hard to know what’s going to set him off, what little thing I say or do might remind him of something some idiot beat into him, physically or emotionally, but I’ll just keep trying to understand him.”

“For what it’s worth, it looks to me like you’re doing a great job.  He’s been here less than a week, and it sounds like this is the longest he’s gone, in over five years, without having a lot of others around.  He’s not used to being alone, at all, so maybe he’s clinging a little tighter to you, right now, because he just doesn’t know how to be alone.  Maybe he’ll get better about it once he’s gotten more used to you, and can see that you’re not going to hurt him, and it’s okay to do some things without asking permission.  But hybrids are naturally submissive, whether they’re cats, dogs, birds, whatever, and it seems to me, in some ways Kurt isn’t, so maybe he _is_ kind of fighting against part of his nature.”

“Hm, food for thought.  I’ll try to see if I can tell when he’s sort of upset about himself or his nature, as opposed to being upset with me.”

“Good luck.”  Nancy meant it sincerely.  She genuinely wanted Kurt to be happy, and Adam, and it seemed like they were on the right track to being really happy with each other.

She started the vacuum at the furthest end of the house from Kurt’s bedroom.

 

 

Kurt hurried to get back into bed before Adam came looking for him.  He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, he only wanted to let Adam know he was awake, but it didn’t seem like a good time to interrupt him and Nancy.  Besides, he’d learned a lot of interesting things.

He wanted to change and play with Harriet, and explore the newly-clean apartment (though he’d try very hard not to get anything dirty), and he really wanted Adam to hold him and brush him, but he settled for changing his clothes instead.  He put on his red outfit from his “performing” with Mr. Will and the others, and threw his (technically Adam’s) hoodie on over it.  He didn’t bother with shoes, just socks.  He walked out to the living room, where Nancy was vacuuming.  She looked startled for a moment when she saw him, then she smiled, turned the vacuum off, and said, “He’s in the kitchen.”

“How did you know I was looking for Adam?”

“Oh, just a hunch.  Can I go ahead and vacuum the hall, and your bedrooms now that you’re awake?”

“Sure.  Just be careful not to vacuum up Harriet.  She’s on my bed, but she might fall off.”

“Is she the pink mouse?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’ll be careful.  At least it will be easy to spot her so I don’t accidentally sweep her up.”

Kurt smiled.  Nancy was funny, and nice.  “I’d better go help Adam.”  He started to turn, and saw the dining room table, now extended, and a card table at the end of it, and chairs for an awful lot of people.  There were several plates, glasses, and lots of silverware in front of each chair.  “Are we going to use all that stuff?”  Maybe it was more formal than Adam had told him.  But he didn’t know what the extra plates were for, or why there was more than one fork, and what to use when, and oh my God, what if he spilled something, on his clothes, the tablecloth, the carpet, someone else?

“Sweetie, it’s okay.  Kurt, it’s alright.  I’ll get Adam.”

He realized Nancy had been talking to him, and blinked, and tried to control his breathing.  It was okay.  Adam would tell him what to do, and he’d do exactly as he was told, and everything would be fine.  He wasn’t really clumsy, unless something really startled him, so he’d be careful to not fill his glass too full, or put too much food on his fork or spoon, and it would –

“Kurt, darling, what’s the matter?”

He turned in relief to see Adam.  “Oh, hi.  It’s just, there’s a lot of stuff here.  I mean, extra stuff, and I’m not sure how –“

Adam looked distressed.  “I’m sorry, I should have thought about that ahead of time, of course you’re not used to this.  I swear, nobody else in our group does this but me, ‘cause this is the way my mother did things when she was having people over that she respected or wanted to impress.  In this case, it’s a matter of respect, they all know me too well to be impressed.”

“Oh.”  Kurt was slightly relieved.

“Don’t worry, I’ll give you a crash course in what to use, when.  And if you make a mistake, believe me, you won’t be the only one.  Hardly any one of my friends knows which is the salad fork, or knows the salad plate from the bread plate –“

“Then why make it so complicated?” Kurt asked, quite reasonably, he thought.  “Why not just let people put the salad and the bread on the same plate as everything else, the way we normally do?”

Adam paused.  “Let me think about it.  We’ve got time to change things, which is one reason I didn’t want to wait till the last minute.”

“I don’t want you to change things because of me, I was just trying to figure out why, because you said it was casual, and people would wear what they wanted, and now it looks like it’s going to be really formal.  And nice!  But will everyone be expecting it?”

“Oh, yes, they’re well aware of my eccentricities.  But, like I said, I’ll think about it, okay?  In the meantime, help me figure out what to fix for dinner.  Nancy’s almost done for the day, then I’ll help you find something suitable to wear tomorrow.”

“Are you sure nobody else is going to be really dressed up, because they’re expecting it to be formal?”

“Hm, they never have yet…which makes me wonder why I continue to try to throw pearls before swine.  Ah well, I’ll sort it out before everyone gets here.  But I will not go so far as to get fast-food or pizza and serve it on paper plates, unlike some people do when it’s their turn to host.”

Kurt thought that sounded pretty good to him, but it didn’t seem like a good time to say so.  But… “Maybe that’s all they can afford, for so many people?"

Adam stopped mid-way through the dining room.  “Oh, I’m such an idiot!  Yes, I’m sure in some cases that’s true, that’s why it’s often a pot-luck.  Maybe I’m making them feel bad by sort of showing off, even though that’s not what I’m trying to do.  I thought I was giving everyone a treat, of sorts, to have a chance for a really nice meal, things they wouldn’t normally fix or order – and it could be coming across the wrong way to some of them.”

“Well, they’d probably have said something by now if they resented it, right?  Maybe they do like it.  I don’t mean to make you second guess things, Adam.”

“No, but you’re giving me another point of view I might not have thought of on my own.  Hm, definitely a lot of things to think about between now and this time tomorrow.”

Nancy came in, carrying the vacuum.  She had already gathered a lot of her other equipment by the door earlier.  She put on her coat.  “If that’s all, Adam, I think my next client’s waiting for me.”

“Yes, thank you so much, Nancy, you’ve been an enormous help today!  Let me get your check.”

While Adam was out of the room, Kurt didn’t know what to do, so he walked over to Nancy.  “Thank you for talking to me today about your sister.  I haven’t heard too many people who were happy about having a hybrid for a step-sibling, or having them as any part of the family.  I guess my dad was an exception.”

“I feel lucky to have had her in my life, and I know my mother felt the same.  But I think you’re right, not everyone appreciates the joy and fun of having a hybrid in the house.  It more than makes up for the heartbreak when they’re taken away.”

Kurt gasped.  “I’m sorry, I knew in the back of my mind she had to be gone, but it didn’t really hit me till now, that you must really miss her.”

“I do.  But I’m so grateful for the time we had, when she was my sister and it was like I had a best friend, and a cat, and they were the same but not quite.”  She smiled at him and took his hand for a moment, squeezing it and then releasing it.  “I’m so glad to have met you, Kurt, and I look forward to seeing you again on Monday.”

Adam came back with the check, then turned to Kurt.  “I’m going to help Nancy get all this stuff to her car.”

“Oh, I can do it!” she protested.

“I know you can, and you usually do, with most people.  But while I’m here, and able to help, and want to, why turn it down?” Adam turned the full wattage of his charm on her, and Kurt knew she would give in.

“Alright, thank you.”

“Do you want to help us, Kurt, or would you rather stay here?  It’s okay either way.”

“No, I’ll help!  It’s a lot to carry, and it will be easier with three of us.”  Kurt was eager to help, to do something to make things easier for other people, especially people who had been so kind to him.  

He picked up several items, and followed them out to the elevator, and down to the outside parking for guests.  He blinked at the strong sunshine, but appreciated the warmth.  He didn’t have much chance to look around, but did remember to say goodbye to Nancy before she got in her car.

Adam took his hand as they walked back into the building, and Kurt realized he felt calm, and rested, and ready to face whatever stresses the rest of the day would bring.


	22. Chapter 22

As soon as they were inside, Adam suggested they find the right outfit for Kurt to wear for the party.  They both went through the meager offerings in the closet and dressers.  Adam finally took a few items and laid them on the bed.

“This is what you want me to wear?” Kurt asked.  

He sounded a little petulant, which Adam was actually taking as a good sign.  It was a perfectly acceptable outfit; a new pair of jeans, and a purple button-down shirt, with the new tennis shoes.  

“I need to get a yellow shirt to go with the shoes.”

“Well, if you don’t like this outfit, what _do_ you want to wear?”  Adam thought it was a reasonable question, but wasn’t sure what kind of answer to expect.

“I don’t know!  If I had all my things from home, I could – “ Kurt stopped, and crossed his arms.  “No, I couldn’t.  Hardly anything would fit me.”

Adam looked at his watch.  “There’s still plenty of time before the stores close, if you want to go out and buy something.”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant!” Kurt protested.  “It’s just that I had so many more things to choose from.  Not that I had too many places to wear my nicer clothes, but I knew what I wanted to wear for each occasion.”

“Okay, in time we’ll build your wardrobe back up.  In the meantime, you’re right, you don’t have a lot to choose from.”

Kurt heaved a huge, put-upon sigh.  “Then I guess I’ll make do with this.”

“Would you like to try them on, to see how they look?”

Kurt shrugged.  “Okay.”  He started to take his shirt off.

Adam averted his eyes.  “Would you like me to leave the room so you can have some privacy?”

“No, it’s okay.  It’s not like I’m going to take my underwear off.”

Adam had seen him stripped down to his underwear and sleeveless t-shirt, in the dressing room, but he hadn’t seen him completely naked yet.  Which was just as well for both of them, he decided.

“No, true.  I just thought if you wanted some privacy –“

Kurt was already slipping on the purple shirt, and buttoning it up.  “Haven’t had much of that in years, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Fine.  I just wanted you to realize it’s an option.”  Adam was relieved; he’d have thought this would be the kind of issue that might upset him.

The shirt looked great.  However, the jeans were too snug in Adam’s opinion.  They looked fantastic on Kurt, but he didn’t want to be totally distracted, or have his Apples too mesmerized by Kurt’s…everything…to be able to sing.

“Tell you what, I think I have an old pair of jeans that will fit you.  They got shrunk in the wash, but I haven’t gotten rid of them yet.  You’re not much shorter than me.”

“I can hem them, if necessary,” Kurt volunteered.

“How?  We haven’t picked up a sewing machine yet.”

Kurt looked at him like he was not quite all there.  “Um, by hand?  You do have a needle and some thread here, right?”

Adam suddenly felt inadequate.  “Ah…I have one of those tiny emergency kits, that I use if I lose a button.”

Kurt rolled his eyes.  “I guess it will have to do.”

Adam found the jeans, and the sewing kit.  The jeans fit fairly well, and they were only a bit looser than the ones Kurt had been wearing, because they’d shrunken down.  But they were still an improvement, at least when other people would be at the house.

There was indeed some light blue thread in the little box, and as soon as Adam had used a few pins to hold up the cuffs, Kurt started hemming the jeans.  He was very focused, and Adam soon got bored.  He started making mental notes about the things Kurt needed.

 

 

They were almost finished with dinner, when Adam thought about something he’d promised Kurt earlier.

“After dinner, are we going to bake those cookies?”

“Oh, yes, please!  I almost forgot!”

“It’s a good thing I have such a fantastic memory, hm?  By the way, Kurt, I’ve decided, I’m not going to have anything to drink tomorrow.  Alcoholic, that is.  The others can drink, but I won’t.  I can usually handle a glass or two of wine just fine, but I think until you’re more used to everything, I’d better keep my wits about me.”

Kurt bit his lip, then said, “I don’t want you to have to change your plans, or what you’re used to doing, because of me.”

Adam shrugged, and explained, “Sometimes we have to do that.  It’s not a huge sacrifice.  But I do want to remind you, in case anyone wants to give you a sip of their drink, or pour you a glass --  Listen, you can trust all of these people, they’re my friends.  They’re not going to try to hurt you, but someone might think it’s funny to try to get you a little tipsy, or to get you to loosen up.  Just tell them politely that you have a very bad reaction to alcohol.  I didn’t think it would be good for you, but I did a bit of looking online. Every source I read said that alcohol can make cats very sick, and even a fairly small amount can kill them.  I know hybrids are different, but even as a human, just to be on the safe side, let’s not take any chances.  At the very least, you’re not used to it, and you probably have a very low tolerance.”

“From what I’ve heard – and I have no idea how they found out or got the alcohol – it doesn’t sound like a lot of fun to me.  I’d rather stay in control as much as I can, and I don’t want to do or say anything I’m going to regret the next day, or anything I might forget the next day, either.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea.”  Adam resolved to send another e-mail around to the Apples, just in case – “Do NOT give Kurt any amount of alcohol, no matter how amusing you might think it is, it could make him very sick.”  He also realized he’d better get a final headcount.  It was rare that all of them could get together at the same time.

They cleared the dishes away quickly, and argued amicably about the best recipe for chocolate chip cookies.  Adam deferred to Kurt, and watched with trepidation as he added Oreos to half the cookie dough.  Those ended up being much larger, so at least it would be easier to tell them apart.  They baked the first batch with the Oreos in.  

The cookies were just about done when the phone rang.

Adam answered it, trying to keep an eye on the cookies.

“Oh, Burt!  Hello!  How are you?”

Kurt was making desperate “gimme” gestures, but Adam pointed to the oven.  Kurt pouted, and was no doubt listening carefully, but he removed the cookies when they were ready, then set them aside to cool and put the next batch on the cookie sheet.

“Good, good.  We’re fine, in fact, we’re just baking some cookies.  I’ll get Kurt on the phone in just a moment.  Did you find a good time to visit?”

He grabbed the calendar from the refrigerator, and found a pen.  “Alright, yes, next weekend is fine.  And you’re closed because of the holiday?  Good, so you’ll be coming in Friday evening.  I can – we can pick you up then.  And staying until Monday afternoon?  Good, that’s fantastic.  I’ll check the schedules.  Do you have a preference for airline?  Okay, I’ll see what I can find that’s closest to those times. And Kurt is about to rip the phone out of my hand, so –“

“Hi Dad!  You’re coming here next weekend?”

Adam put the rest of the cookies in the oven as he tried not to eavesdrop on the conversation.  Which was impossible, since Kurt was all of 4 feet away from him.

Kurt chattered about a lot of different things, including Lily, Misty, Nancy, and Harriet.  He suspected, with the rapid pace of Kurt’s speaking, that Burt would be wondering if his son had somehow collected a harem.  Well, perhaps in a way he had, and good for him.

“…and we’re having a party tomorrow, well, not really a party, but some of Adam’s friends are coming over for dinner and to sing.  There are so many plates and forks and spoons and everything, Dad, I don’t know how everyone is going to know what to use, but it’ll be fun…no, I don’t know what the menu is.”

Adam grinned.  “I haven’t decided yet, and I’d better do that quickly.”

Kurt eagerly told his father, “Adam doesn’t know yet, but he’s going to figure it out soon.  Yeah, I know.  Yes, of course I’ll help him!”

Adam checked on the cookies, which weren’t quite done yet.  The others were almost cool.  He slid one off the pan, put it on a napkin, and handed it to Kurt.

“Ooh, Dad, the cookies are ready!  They’re still warm!  No, no, you can talk, I’ve been talking too much, I can listen and eat at the same time.”

Adam started jotting some ideas down on a notepad, because he really did need to plan something for dinner.  Normally he’d have the menu sorted out by now, but having Kurt there was a bit of a distraction.  A welcome one, but still…was it too late to call in a catering company?  With less than 24 hours notice, and food for possibly a dozen people, he thought perhaps it was.  He started looking in the freezer and refrigerator to see what he had on hand.  He wasn’t finding much that was inspiring.

“Thanks, Dad!  Yeah, I will.  See you Friday.  Here’s Adam, bye!”

Adam took the phone, trying to clear his thoughts.  “So, is everything settled?  I had to finish up with the cookies, but I’ll get on the computer now and get the tickets.  No, I insist.  I’m doing this for Kurt, as well as you, so please don’t even think about it.  Alright.  I’ll call you as soon as I have the flights booked, with all the details.  Yes, I’ll take excellent care of him.  Oh, did you get the pictures I sent?  To your e-mail?  Um – oh, damn it, I forgot to send them.  I’ll get those to you tonight, too.  No problem.  Goodbye.”

He hung up the phone and turned to Kurt with a sigh.

“Okay, I’ve got to get your dad’s flight reserved, and send the photos to him.  Then you can help me finalize the menu.”

 

 

When Adam told Kurt the type of meal he typically served his friends at these gatherings; which was really only once or twice a year, that it was Adam’s turn, he was shocked.

“But that’s – how can you possibly afford that, for so many people?”

Adam started to tell him approximately how much it cost, and that it wasn’t that big a deal, when he stopped to reconsider.  “Um, I like to do something nice for the group, serve them things they wouldn’t normally get a chance to eat.”

Kurt stared at him, fascinated.  “You mean because they couldn’t afford it?”

“Well, yes, that’s part of it.”

“But then, when it’s their turn to, um, host everyone, what do they serve?”

“Ah, it’s usually potluck, with everyone bringing something.  It ends up being way too much food, but – “  Adam sighed, and rubbed his hand over his face.  “Yes, it’s much less expensive, less of a burden on everyone.  Some, as I mentioned, order pizzas, or buckets of chicken, or other types of fast food.  I was thinking it was because a lot of them don’t have the time to cook, but I think you’re right.  Most are working, some are still in school, but none of them, so far as I know, has a trust fund from their parents that allows for lavish entertainment.”

Kurt didn’t say anything, just continued staring at him with wide eyes.

“Well?  What do you think?” Adam asked nervously.

Kurt shrugged.  “I don’t know.  We didn’t have a whole lot of money growing up, but Dad was more successful than some parents, so we did okay.  But it was hard not to get jealous of the kids who always had new clothes, or expensive toys, or the latest cell phones and things.  But there were kids who were jealous of me, because their parents took their cars to my dad’s shop, and they figured he was making a ton of money.  But he had to pay for the shop, and his employees, and insurance, and all kinds of things, so I think people thought we had more money than we did.”

Adam sighed.  “What about now?  How do you feel about living with me, in this situation?”

Kurt hesitated, and swallowed nervously, but answered.  “I like it.  It’s nice to be able to live in a big place like this, with only you, and you buy me things, and you’re nice to me.  I feel kind of bad that I’m not doing anything to help, though, no housework or anything.”

Adam looked his directly in the eyes.  “Kurt, you don’t need to do anything to earn whatever I give you.  Like I told you, Nancy does most of the cleaning.  You help me with the meals, and the dishes, and keeping the kitchen clean.  You’ve been doing a good job of keeping your bedroom and the bathroom clean.  I don’t expect anything more, at least not right now.  I may give you more chores if I think of things you can help me with, but I don’t want you to feel like you shouldn’t have any of this.  I’m doing things for you because I want to.

“But now you’ve got me thinking about it, maybe I’ve been doing my friends a disservice, in making them more aware of how much easier my life is than theirs.  I thought I was doing them a favor, but maybe not.  If I suddenly change things now, they might be disappointed,” Adam mused.

“Or relieved,” Kurt said softly.

Adam looked confused.  “But why?”

Kurt shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I don’t know any of them.  But I like it that when it’s you and me, we have regular, you know, normal food, nothing all that fancy, or that makes me worry about doing the wrong thing.  I like just having one fork, one spoon, one glass.  Maybe it’s because I’m not that used to making decisions, but is it possible other people feel that way?  That they worry about using the wrong fork, or putting something on the wrong plate?  Are they worried you’re going to judge them if they make a mistake?”

“Well, of course I wouldn’t, but – “  He sighed, as he realized it was true.  “But I do.  I did kind of make fun of some of them, when talking to you.  They tease each other about doing the wrong thing, but I don’t think they’re actually worried about it.  Are they?”

“You know them better than I do,” Kurt answered with a shrug.  “But you said it’s kind of informal, that nobody dresses up, but you sort of dress the table up like it’s a formal thing, so it could be confusing.  And if they expect you to set the table all fancy, but they still come in regular clothes, maybe, I dunno, they want to keep things all the same?  I don’t think I would be very relaxed if I had to figure out what to do with all these things I never use except when I’m at your place.  Uh, does that make sense?”

Yes, it made all too much sense.  Out of the mouths of babes, as it were.  Adam sighed.

“Okay, then help me figure out what I should serve, that won’t make everyone uncomfortable.  And anyone who seems really disappointed, I can always have them come over at another time and fix them a really nice meal.”

“That sounds like a good compromise,” Kurt agreed.  “I know you want things to be fancy, but…how about steaks?  They don’t even have to be expensive steaks.  But there’s no place to barbecue here, is there?”

Adam shook his head.  “I have an indoor grill, but it’s meant to hold a few steaks at most.  I’d have to serve them at different times.  Or maybe buy another indoor grill.  They’re not that expensive.  I can use one, and you can use the other.  Let’s see, maybe I can get part of the meal pre-made…”

Once they’d settled on the menu, and removed approximately half the plates and cutlery on the table, Adam noticed Kurt was getting restless again.  “Is it time for Kitty!Kurt to come out and play?” he teased.

Kurt nodded.  “If you’re okay with it.”

“Of course I am.  You can run around, play with Harriet, whatever you want, and I’m going to read for a bit.  Let me know when you’re ready for me to comb and brush you.”

“That’ll be fun!”

Adam actually agreed with him, it had been more fun than he’d expected.  He thought every other day (or night) should be often enough, since Kurt seemed to be spending more time as a human than a cat.  

In moments Kurt was in cat form, purring and rubbing against Adam’s legs.  Adam bent down to pet him, then watched him run off, presumably in search of Harriet.  He shook his head. None of this was exactly what he’d been thinking of when he first thought of adopting a hybrid, but he wouldn’t change it for the world.  He didn’t want to be alone again, or have a pure cat, or a different hybrid.  Kurt was not only the right choice for him, but the only choice.  He was fairly certain Kurt felt the same way.

Adam was beginning to get some ideas for a new story, or more likely a novel, and decided to work on that for a bit while Kurt was occupied.  He made a file of ideas, and a rough outline.  When he had a good part of the first chapter finished, he looked at his watch and decided it was definitely time for bed.  And he needed to brush Kurt, and maybe give him some more hybrid food before bed.  Maybe the food should come before the brushing.

He finally located Kurt, sleeping on top of the bookcase in Adam’s room.  He took a couple of pictures with his phone before waking him up.

“Kurt, wake up!  It’s almost time for bed.”

Kurt opened his eyes and glared at him, his tail thrashing back and forth.

“That came out wrong, I’m sorry.  I didn’t wake you up to tell you it’s time to go to sleep,” Adam soothed.  “If you’re ready to come down from there, I’ll give you something to eat for your bedtime snack, then brush you.”

Kurt slowly stood up and stretched.  He looked like he was contemplating jumping down to the floor.  Adam knew he’d gotten up there somehow, and he should just let him get down on his own, but he couldn’t help worrying a bit.  He held up his arms, and Kurt let himself be picked up and carried to the kitchen.  Adam held him close and talked to him, petting him and rubbing his chin against Kurt’s head, so he didn’t seem to mind being carried.

He let Kurt eat about half a can of the hybrid chow, then told him it was time for brushing.  He expected Kurt to run ahead of him, into his bathroom where they were keeping the comb and brush, but instead Kurt stood up on his hind legs and reached up to Adam.

“You want me to pick you up and carry you, Your Highness?” Adam inquired, hands on hips.

“Meep!”

“What if I said ‘no’?”

The front legs came down and Kurt sat on the floor, looking very dejected.  He widened his eyes and pouted, and let out a mournful little wail.

“Pouring it on a bit thick, aren’t you?”  Wondering if he were setting a bad precedent, Adam held his arms out, and Kurt sprang up towards his chest, trusting Adam to catch him.

“Pitiful.  Does this mean I’m pussy-whipped?” Adam asked.

He decided to call the ensuing sound a laugh.  Kurt buried his head on Adam’s shoulder and continued making odd sounds, his body shaking as Adam held him.  

“Well, I’m glad to see someone thinks I’m funny.” 

The combing and brushing went a little bit faster this time, but truthfully, Adam thought he was enjoying it as much as Kurt was.  He was amazed at how much loose fur he was able to remove, yet Kurt still looked as fluffy as ever.  He hadn’t found a whole lot of fur on the furniture yet, so either Kurt was cleaning it up when he wasn’t looking, or the brushing was doing a good job of removing it before it got onto everything.

“All right, I think that’s enough.”  He cleaned things up, and asked Kurt if he wanted to stay in his own room, or sleep on Adam’s bed.  He wasn’t at all surprised when Kurt ran ahead of him.  By the time Adam got to his room, Kurt was sprawled out on the opposite side from the one Adam used.  He still couldn’t figure out the physics of how a relatively small cat could manage to take up so much room.

When he got into bed, Adam turned on his side, facing Kurt.  It wasn’t that cold, so he reached out and put one hand on Kurt’s side and petted him a bit, before they both settled down to sleep. 


	23. Chapter 23

Although Adam had gone to bed with kitty!Kurt sleeping on the other side of the bed, when he woke, Kurt was cuddled as close to him as he could get.  As enjoyable as it might have been to stay like that all day, Adam remembered he was having a dozen people coming over for dinner.  Well, more like seven, because five had cancelled at the last minute with illness, unexpected hours at work, visiting relatives, or other excuses.  He sincerely hoped none of it was due to Kurt being there.  He would rather think that they were, in fact, trying to get out of another too-fancy dinner that made them uncomfortable.  He wished he’d had Kurt around several years ago to clue him in to that possibility.

He looked at Kurt again, and saw blue-green eyes gazing back at him mischievously.  His tail was twitching; that meant something.  Before he could puzzle it out, Kurt leaped up and started bouncing on the bed, batting something back and forth between his paws.  Something bright pink.  Kurt picked it up in his mouth and brought it over to Adam, dropping it into his hand.  When had Harriet joined them?  Kurt must have gotten up in the middle of the night and brought her in.  Kurt was waiting expectantly.  “Thank you, Kurt.  I think.”  Seized with a brilliant idea, Adam tossed Harriet in the direction of the door.  She landed just outside the doorway.  Kurt spared one annoyed glance at him, then leaped off the bed to chase after his friend.  

Now that he thought about it, it was rather sad that Kurt’s best friend was a toy mouse, but then again, he would be seeing Misty the next day, so that would be good for him.  And he was certainly glad that it was a toy mouse Kurt had brought him, and not a real one.  He hoped hybrids didn’t have the same propensity for bringing their owners “gifts” of dead birds and mice.  Then again, he’d never seen a mouse, or a bird for that matter, in the building, so where would Kurt find one?  He was probably safe in that regard.

He got up to start his day, and hoped Kurt would change back to a human soon, to help him get everything ready.

 

 

There was no getting around it, they had to go to the store.  And not just the convenience store two blocks away, but one with a much larger selection.  Adam knew having Kurt with him would slow them down, but he had to start taking him out in public more often.  He decided to let it be Kurt’s choice, because he also needed to start making more of his own decisions.

“Kurt, I’ve got to go to Costco, which means I’ll have to drive.  Do you want to go with me, or stay here?”

Kurt was just drying the last of the breakfast dishes.

“What do you want me to do?” Kurt asked.  

Adam winced, because Kurt hadn’t even thought about it.

“What I want is for you to tell me which you want to do,” he explained patiently.  He helped Kurt put the dishes away.  “It’s up to you whether you want to come out with me now and help with the groceries, or stay here and do whatever you might need to do to get ready.”

Kurt shrugged.  “I just need to change from what I’m wearing to the nicer clothes, so there’s nothing I really need to do, except whatever you need me to do, like fixing dinner.”

“How long do you think it will take you to get dressed before the guests start arriving?”

“Mm, let’s see…shower, hair…”

“Kurt, you just had a shower not even an hour ago.  You won’t need another one before 3:00.”

“But what if I get sweaty?”

Adam rolled his eyes.  “You’ll survive.  Okay, let’s estimate that you need to start getting yourself ready at 2:00, how’s that?”

“Seems reasonable.”

Adam sighed, frustrated, though not with Kurt.  “Unfortunately, practically everything we need is something we’ll have to get from the store.  Except dessert; we have that covered, with the cookies.  They can have a choice, with or without Oreos, and I’ve also got some ice cream.”

He saw Kurt’s ears twitch at the words and had to keep from grinning. “Maybe we’d better get some more of that.”

“Cats like ice cream, too,” Kurt pointed out.

“And it’s about as good for a cat’s digestive system as milk is,” Adam pointed out, “so think about whether it’s worth it.”

Kurt shrugged.  “I’ll stick to having it as a human.”  He sighed, then straightened his shoulders.  “I’ll go to the store with you.  It might save time with both of us there.”

Adam knew just the opposite was likely to be true, but he nodded.  “Grab your jacket and let’s go.”

He was a little startled when Kurt handed him the leash.  “Damn.  I’d forgotten about that.“  He fastened it to Kurt’s collar.  “And you don’t actually have a jacket, do you?  Do you want to get the hoodie from your room?”

Kurt returned wearing it, looking happier than he had a few minutes before.

He unwrapped the end of the leash from around his arm and handed it to Adam.

Adam really wished he didn’t have to take Kurt out on a leash, like – an animal.  A pet.  Oh, God, what was he doing?  But the thought of anybody else taking care of Kurt, owning him, walking him – maybe there were some decent owners, but there were plenty who would treat Kurt more like a cat than a person.  Maybe he’d go back to being a cat most of the time, or the new owner would want that.  He couldn’t let –

“Adam?  Are you okay?  You look kind of funny.  Are you sick?”

Adam shook off the thoughts he didn’t want to deal with right then.  “I’m fine, I was just thinking about something.  I’ve got the list with me, so let’s go and get this over with.”  

Kurt seemed to enjoy the car ride, and had brought his sunglasses.  Adam wished he’d brought his own, but he had a few too many things on his mind.  “I’d suggest we split up to get things to make it faster, but –“

“No!”  Kurt tightened his fists, then slowly relaxed his hands.  “I mean, I don’t think that’s a good idea right now.”

“Exactly,” Adam replied calmly, “which is what I was going to say.  But since we don’t have a lot of time, let’s stick to what’s on the list.  Some other time we’ll go and we can take all the time you want, going up and down the aisles.”

“Sticking with the list is good.  Too many choices otherwise,” Kurt pointed out.

“True, I hadn’t thought of that.”

Once they were in the store, Adam shortened the leash, to keep Kurt close to him.  “Just keep up with me, and don’t try to go wandering off.”

“I won’t!  I’m not stupid, you know.”  Kurt looked offended.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think you were.”  Adam realized it wasn’t just the ridiculous number of choices on each aisle, but all the people shopping in the late morning on a Saturday.  He really hoped he could avoid running into Sebastian, or anyone else he knew.  “I’d just feel better if you stay close to me.”

Kurt shuffled a little closer to him.  It was almost too close.  If they’d been at home, it would be fine, but they were likely to draw attention this way.  Oh, well, too bad if people didn’t like it.  Somehow the warmth of Kurt’s body was soothing to his slightly agitated mind.  There was really no reason to worry, he’d done these get-togethers a number of times.  They were all friends, they’d all adore Kurt, and everyone would have a good time.

“Ooh, there’s a sale on bananas!  Can we get some?”  Kurt almost immediately added, “I’m sorry, you said to stick to the list.”

“It’s okay, this isn’t going to slow us down.”  Adam grabbed a bunch of bananas as they passed the display.  Though he wasn’t sure he was ready to actually watch Kurt eat a banana.

It didn’t take as long as Adam thought to gather everything they needed.  He found another indoor grill, and added that to the basket.  No one looked twice at them, and they saw some other people with leashed pets.  They didn’t get so much as a blink when they picked up a dozen steaks.  As they passed the clothing aisles, he saw Kurt glance over, looking for something, but he seemed disappointed.  

“Ah, yellow shirt?” he hazarded.

“How’d you know?”  Kurt looked adorably flustered.  “Yeah, but I don’t see any.”

“If you want, we can go to another store afterwards,” Adam offered.

“No, it’s okay.  It’ll be fine.”

He didn’t seem too upset about it, so Adam decided to let it go.

To Adam’s surprise, they made it all the way out of the store without anyone making rude comments (in their hearing anyway) or in any way harassing them.  They were almost out to the car, when they heard a woman yelling, “Angie!  Where are you?  Angie!  Come back to Mama!”

“Oh, I hope they find the kid soon,” Adam fretted.  He wasn’t sure whether to feel sorrier for the lost child, or the frantic mother.

“Uh-oh,” Kurt said.  He abruptly stopped walking, forcing Adam to stop.  He looked around, to make sure there were no cars backing out or coming down their aisle.

“Kurt, what –“

Kurt  bent down, and was making some cooing sounds, holding his hands out.  An adorable gray kitten ran over to him and jumped into his hands.  He held her carefully to his chest, one hand covering her head, trying to keep her from jumping out of his hands in panic.

“Ma’am,” Adam called.  He waved his free hand, and the woman came running over, holding the end of a leash in one hand.  “I believe we’ve found your daughter.  Is this Angie?”

Kurt moved a couple of fingers so the woman could see the kitten he held, but she couldn’t escape.

“Oh!  Angie, why did you – thank you so much, I don’t know what – you shouldn’t have done that, Angie – thank you!  She somehow unfastened the leash.”

Kurt handed the little ball of fluff over.  “She probably got scared because of all the people, and might have felt safer changing.”

“Poor thing,” Adam commented.

The mother sighed.  “She’s also more likely to get stepped on, or run over, or picked up by someone who wouldn’t return her.  I can’t thank you gentlemen enough.  I’d like to give you a reward –“  She tried to juggle her hybrid daughter, her purse, and a full shopping basket.

“No, no, we were just glad to help,” Adam insisted.  “Can we help you get to your car?”

The woman looked a little nervous, a lot frazzled, and a little relieved.

“I’ll steer the cart, if you’d like to show me where your car is,” Adam suggested. 

Angie was clinging to her mother, yet looking back at Kurt, making little mewing and meeping sounds.  Kurt was smiling at her and making odd little sounds of his own.  Adam wondered if they understood each other.

“Yes,” the woman sighed, “Thank you so much.  It’s the red Honda in the next aisle.  I’m Susan, by the way.”

“I’m Adam, and this is Kurt.  I’m glad we found little Angie.  This parking lot isn’t a safe place for little people, let alone kittens.”

The security guard who had started to walk towards the woman when she first started calling had stopped, but was watching them closely.  Once he saw Adam loading the items into the woman’s car, he relaxed a bit.

Susan was pleading with Angie to change back.  “Honey, I don’t have your carrier with me.  I’m going to put it in the trunk from now on, but for now, you need to change back for me, so I can get you in your seat.”

Adam wasn't sure the girl understood her mother’s words, assuming she was old enough to speak.  He had no idea how old the child was, as he couldn’t even estimate the age of the kitten.

“I don’t know why she’s being so stubborn,” Susan fretted.

“She’s scared,” Kurt repeated.  “How old is she?”

“She’s two.  I should have left her at home with her father, but he’s sick, and I didn’t want her to catch his flu.”

Kurt reached out slowly and carefully, and touched Angie’s ears, nose, and stroked her whiskers.  Then he placed his finger back on his own ears, nose, and stroked his own clean-shaven cheek.  He repeated the motion on Angie.  Suddenly, Susan was holding a wriggling two-year-old child, who was reaching for Kurt.

“Kitty,” she said clearly.  “Mama, kitty!”  She was making grabby motions, as though he were a stuffed toy she wanted.  Kurt was grinning, but had his hands at his sides.

“Yes, baby, he’s like you.  But we need to let these nice men go, and get home to your daddy.”

“Daddy!” she yelled.

“She has a healthy set of lungs,” Adam observed, wincing slightly.

The security guard looked over, but Susan waved him away.  “Thank you, everything’s fine,” she called.

She looked at Kurt and sighed.  “I’m sorry, I think she wants to pet your face and hair.  If you don’t mind, it might settle her down.”

To Adam’s amazement, Kurt shrugged and bent down a little, so his face was closer to Angie’s level, and moved closer.  

She petted his hair, tangled her fingers in it and pulled, but Kurt didn’t even wince, he just grinned.  She petted his face and his ears, and looked a little puzzled.

“Daddy?” she asked.

“Yes, sweetie, he’s like you and your daddy.  Guess what?  Daddy misses you, and he wants his medicine, so let’s get home.”

It was now easier for her to maneuver the child into the seat and buckle her in.  “Thank you both, so much.”

“We’re happy to be able to help.”

Kurt waved at Angie.  “Bye-bye.”

She waved back.  “Bye, Kurtie.”

Adam pushed the cart to their own car.  “Well, that was exciting.  By the way – Kurtie?”

“I think she was trying to say my name, and kitty, and it got mixed up.”

“I’m glad you spotted her.”

“I saw her mother was holding the leash, so I thought it might be a good idea to look for a kitten instead of a kid, and I saw her right away.”

“Well, you’ve certainly done your good deed for the day, and added two more to your harem.”

“What harem?  What are you talking about?”

“Never mind.  It’s just that women, of all types and ages, seem to be drawn to you.”

Kurt shrugged.  “Dunno why, but they’ve all been nice enough.”

Adam thought it might be best to wait till they got home to mention to Kurt that he should comb his hair again.

“I wonder why she didn’t think I was a kitty, too?” Adam asked.

“She probably saw you were holding the leash, and didn't have a collar, so she knew you were human.  Also, you smell like a human, rather than a hybrid cat.”

“So you can tell the difference between hybrids and humans just by their scent?"

"Uh-huh.  We smell like a combination of human and cat, or human and dog, or rabbit, whatever.  It's not the same as a human who has a dog.  It's similar, but different.  I don't know how to explain it."

"You're doing a good job explaining it.  But what if – I was just thinking, what if Susan’s husband –“

“He’s not her husband, he’s technically her pet.”

“What?  How do you know?”

Kurt looked down at his hands and sighed, though his voice was a bit rougher than usual.  “Hybrids can’t get married.  I think my dad wanted to marry my mom, but he wasn’t allowed.”

“Really?  Ridiculous.”

“Maybe, but that’s the law.”

Adam was realizing there was still a hell of a lot more he didn’t know about hybrids than what he did know.  He thought it might be a good idea to study up on all the legal aspects, so they didn’t accidentally break any laws.

“Anyway, what I was thinking is, what if the mother was the one who was sick, and needed medicine?  Could her hus – Angie’s father, have gone out, with or without Angie along, to get what she needed?”

“I dunno,”  Kurt shrugged.  “Depends on how long they’d been together, how safe he’d have felt going out in public without her.  But he probably wouldn’t have taken Angie, just too many complications when the owner isn’t around.”

Adam was quiet on the rest of the trip.  He was thinking perhaps it was time to consult his lawyer, about a number of things.


	24. Chapter 24

Kurt was quiet on the drive back. When the car was parked and they were on their way back to the apartment, trying to get all their purchases upstairs, Adam voiced his thoughts. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the mother and child they’d just met.

“It was cute how Angie kept looking at you and wanted to pet you.”

Kurt nodded. “I think she wanted me to turn into a cat so we could play, but I knew we didn’t have time.”

“What was that you were doing, touching her face and yours?”

“I was trying to show her that, right then she had pointy ears, whiskers, and a flat nose, and she should go back to looking more like me, rounder ears, no whiskers, and a nose that sticks out.”

“She got all that?”

“I guess so.”

“What would have happened, I wonder, if we’d been somewhere else, where it might have been safe for you to change, and if she’d stayed a child?”

“We still could have played. She’d probably have been a little more careful than a regular kid that age might be, to not pull on my tail or my ears. If she’d changed, too, I’d have been very careful not to hurt her, ‘cause I’d be a lot bigger than her.”

“Well, I guess she’s got her father to show her the ropes, so to speak, when she does change.”

“Yeah, I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“Until she’s old enough for the government to take her away from her parents,” Adam sighed.

“She’s too young to know about that now, but when she’s four, they’ll send her to a special school for hybrids, and she’ll start learning more about what to expect.”

“And what about her parents, when she’s taken away?”

Kurt shrugged. “They may decide to have another baby, or just do whatever all they couldn’t do when they had a kid-kitty underfoot.”

Adam thought the relief of having more privacy and fewer responsibilities must be outweighed by missing their child, but at least they didn’t have to worry about that. Neither of them could get pregnant.

 

 

  
They spent most of the day preparing for Adam’s friends to come over that afternoon. It was a relief to Kurt to know they weren’t all going to be there, though he wasn’t sure why so many had excuses.  


“Do you think they’re telling the truth?” Kurt asked hesitantly, “Or do they not like the idea of me being here? You told them I'm a hybrid, right?"

Adam shrugged, but didn’t seem too concerned. “I told them. I hope they’re telling the truth, but if not, I think it’s more likely that it’s me they’re avoiding, than you. I think you’re right, that some of them might be intimidated by the apartment, the food I serve, the way I serve it…we all get along fine at school, or someone else’s place, it’s just when they’re here that people are a little different, maybe a little quieter. I never gave it to much thought before. Hopefully it will be easier this time.”

“So how many are coming?”

“Seven, out of twelve. I don’t expect you to be able to remember everyone’s names, but you’ll be seeing them again, and you’ll eventually learn.”

“I’ll try to learn their names,” Kurt promised. “I was thinking, there are some pictures in the living room, of you and a lot of people. If those are the Apples, can you show me which of them are coming?”

“That’s a brilliant idea, Kurt! Thank you for reminding me about that. I’ll do that as soon as we’re done here.”

Kurt prepared the salad and the mashed potatoes, and Adam worked on preparing the steaks. They would wait till their guests arrived, and attempt to grill the steaks to order. Adam had decided he would handle the requests for well done, and Kurt could do the rare and medium ones.

Finally everything was ready. Kurt combed his hair, annoyed that Adam hadn’t said anything about how messy it was. Angie’s doing, no doubt, but he couldn’t really get upset with her. She was just curious. Then he realized it didn’t matter, since he was going to shower and wash his hair anyway. He had plenty of time, despite Adam’s misgivings. He might like to take an hour or so to get ready, but if necessary, he could do everything in half that time, especially if he knew for sure what he was wearing.

When Kurt came back out to the living room, Adam was still wearing the same clothes, a light blue button-down shirt that brought out his eyes, a dark pair of jeans, and a black vest. He was going without a beanie, to Kurt’s relief. He preferred to be able to touch Adam’s hair without the cap getting in the way. Adam was looking at some of the framed photographs. He looked up when he heard Kurt.

“Ah, there you are! You look smashing.” 

He kissed Kurt, who had to restrain himself from prolonging the kiss. He knew they didn’t have much time before people started showing up. But maybe tonight, after everyone went home, they could make out a little. He hoped he could talk Adam into it.

Kurt sat next to Adam on the couch, and looked at the group of smiling people.

“This is the most recent picture, taken a few months ago, I think. I won’t confuse you with the names of the ones who won’t be able to make it tonight. In order, here we go. 

“This is Clark, the handsome fellow with the glasses. He’ll be here for sure, and he’s anxious to meet you. He and a couple of the girls have been trying to fix me up with someone for ages, so they’re thrilled I found someone on my own. This is Eric, next to him.”

“The one with the – is that a goatee? It’s so small, it’s hard to tell.”

“Yep, that’s him, and it is a goatee. Don’t make fun of it. Next to him is Steve, but we usually call him Ron.”

“Is that his middle name?”

“No, it’s because he bears a slight resemblance to an older Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter movies, though his hair is more strawberry blond than red.”

“Okay. That reminds me, can we watch the first movie after we finish the first book, so it’s still in my mind?”

“If you want. We’ll have to pick up the reading maybe tomorrow night, though, because things may run quite late tonight. Feel free to go to bed whenever you’re ready. You’re welcome to stay up as late as you like, but it’s going to be a long, rather stressful day. Even good stress is still stress, as far as your body is concerned.”

“Nobody will mind if I go to bed early?”

“No, it should be fine. They might want to say good night to you, but no-one will try to stop you. And remember, if you get overwhelmed and just need to be alone, or change, it’s okay, you can just go to your room.”

“Good. Who else is coming?” He really did want to meet Adam’s friends, but he wanted some idea what to expect.

“This one won’t be here. Next to him is Joey, the one with the dark hair. He’s got a bit of an odd sense of humor --   Well, scratch that, I suppose that could be said for most of us.”

Kurt smiled faintly. He was still trying to get used to Adam’s sense of humor.

“This pretty redhead is Tessa. Even though she and Ron look like they could possibly be related, they aren’t.”

“Got it. And this one?”

“That’s May. She’s an excellent dancer.”

“She’s really pretty. She reminds me a little of Tina. She was adopted before I was. I think she was Korean.”

“May is Japanese. She speaks that language very fluently, so if you ever need anything translated –” He looked expectantly at Kurt.

Kurt just looked puzzled. “I don’t think so. I’m still not that good at reading English.”

“It was a joke, darling. Never mind.”

“Okay.” Kurt looked a little more at ease now.

“And next to May is Jessica.”

“That’s a really cool Mohawk, but the glasses are kind of…“ he trailed off, not being able to think of a polite way to say they didn’t suit her.

“Sometimes she wears contact lenses, like I do. I know she looks kind of tough, but she’s very sweet and rather maternal. She kind of wants to mother all of us.”

“Okay. I’ll try to remember the names, but at least I’ll have a little bit better idea now who they are.”

Adam checked on the food one more time. The salad was chilling in the refrigerator, and the steak, potatoes, and rolls were ready to go in the oven when they were getting closer to dinnertime. Kurt checked to make sure they had sufficient quantities of drinks in the refrigerator. He knew Adam would take care of the wine, beer, and whatever else alcoholic that anyone wanted.  Adam asked Kurt to help him with the hors d’oerves. It was only frozen mini-quiches and cheese and crackers. Kurt had reluctantly gone along with frozen quiches instead of making them from scratch when Adam pointed out how little time they had. He made Adam promise it would only be this one time, and the next time they’d plan ahead and do things properly.

“Of course we will, I’m sorry,” Adam apologized. “I really should have started figuring out the menu and everything a lot earlier. Next time we’ll figure all this out a week in advance, alright?”

Kurt agreed to forgive him.

At five minutes after three, no one had arrived, and Kurt was getting concerned, though Adam didn’t seem worried.

“Don’t worry, darling, they’re not technically late yet. If this were an actual rehearsal for a performance, about half would be early, a few right on time, and only a couple would be arriving late, but only by a few minutes. I won’t consider it late until at least 3:30; that’s when I’ll start to feel like maybe we’ve been stood up.”

Kurt did his breathing exercises while waiting for Adam’s guests to arrive. He looked over at Adam and smiled. He was trying to act like this was no big deal, but Kurt could tell he was now a bit nervous. It could be for any number of reasons, but whatever it was, Kurt wanted to take his mind off his worries.

“Hey, Adam?”

“Hm?” He looked distracted, and that wasn’t going to help either of them.

“Can we make out while we’re waiting for people to get here?”

As he’d hoped, the question startled Adam into paying attention.

“What? No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He seemed to realize how it sounded. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but it would be a little embarrassing if it were too obvious what we’d been doing.”

“Gee, that’s too bad,” Kurt murmured. “Because I really want to kiss you right now.”

“Well, you can’t –“

He leaned over and kissed Adam quite thoroughly, then abruptly pulled back and patted him on the cheek.

“You’re right, we really shouldn’t start anything we can’t finish.” He lowered his eyes demurely, then looked up at Adam through his lashes.

“Kurt, that’s really cruel, you know?” Adam protested half-heartedly. "Enough of that,” he ordered sternly. “Not right now.”

“Later?”

“Not tonight.” He softened his words with a smile and a brief hug. “We’ll both be tired –“

The phone rang, signaling a visitor who needed to be let into the building.

Adam answered rather breathlessly.

“Hello? Hi Tessa! Oh, Jessica’s with you? That’s good. I’ll be down in a moment to let you in.”

He turned to Kurt. “I’m just going downstairs to get the girls, then we’ll be right back up. Why don’t you stay here, in case anybody calls? Someone might have a last-minute change of plans.”

“It’s okay for me to answer the phone?” Kurt asked, not expecting this.

“Of course. Just let them know it’s Adam Crawford’s residence, and tell them you’ll take a message. There’s a pad and pen there by the phone.” He paused, as a thought struck him. “I know you have trouble reading, but what about writing?”

Kurt blushed, and looked down at his shoes. “I think I can manage people’s names, and write down the phone number. I’m good with numbers. If the name’s not spelled right, you can probably figure it out?” he asked hopefully. He didn’t want to disappoint Adam. It was such a simple request.

“That’s fine, just do your best. I have everyone’s numbers in my cell phone anyway.” He didn’t point out that anyone who called would be more likely to call his cell. He was hoping to distract Kurt from feeling like he had to sit beside the door until Adam returned, in less than five minutes.

“The girls are waiting. I’ll be back soon. Oh, and if you can put the quiches in the oven, it should be hot enough now, but check.”

Kurt waved him away. “Got it, don’t worry.”

He put the quiches in the oven, and set the timer, and set the cheese and cracker tray out on the coffee table, and the small plate of carrot and celery sticks, even though Adam said he would probably be the only one eating them. There were already a stack of small plates and napkins, and serving forks.

He walked around the room restlessly. He wished Adam hadn’t left, and didn’t want him to bring anyone else into their home. He knew it was stupid and childish, but he didn’t really feel like sharing Adam with anyone. He wondered if he could run and get Harriet, and keep her with him after all, but remembered he had nowhere to keep her safe. Besides, it would be a little embarrassing to explain to Adam’s friends that he needed a toy mouse for security. They might wonder if there were other things wrong with him, aside from being a hybrid, and might think Adam deserved someone better. Which he did, of course he did, because Adam was so smart, and nice, and funny, and handsome, and everything anyone could possibly want. How could he compete with someone else who really wanted Adam?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Adam’s key in the lock. He hurried over to stand beside the door – not in front of it, because it would hurt if the door opened and he was standing in the way. He’d figured that out, several times, when waiting for his dad.

Adam came in with two women.

“There you are, Kurt! This is Tessa, and Jessica. Ladies, this is Kurt, my…” He took a deep breath. “Boyfriend.”

Both women shook his hand, and Tessa squealed. “Adam! You didn’t tell me he was so adorable!”

“Adorable?” Jessica repeated, “He’s gorgeous!”

Kurt blinked a few times, but didn’t know what to say.

“Um, thanks?” he ventured quietly.

Adam was ushering them all into the living room. “What would you like to drink? I’ll be right back.”

Kurt wondered if he should go with him, but Adam shook his head. Great. He’d have to stay out here with two complete strangers and try to make small talk, and –

Jessica sat down on the sofa and put her hand around Kurt’s wrist, dragging him down to sit next to her. Tessa sat on his other side.

“So, boyfriend, huh?” Jessica asked. 

“It’s about time Adam found someone,” Tessa stated, “though this is a little sudden.”

“He looks really happy, doesn’t he?” Jessica asked her.

She nodded emphatically. “Yeah, a lot more than the last time I saw him.”

They both turned to Kurt, and he was afraid he’d be turning his head like at a tennis game to keep them both in sight.

“Tell us everything!” Tessa was practically bouncing on the sofa in her exuberance. “We want to know everything about you.”

“We have to make sure you’re good enough for our Adam,” Jessica warned, but then she confused him by winking.

He didn’t know what to say, what they wanted to hear, that would prove he was worthy of being Adam’s boyfriend, because he actually wasn’t. But they were expecting him to say something.

“Um, uh…”

“Jess, take it easy, you’re scaring him!” Tessa scolded. She put her arm around Kurt’t shoulders. “Don’t worry, we’re just a little protective of Adam, ‘cause he’s had a couple of lousy boyfriends before, and –“

“Tessa!” Adam called out loudly. “I forgot to put ice in the glasses! Would you do that for me, please, right now?” His voice was tight, and Kurt was able to take a few seconds off from being nervous, to being a little worried for her.

“Yes, sir, boss!” she called. She let go of Kurt. “Be right back! Jess, take good care of him.” She sailed past Adam, whispering something Kurt couldn’t hear, even with his excellent hearing. Adam laughed, and smiled at Kurt, so he relaxed just a little more.

“Don’t worry, kiddo,” Jessica reassured him, “nobody’s gonna bite you. Unless you want someone to,” she added suggestively.

Adam was standing in front of them, several glasses of soda in his hands. “Here you go, Jessica!” 

He sounded rather forceful, for Adam, and was smiling too cheerfully.

Jessica took the drink and nodded. “Got it. No teasing the newbie.” She took a long drink of her soda.

“Thank you.”

He handed Kurt a glass containing Diet Coke. “Th-th-thanks,” Kurt whispered.

Adam sat next to Kurt and put an arm around his waist. Kurt sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head on Adam’s shoulder. Adam tipped his head to rest on Kurt’s for just a moment before looking up to see Tessa coming back in. She looked slightly embarrassed. She took a seat in a comfortable chair opposite the sofa.

“Any idea when the rest of the gang will be here?” Adam asked.

Jessica looked at her watch. “Pretty soon, I would think.”

The oven dinged, announcing the quiches should be ready. “I’ll get that,” Kurt announced, awkwardly trying to get out from between Adam and Jessica.

“I can get it,” Adam suggested, watching his reaction.

“No! That’s fine, I’ve got it!”

Adam nodded, and let him go. 

He wanted to listen in, but the oven was too far away for him to hear anything other than the murmur of voices. He concentrated on getting the food out of the oven, and finding a plate to serve it on. He had to let the quiches cool before he put them on the plate. He washed his hands extra thoroughly while he waited. Once everything was set up to his satisfaction, he carried the serving tray into the living room.

Tessa raised her voice. “Oh wow, what is that? It smells fantastic!”

Adam smiled gratefully at her, and got up to help Kurt with the tray. They set it on the table and sat down again, as everyone served themselves. Kurt took a quiche, two carrot sticks and two celery sticks, and just sat there, looking at the floor.

Adam carefully nudged him. “Eat,” he whispered, “you’ll feel better.”

Kurt nodded, and slowly ate the quiche, though he couldn’t really taste it.

“These are great!” Jessica said enthusiastically, reaching for another quiche. “Did you make these?”

“No, they’re frozen,” Adam admitted. “Kurt told me next time we need to plan ahead, and he’ll make them the right way, from scratch.”

“Ooh, I’ll be sure to be there for that!”

“Do you do a lot of cooking from scratch?” Jessica asked Kurt. “I mostly rely on frozen stuff, ‘cause I just don’t have time,” she confessed.

“Yeah, I – um, I like to cook, from scratch, when I get a chance,” Kurt answered hesitantly, still nervous.

The phone rang again. Adam extricated himself from Kurt, who slid down to the far end of the sofa to sit, with his back against the arm and his feet up on the cushion in front of him.

Jessica and Tessa exchanged a look and nodded, but Kurt had no idea what it meant.

Adam set the phone down. “That was Clark and Ron. They drove separately but got here at the same time. Hopefully the others will get here soon. Will everyone be alright while I go down to get them?”

  
The girls assured him they'd be fine.

Kurt found a way to make himself an even smaller target. He didn’t trust himself to look at Adam, in case he ended up begging him to stay and send everyone home. He knew he couldn’t do that, it would ruin everything.

“Kurt, would you do me a favor?”

He closed his eyes and swallowed, then looked at Adam.

“Yes, Adam. Of course.”

Adam frowned, like maybe he’d said the wrong thing. Kurt tried to think quickly of what he should have said instead.

“I can’t believe I forgot to make sure the piano is in tune. We’re going to need it in a little while, so would you please check it? You can tune it if it’s off, right?”

“Oh, sure, definitely.”

“Good. See you all in a few minutes.”

The door closed, and he was alone with the two strangers, the ones who were so protective of Adam, and wanted to make sure he was good enough for him. Adam wasn’t here to protect him now. How much damage could they do to him before Adam got back? He knew there were lots of ways to hurt someone so they didn’t bruise or it didn’t show at all. He didn’t dare try to defend himself; he could only hope they’d be satisfied with beating him up, and wouldn’t tell Adam he should get his money back for him. He didn’t think he could stand going back to the pet store again.


	25. Chapter 25

“You play piano, too?” Tessa asked, eyes sparkling.

Jessica turned towards him.  “Adam told us you sing, but didn’t mention the piano playing.”

“I have a feeling there’s a LOT Adam isn’t telling us,” Tessa pouted.

“I think you’re right.”

“We should take him out to lunch some day soon.”

Jessica nodded.  “Or better yet, take Kurt out to lunch.”

He wondered what they really meant; “out to lunch” was obviously some kind of code.  He also wondered if he needed to be part of the conversation at all, or if the girls would just carry on without him.  He really should go tune the piano, like Adam had told him to do.  But were they waiting for him to move to pounce on him?  No, that wasn’t right, he wasn’t a mouse, and they weren’t cats, just people.  He needed to make himself bigger, not smaller, to show them he wasn’t scared.  It was easier when he was a cat, to fluff up his fur and arch his back and look half again his usual size, but there wasn’t much he could do as a human.

He still couldn’t see both of them at the same time, and Tessa was sort of in the way of the piano; at least, he’d need to walk near her to get there.  He decided it was more important to do what Adam said than worry about getting beat up by Adam’s friends.  They didn’t look all that threatening, really, judging by their body language.  He slowly unfolded himself from his position on the couch and got to his feet.  He was torn between not looking at them and hoping they wouldn’t pay attention to him, and looking directly at them to let them know he wasn’t scared.

The two of them looked at each other again and he tensed.  Then he took a deep breath and walked towards the piano.

Tessa smiled at him as he passed, and didn’t try to reach out and stop him or hit him, so that was a good sign.

“Do you play classical piano, or more modern songs?” Jessica asked, surprising him.

“Um…different kinds of things.  Some classical, usually more recent.”  He winced at the sound of his voice.  Too high.  Well, it was always higher than he wanted.  But then, they weren’t laughing at him or making fun of him, so maybe it hadn’t offended them?

He reached the safety of the piano and sat down.  He tried to ignore the girls and focus on the tuning.  He tested every key, using a tuning fork, but they all sounded good.  He recalled Adam had said he’d had the piano professionally tuned a couple of months ago, so it should be fine.

“Will you play us something?” Jessica asked.

“And sing?” Tessa added.  “We really want to hear you sing.”

He desperately wondered where Adam was.  What was taking so long?  Was the elevator broken?  Oh no!  Adam could be stuck for hours! 

Without really thinking about it, because his hands happened to be on the keys, he started playing something soothing.  He wasn’t going to panic just yet.  He didn’t need to look at the music; he knew most of these songs by heart.  He sang along as he played, focusing on the song rather than his chaotic thoughts.

_ Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice _  
_ In the church where a wedding has been _  
_ Lives in a dream _  
_ Waits at the window _  
_ Wearing a face that she keeps _  
_ In a jar by the door _  
_ Who is it for? _

_ All the lonely people _  
_ Where do they all come from? _  
_ All the lonely people _  
_ Where do they all belong? _

When he finished the song, he was startled to hear Adam say, “That was breathtaking, Kurt.”

He turned around to face the door.  Adam was there, and three people he didn’t know.  How did he not hear the key in the lock?

Then he registered the applause coming from the two women already in the room.

“Kurt, that was beautiful,” Tessa said.

“You sounded fantastic, man,” one of the newcomers said, the boy with strawberry blond hair.  Ron, he recalled.

“Thank you,” he responded quietly, still not sure it was safe to believe that they liked his voice.  Or maybe they meant the piano playing?

He stood up uncertainly and walked over to Adam, who was grinning broadly at him.

“You are amazing.”  Adam hugged him briefly, then introduced him to the three other men.

“This is Ron, Clark, and Joey.  He showed up while I was letting the other two in.  Guys, this is my boyfriend, Kurt.”

The three of them shook Kurt’s hand, and all were smiling and seemed genuinely pleased to meet him, like they weren’t just saying it.

“So who else is coming?” Jessica asked.

“May and Eric.  Hopefully they’ll be here soon.  In the meantime, help yourselves to appetizers, and let me know what you want to drink.  As soon as everyone is here, we’ll put the steaks on.”

“Mm, steak!” Clark moaned.  “You know how long it’s been since I’ve had a good steak?”

“At least I know I’ll always get plenty to eat here,” Joey sighed.  “So how come it’s not some fancy unpronounceable thing I’ve never heard of before?” he teased.

“Because someone with more sense than me helped plan the menu,” Adam said, putting a hand on Kurt’s shoulder and keeping it there.

“Thanks, man!” Ron said to Kurt, seeming genuinely pleased.  Then he looked at Adam with a look of apology.  “Sorry, I don’t mean anything, it’s just I kinda like to stick to food I know.”

“Me, too,” a couple othere people muttered, but Kurt couldn’t identify the voices.

“Well, I’m glad we finally got that straightened out!” Adam said firmly.  “Kurt was getting a little overwhelmed by all the plates and utensils, and asked if we could scale things back a bit.  He was hoping no one would mind too much.”

“No, thank God I don’t have to figure out which fork to use for the salad or the meat!”  

Ron sounded so happy about that, it made Kurt feel much better.  He just hoped it wouldn’t upset Adam.

“Hey, dude, I dig your shoes!” Joey exclaimed, pointing at the yellow tennis shoes.

“Th-thank you,” he said quietly, wondering if Joey was setting him up somehow.  But no one said any of the things he’d have expected from his fellow hybrids, so he felt a bit more relaxed.

Adam brought in some chairs from the dining room.  He sat on the sofa next to Kurt, close enough that their legs were touching.  The sofa was crowded, though, so nobody said anything about it.  They all started chattering about different things, and Kurt tried to pay attention as best he could.  The phone rang again, this time announcing Eric and May.

Adam stood up.  “That’s everybody then.  If you want anything more to drink, help yourselves, and I’ll be right back.  I’ll put the steaks on in a little while.”

Kurt wanted to run after Adam and ask if he could come with him, but he forced himself to stay where he was.

Clark turned to him and said, “Adam didn’t really tell us much about you, and I have to say, I really haven’t met many hybrids.  The ones I did meet were with their owners, and wouldn’t talk --  Oh, wait, did I say the wrong thing?  Is ‘owner’ the wrong term?”

The other conversations died down, making Kurt even more uncomfortable.  But he could tell by Clark’s body language that he wasn’t trying to be rude.

“No, that’s the right term.”  He cleared his throat.  “Adam adopted me from the pet store, but legally, yes, he owns me.”

A couple of the others looked a bit uncomfortable, but he wasn’t sure which part was upsetting them.

Tessa spoke up.  “We never had any hybrid pets in our family, just, you know, regular – um, fully animal – um, oh, God, I’m really putting my foot in my mouth.”

Kurt suddenly realized none of these people were looking at him with hatred, or even anger.  Maybe a little bit of confusion, curiosity, and some things he couldn’t quite identify, but nothing that felt threatening.  He wanted to make Tessa feel better.

“It’s okay.  I know what you mean.  I think maybe a lot of people don’t know that much about hybrids, if they haven’t spent much time with them?”

He hadn’t meant it to sound so much like a question.

Ron spoke up, leaning forward and looking directly at Kurt.  “Yeah, I think that’s true.  I mean, most of us have heard all kinds of things, rumors, I guess.  Some things contradict others, so it’s really hard to know what’s true and what’s just someone’s opinion.”

“Or their idea of a joke,” Jessica added angrily.  “Some people don’t really think that much before they speak.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard a lot of really hurtful things,” Tessa began.

“Uh-huh,” he agreed.  “I’m not even sure how much I’ve heard from other people is true.  I just know what my own experience was like, and what I saw with the other hybrids at the pet store.  But even they used to say all kinds of weird sh – stuff, to get me to react, I think.”

He saw a few angry looks, and ducked his head down, wishing he’d kept his mouth shut.

“How long were you there?” Clark asked.  His voice sounded curious, not sarcastic or angry.

Maybe it would be better to answer, and get it over with.  “Over five years, almost six, before Adam adopted me.”

A few jaws dropped, and he heard some gasps.

“That long?  You were there all that time without anyone –“

“Yeah, no one wanted me.  Well, I think a couple of people did, but they were kinda creepy, so I sort of made them not want me.”

“How’d you do that?” Joey asked.

He blushed.  “I don’t want to say.”

“That’s okay,” Jessica soothed, “We don’t want you to say anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

“I hope we didn’t upset you earlier,” Tessa interjected.  “Adam told us you were shy and not too well-socialized yet, but I didn’t know what he meant by that,” Tessa confessed.  “I think he didn’t even want to tell us that much.”

Kurt decided to take a chance, before Adam got back.  “So does that mean you’re not going to tell Adam I’m not good enough for him, and tell him he should take me back to the store?”

“What?” Tessa asked.  “What makes you –“

“Oh, no!”  Jessica’s pale face drained of what little color she had.  “Oh, Kurt, I’m so sorry, I was just joking!”  She explained to the others, “I told him we would have to make sure he was good enough for Adam, but I didn’t mean anything like that.”

Kurt blinked back tears, determined not to cry.  “I heard, from some of the others in the store, that sometimes friends or relatives don’t like someone adopting a hybrid, so they do whatever they can to convince the owner they’re not good enough.  They either return them to the store for a different hybrid, or just get most of their money back.”

“I’ve never heard of that happening,” Ron said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it happens, occasionally,” Jessica said, “’cause some people are just jealous, or cruel.  But no, honey, please don’t think any of us would do that.  Like I said, we’re protective of Adam ‘cause he’s had a couple of bad boyfriends, but we say that kind of thing to, well, anyone’s new boyfriend or girlfriend.  Just to let them know they can’t just deliberately hurt our friend with no consequences.  It’s more a way of protecting Adam than actually threatening you.”

“We wouldn’t do that, man,” Joey insisted.  "Not seriously."

“No way!” a few people chorused.

The door opened, and Adam came in with May and Eric in tow.  He looked around the suddenly very quiet room.  He studied Kurt carefully, and Kurt tentatively smiled at him.

“Well, we’re all here now,” Adam announced.  “May, Eric, this is Kurt, my boyfriend.  He’s a little shy, but hopefully he’s getting over that a bit.”

Kurt nodded.

“Kurt’s been schooling us a little bit about hybrids,” Ron confessed.  “’Cause I think most of us are woefully ignorant.”

“Good.  I still have a lot to learn, but he’s being very patient with me.”  Adam sounded serious, but he grinned at Kurt.  “So, everyone get comfortable.  I’m going to make sure everything’s okay in the kitchen.”

“Do you want some help?” Kurt asked.

Adam shook his head.  “No, I think I’ve got things under control.  I’ll let you know when I need you for the steaks, though.”  He paused.  “And don’t any of you start telling Kurt any embarrassing stories about me.”

He promptly walked into the kitchen.

“He didn’t!”  Jessica gasped.

“He did!”  Clark confirmed.

“We all heard him,” Eric agreed.

“So, Kurt, it’s now our duty to tell you every embarrassing story we can think of, about Adam,” Joey explained.

“But he said not to!” Kurt protested.

Tessa waved that away.  “He’ll stop us when he gets back, so we don’t have much time.  So there was this one time in dance class – and you’ve gotta understand, the instructor, Cassandra July, she’s this total bitch –“

“And total slut –“ May chimed in.

“But really hot,” Ron insisted.

Tessa continued.  “She’s looking at Adam, who’s wearing these tight yoga pants and a tank top –“

Jessica picked up the story, “Looking very hot, as I’m sure you know –“

“Jess!  Shut up!” May scolded.

“Anyway,” she went on, “She’s looking at him like he’s dessert and she’s starving, so she says –“

“Brit boy, you need to stay after class and work on your form,” several voices chorused, having heard the story before.

“And Adam says, ‘Miss July, my form is better than yours, and I’ve heard what goes on in your ‘tutoring sessions’, and I’m not interested.”

They all start laughing.

In between bouts of laughter, May wheezed out, “She threatened to flunk him out of class.”

“It’s my story!” Tessa argued.  “Anyway, right outside the door is Carmen Thibodeaux, the Dean of Vocal Studies.  She and Cassandra have been enemies like forever.  She steps in and says, “Sorry, honey, won’t do you any good.  He doesn’t need your class, ‘cause he could dance rings around you.  And he doesn’t bat for your team anyway.”

“And Adam,” Jessica picked up the story, “he bows so deeply to Cassandra, it’s like an insult, and says, ‘I was looking for a good excuse to leave this class anyway.  I don’t need the credits.’  And he picks up his bag and walks out.”

“And the entire class started clapping,” Eric finished.  “It was hilarious!”

Kurt was grinning, trying to picture all this.

“And I think that’s quite enough for now,” Adam interrupted them.  “If you want to have dinner served at a reasonable time.”  He had a pad of paper and a pen in his hands.  “Everything else is just about ready.  If you’ll tell me how you want your steak – your choices are rare, medium, or well-done – Kurt and I will get started on them.”

To Kurt's pleased surprise, nobody objected to him cooking their steak.

Once he’d written down all the requests, he nodded.  “Got it.  I trust you can all entertain yourselves for a little while?  Feel free to use the piano.  You can sort out your own seating at dinner.”

“Man, he _is_ more relaxed,” Ron muttered, “gettin’ it on the regular’s good for him.”

“Ron, shut up!” both Tessa and Jessica shrieked at him.  Jessica reached across and hit him on the shoulder.

“Ow!  What was that for?  I was just –“

“Shut up!” May hissed.  She glared at Ron.  “Just because Kurt’s a hybrid, doesn’t mean he’s a sex kitten!”

Kurt was glad she’d stood up for him, as he was starting to get embarrassed.  But Adam pulled him all the way out of the doorway, and it was harder to hear from deeper in the kitchen.

“I’m sorry, they don’t mean any harm,” Adam apologized.  “Like they said, a lot of people really don’t know what’s true about hybrids, and what’s just a rumor or story.”

“Sex kitten was pretty funny, actually,” Kurt observed.  “I haven’t heard that one before.”

“They really don’t mean any harm.  But we’d better get started with dinner.  I’ll turn the grills on.  You can heat the mashed potatoes and rolls.  Then it’ll be time to start on the well-done steaks, and a few minutes later, the medium ones, and the rare ones last.  Hopefully everything will be ready at about the same time.  Okay?”

“Sure.”

Kurt realized he felt much better, now that it was just Adam and him again.

“Kurt, I want to make sure you’re okay.  I guess I should have told them a little more about you, or to not ask you a lot of questions, but I wasn’t sure what I should say, and what would be a violation of your privacy.”

“Privacy?  What’s that?” Kurt asked lightly.  He bit his tongue to keep from saying anything else. 

“I’m sorry –“

“It’s not your fault.  Neither of us really know what we’re doing, right?”  Adam nodded, and he continued.  “I don’t know what to tell them, or not tell them, either.  But at least now I’m pretty sure they’re not going to --  “

Adam stopped what he was doing and put his hand carefully on Kurt’s arm, so he didn’t startle him.  “What were you afraid of?”

“Never mind.”  Kurt shrugged off the question, but put his hand on top of Adam’s for a moment.  “I don’t want you to worry.  I was just getting upset over nothing, apparently.  Kind of letting my imagination get too carried away.”

“Ah.  Well, I suspect that having all these people over here at the same time isn’t helping.  I should have postponed it for at least another week or two, till you were more settled.”

“No, it’s okay.  I’ll be fine.  But yeah, it would be nice to have some more time with just you, and not anyone else for a while.”

Adam bit his lip, then continued.  “What about tomorrow, going over to see Lily and Misty?  Would you rather put that off for a little while?”

Kurt tried not to stamp his feet and pout.  “No, I want to go see them!  At least now I know them.  It’s just new people that make me kind of nervous.”

“That’s understandable.  A lot of people get nervous around groups of people, or new people.”

“That’s good,” Kurt sighed.  

They finished preparing the food, and when everything was ready, they started to carry it into the dining room.

There was a lot of noise in the living room; May was playing the piano, and she and Tessa and Ron were singing.  Eric, Joey, Jessica and Clark were laughing, talking about somebody they knew from school, it sounded like.

Adam put his hands to the side of his mouth the amplify his voice:

“Alright, everybody, dinner is served!”

“Damn, I need to wash my hands,” Tessa muttered.  “Be right back.”

“Nope, you have to wait.  I gotta pee first!”

Tessa rolled her eyes at Joey.  “Fine, but hurry up!”

Adam said, “You can use my bathroom, Joey.”  

He glanced at Kurt, who spoke up.  “Tessa, you can use my bathroom if you want.  You know where it is?”

“Yeah, honey, I do.  Thank you.”  She smiled warmly and squeezed his shoulder.

Everyone else tried to get seated at the table.  It turned out that the larger table was enough for the nine of them, if they squeezed in.

Kurt had asked Adam earlier, if it would be easier, for him to sit on the floor near Adam’s feet, so there would be room for the others at the table.

“What, as a cat?”

“No, a human.”

He didn’t know why Adam had taken it so badly, but he’d gotten really upset.  He insisted Kurt would sit at the table with everyone else, as an equal, because he was an equal.

Well, if Adam wanted to look at it that way, it wasn’t the time to argue.

Ron started to sit down near Adam’s end of the table, to his right, but Adam told him that was Kurt’s chair.  He didn’t seem upset about having to move.

They eventually sorted themselves out, with Clark taking the seat at the far end of the table, opposite Adam.  On Adam’s right were Kurt, Tessa (who surprisingly won a wrestling match with Jessica over who got to sit next to Kurt), and Eric.  On Adam’s left were Jessica, Joey, Ron and May.  Kurt brought out the side dishes, and Adam served the steaks.  Luckily, they got all the orders right.

Adam sat down, and they all got settled.  “Well, at least we’re all at the same table.”

He proposed a toast to friendship, and they all drank.  Both Kurt and Adam were drinking diet soda, and most of the rest were having wine.  They all began eating, and kept the talking to a minimum for a bit.

“Oh, speaking of ‘friends’…” Ron started, using air quotes.

“We were?” Jessica asked, one eyebrow raised.

“A couple of minutes ago, yeah.  Guess who I saw at the bank yesterday?”

After a number of false guesses, he gave in.  “Sebastian Smythe!”

“Sebastard!” a couple of people shouted.  “Let’s have a drink to NOT having to put up with him anymore!”

They all drank, though Kurt had no idea what was going on.

Adam laughed.  “I should tell you all, I ran into him the other day.  Kurt, I should have told you, but there were so many other things going on, it didn’t seem like a good time.  I had run to the grocery store a couple of blocks away to get a few things for the party, and some things Kurt needed.  I’m waiting in line, and of course, Sebastian is there.”

“Don’t tell me, he was the cashier?  I hope?” Tessa asked.

“Ooh, that would have made an even better story!  Sadly, no, he was just there buying wine.”  He turned to Kurt to explain.  “This is a fellow we went to school with, who was in various classes with most of us.  He was sort of the school – what’s the term?”

“Manwhore,” Jessica answered decisively.

“Yes, that.  I think he was determined to have sex with every guy in the school.  Those few of us who were of the right persuasion, but were not taken in by him –“

Clark started choking, and so did Eric.

“Oh, no, don’t tell me you –“

“Yeah,” Clark managed, when May had pounded his back (rather harder than necessary to help his breathing, Kurt thought), “I  was stupid.  He wasn’t nearly as good as he seemed to think he was.”

“No, he’s not,” Eric agreed.

The others teased them mercilessly for their lack of taste, before letting Adam resume his story.

“As I was saying, those of us who managed to resist him –“

“Meaning you,” Joey interpreted.

“Right.  I guess he wanted a perfect score or something, so he was pissed about that, then there’s the fact that I beat him at Midnight Madness.”

“What’s that, a game?” Kurt asked, bewildered.

“Nope,” Clark explained.  “It’s like a battle of the bands, but it’s just one singer against another.  Kinda like Fight Club, but they just sing, rather than fight.  Some supposedly neutral party picks the song, they both have to sing it, and whoever is there in the audience votes for them.  Whoever gets the most votes is basically King of the School, or Queen -- if a woman wins, until the next challenge.  The loser is heaped with scorn and infamy for the rest of his days.”

“Which, in Sebastard’s case, weren’t that many, since he got caught cheating on an exam and was thrown out,” May concluded, taking great delight in that fact.

“But I don’t quite get why you all seem to hate him so much,” Kurt interjected, wondering what Sebastian’s side of things was.  He knew what it was like to have everyone against you, sometimes based on very little information.

“Ah, let me explain, darling, why we call him Sebastard.”  Adam patted Kurt’s hand briefly.  “He’s rude, crude and ill-mannered.  His family has more money than God, and his father is State’s Attorney General or some such, so he thinks he can get away with breaking the law and Daddy will cover it up.”

“Except it didn’t work that way at NYADA,” Joey interrupted.  “They’re really strict about stuff like that.  They don’t care how much money or supposed influence you have, you get caught cheating and you’re out.”

“Sebastian really carries a grudge,” Adam continued, “and he thought I won only because I had my “barrel of Apples” there to defend me.  I don’t know what he expected; I wasn’t exactly well-liked in school, except by these fine people.”

“But why not?  You’re awesome!  You’re so smart, and thoughtful, and sweet, and considerate of other people, and you’re funny, and gorgeous, and you have a great voice…why wouldn’t everyone like you?”

“Let’s vote:  All in favor of Adam getting to keep Kurt, say Aye,” Tessa exclaimed.

There was a loud chorus of “Aye’s”.

“There you go, he’s a keeper.  Adam, you’d better take good care of Kurt, ‘cause it’s obvious he’ll take good care of you.”

They all drank, and Adam laughed. 

Kurt looked slightly alarmed until Adam explained.  “They’ve decided, not only do you get their seal of approval as a boyfriend for me, but they’re warning me I’d better be worthy of you, too.”

“If you’re not, I’ll take him off your hands for you,” Tessa teased.

“Damn it, woman, you will not!  I want him!” Jessica argued.

Kurt started tensing up.

“No, I’ll take him!” Clark protested.

Adam took Kurt’s hand and squeezed, and kept holding it.

“That’s not fair, I want him!” May argued.

Joey raised his glass.  “I’ll take him, and I’m not even gay.”  He drank, and wondered why everyone was staring at him.

“What?”

Adam held Kurt’s hand tightly.

“Don’t worry, darling, they’re all teasing.  I think.  They like you, and they’re just letting me know that if I don’t take good enough care of you, and you want to leave me, they’ll adopt you.  But they’re joking.”

“No, I’ll never leave you, Adam!  I love you!”

There was a collective “Awwwwwwwwwww!” so loud Kurt was afraid it might disturb Lily.

Kurt blushed, but felt immensely better.  He supposed he’d misjudged Adam’s friends.  They all seemed a lot nicer than he’d expected.

Adam squeezed his hand once more, then let go, so they could finish their dinner.

“Does Sebastard still look like a meerkat?”  Ron asked.

“What?”  Kurt thought he must have heard wrong. 

“Yes, he does.”  Adam saw Kurt’s puzzled look.  “He looks a bit like a meerkat.  You know, those little weasel-type things, like in The Lion King, or on Animal Planet?”

Kurt was nodding, now he knew what they meant.  Sebastian didn’t look like a “mere cat”.

“Are you sure he’s not a hybrid?” Joey asked. 

Several of the others glared at him.  “It’s just a joke, kind of?  Kurt, do they have hybrid meerkats?”

He thought about it carefully.  “Not that I’ve ever heard.  But if he was a hybrid, he wouldn’t have been allowed to go to college, and you’d have all seen his collar.”  He lightly touched his own, then went back to eating, not looking at the others.

“I wish he knew more about what it was like,” Adam interrupted quickly.  “He was incredibly rude when he realized I was also buying Hybrid Cat Chow.  He was quite insulting as to my reasons for having a hybrid pet at my age.”

“Why?” Kurt asked.  “I know a lot of people don’t approve, but what does age have to do with it?”

Adam sighed, and looked like he wished he’d kept his mouth shut.  “Well, according to _him_ , hybrids are mostly good for first-time or early sexual experiences.  He seemed to think maybe I couldn’t find a boyfriend on my own, so I had to buy one.”

Everyone at the table bristled at that.

“Well, I guess in a way he’s right, but that wasn’t quite what I had in mind.  Apparently, his family got him a hybrid dog when he was in his early teens, so he seemed to think he knew all about everything.”

Several of Adam’s friends shuddered, but Kurt wasn’t sure why.

“I feel sorry for any pet of Sebastard’s,” Jessica sighed.  “He’s such a selfish asshole.”

Kurt was tensing up again, and he’d lost his appetite.  He’d managed to finish most of his dinner already.

“That’s putting it mildly,” Ron muttered.  “But yeah, it sounds like he was one of those guys you hear about, that give everybody a bad name, of the people that get hybrids, I mean.”

“What Ron means,” Tessa interpreted, smiling gently at Kurt, “is that you were really lucky you found Adam, or he found you.  Not everyone treats their hybrids the way Sebastian apparently did, but –“  She trailed off, unsure of how to put it politely.

“Yes, most people do tend to think hybrids are used just for sex,” Kurt explained carefully, “but some are better suited to be companions for children, or sort of like regular household pets, but ones you can talk to.  Though I’m not sure many people really bother to talk to, or listen to, their pets.”

“Another reason you got lucky with Adam,” Clark interjected.  “He does like to talk, but he’s a good listener, too.”

“Thank you for that ringing endorsement,” Adam sighed.  “And now, if everyone is finished, I’ll bring out the dessert.  Kurt, do you want to help me?  I think it’s more than I can carry.”

Kurt sighed, but went with him, glad to get away from the others for a few minutes.  They were nice, but the whole situation was exhausting.

Adam took him aside in the kitchen before Kurt could head to the cookies.  “Darling, I’m sorry if this is upsetting you.  I swear, they mean well.”

“No, I get it.  I’m just, I dunno.  Tired, maybe.”

“Well, you didn’t get your nap today, did you?”

Kurt shook his head.

“I’m sorry, I should have insisted you do that.”

“There wasn’t time.”

“I should have made time!”  

Adam looked exasperated, but Kurt was pretty sure he wasn’t upset at him.

Adam took his hand briefly.  “Tell you what, after dessert, we’ll probably sing for a bit.  You can join us for as long as you like, then go to bed early if you want.  No one will think badly of you if you do.”

“I understand.  And you probably want to spend time with each other, without me in the way.”

“Kurt, sweetheart, no, that’s not it.”  Adam hugged him, then let him go.  “But we’d better get the cookies and ice cream, before they start thinking we’re doing something else in here!”

Kurt laughed, and that seemed to help ease some of the tension in his stomach.  He thought maybe he’d be able to handle a cookie and some ice cream after all.

 

_Lyrics to “Eleanor Rigby” by John Lennon & Paul McCartney_


	26. Chapter 26

Kurt was pleased to see that everyone loved the cookies. Not all of them were ready to try to Oreo-stuffed ones, but the chocolate chip recipe was a hit.

Several people got up to carry things to the kitchen, but Adam told them to leave the dishes in the sink, and he’d do them later, or have Nancy do them. Since this was typical, nobody tried to insist.

They moved the furniture around so there was plenty of space in the living room near the piano for dancing. 

Adam sat at the piano, and suggested a song they all knew. Kurt was the only one who didn’t know it, but he was happy to just sit and listen. He loved the choreography they did along with the song.

Adam told them a bit about New Directions, and how Mr. Schuester had tried to form the hybrids into a singing group, with little success.

“I wish that had worked out,” Clark sighed. “It might have helped people realize that hybrids are more like us than different.”

“Kurt, why do you think you all got such a bad reception?” May asked.

He shrugged, never having been able to entirely figure it out. “I guess people wanted to see us as hybrids, as animals, not just another singing act. Maybe if Mr. Will had found a way to get us to sing while in our animal forms, it would have gone over better. But that doesn’t work.”

“I’ve always wondered why they won’t let hybrids be in show business,” Eric said, “It’s stupid, when they have TV shows that have hybrid characters, they always have a regular human play them when they’re human, then some trained animal play when they’re a cat or dog or whatever.”

“And it’s always played for laughs,” Ron added. “A lot of the time it’s funny, but now I’m thinking it seems more mean-spirited than I realized.”

Kurt had only occasionally seen bits and pieces of the comedy shows where someone was playing a hybrid. His parents had always monitored his TV watching for just that reason, so he wouldn’t be upset at something he saw that was making fun of hybrids.

“Wouldn’t it be easier, and cheaper, to pay a hybrid, and let them change?” Clark asked. “Or is it difficult, or painful or something?”

“Wait a second. Kurt, do you mind answering our questions, or are we upsetting you?” Jessica asked.

“No, it’s fine. I don’t mind.” He tried to smile at her as he said it. He turned to Clark, to answer his question. “No, it doesn’t hurt, and it’s not hard to do, but it can get tiring if you have to keep changing back and forth a few times a day. If they were able to film it so the actor could spend most of the day in one form or another, and film all those scenes, without going back and forth, it wouldn’t be a problem. But I think it’s more because we’re not supposed to have jobs of any kind, or make money.”

“That makes no sense to me,” Tessa argued. “Why not?”

“For one thing, I think people believe we can’t control ourselves, and would turn back before we’re supposed to. And also because animals can’t have jobs, or make money. Well, the animal actors they use on TV, technically they’re working, but they’re carefully trained, and their owners are the ones who get the money. We’re not supposed to get confused and start thinking we’re just like humans, after all,” Kurt said, not bothering to hide his bitterness. He thought he might not have felt the same way a month or two ago, but now that some people were treating him like a human, he was starting to question a lot of things.

“But you are – I mean, as far as I can tell, you are human,” Ron objected. “Maybe a little more nervous than the average, but it sounds like that’s kind of trained into you.”

“Something like that,” Kurt confirmed. He was having a lot of thoughts and feelings that were inconvenient, and it seemed like a good idea to get the focus back on the music. “Did you guys want to do another song? I really liked listening to you, and watching you.”

“Did you do choreography for your songs, with your group?” Eric persisted in asking.

“Yeah,” Kurt sighed, “and that may have been part of the problem. That, and song choice. One of the first songs we did together was “Push It” by Salt-n-Pepa –“

“Oh my God, did you really do that song? With the original choreography?” Jessica asked, holding her hand to her mouth. “I’d have paid good money to see that.”

“Me, too,” Adam grinned.

“I think maybe it was a little too suggestive for the old people’s home we sang at,” Kurt suggested. “Mr. Will didn’t always think everything through very carefully.” He laughed. “I’m surprised we weren’t all pregnant after that.”

“Do you – can you –“ Joey started to ask.

“No, male hybrids can’t get pregnant. Females can, with either another hybrid, or a human.”

“What about, like, cross-species pregnancy? Like, a cat-hybrid and a dog-hybrid?”

“I’ve never heard of that happening. I think there’s a basic lack of attraction there, that keeps stuff like that from happening,” Kurt explained.

“But I read, in ‘Weird World News’, about something like that,” Joey protested.

“Consider the source, Joey,” Adam sighed. “I’m sure it was made up to sell papers.” 

Adam looked through the sheet music. He found something he thought Kurt would know.

“How about this one?”

They all agreed, and Kurt found it very easy to pick up the choreography they were creating on the fly. 

After a couple more songs though, he realized he was too tired to keep using so much energy. Before they started the next song, he said, “I think I’ll sit this one out.”

Adam went to his side and hugged him. “If you want to go to bed, Kurt, it’s okay. I can’t guarantee we can keep things quiet, but –“

“Don’t worry about that. I can sleep through it if I’m tired enough. But I think I’m going to change, then go to bed.”

“Good idea. Do you want to say goodnight, or just leave?”

“Maybe I should say goodnight?”

“Okay. Hey, everyone, Kurt is tired and needs to go to bed, so he wanted to say goodnight to you.”

Everyone wished him well and said they hoped they would see him again at the next gathering.

“I’m glad I had the chance to meet you all. I know you mean a lot to Adam, so now I feel better knowing he has such caring friends.”

Kurt tolerated a few backslaps, handshakes, and hugs, before he was able to escape to his room.

He felt like he’d had plenty to eat, and all he wanted to do at the moment was collapse into bed, but he put on pajamas first. He tried sleeping as a human, but realized it wasn’t going to work because Adam wasn’t in here with him, he was out there with everyone else.

In moments he was in his cat form, and immediately more comfortable, even though the bed was still too big. He was able to fall asleep fairly quickly.

 

 

Kurt wasn’t sure what woke him. His door was still closed, and no-one was in the room with him. Maybe that was part of the problem. He didn’t expect Adam to be ready for bed yet, and he’d probably go to his own room anyway. He looked for Harriet, but he couldn’t find her. He tried to think where he’d last left her. He recalled getting up and bringing her to Adam’s bed the night before, and Adam had thrown her out into the hall – playfully, he was sure, not like he was rejecting her. He’d gone after her, but where had he taken her after that?

His vision was good in low light, but it was awfully dark in the room. He tried jumping up to reach the light switch, but couldn’t turn it on. He debated about changing back to human, to turn on the light and continue looking, but he wanted to stay as he was. He kept jumping up, and kept missing the switch. It was a rocker switch, so it should have been easy enough to just press it and turn the light on, but he couldn’t get quite at the right angle. He did manage to hit the wall a few times, and muttered to himself in frustration.

He was startled when the door opened.

“Kurt, what in the world are you doing?”

Adam looked puzzled, not irritated, so Kurt wasn’t worried.

“Meep!” he answered.

“I don’t know what that means,” Adam confessed, with a small smile.

“MEEP!”

“Saying it louder isn’t going to help. It’s not that I can’t hear you, I just can’t understand you.”

“Meep, meep, meep!”

“Let me turn the light on and see if that helps.”

Kurt purred and rubbed his face against Adam’s legs.

“Is that what you wanted, the light on?”

Kurt nodded. “Mrrrrowwww?”

Adam sighed. “Darling, I don’t mind playing 20 questions with you when you’re a human, but I still don’t understand cat.”

“Ffffffftttttttttt!”

“Same to you! Now what –“

Kurt jumped up and down, and moved his paws as though batting something back and forth.

“Oh, are you looking for Harriet?”

“Mrrrrrowwww!”

“That means Harriet, does it? I’ll have to remember that.”

“Is everything alright, Adam? Oh, how adorable!”

Kurt tensed at the new voice, then saw it was Jessica speaking. He ran and hid under the bed.

“Oh, great! Damn it, Kurt!”

“Oh, no! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare him.”

Kurt assumed Adam was speaking to Jessica as he said, “I was going to help Kurt find something he’s looking for, but it seems he’d rather sulk under the bed. Guess I’ll leave him to it.”

Kurt heard the sound of the door shutting. He hissed and started growling, then ran out from under the bed. Maybe he could find Harriet more easily now the light was on.

About the same time he saw Adam’s feet, he was picked up and held tightly to Adam’s chest. Normally, he would have enjoyed the cuddling, but at the moment he was extremely hissed off about being outwitted, and let Adam know it. Loudly.

Still, he could barely hear his own grumbling over the sound of Jessica cooing and talking ridiculous baby talk at him.

“Can I pet him, Adam, please?”

Adam laughed, though he didn’t sound too happy. “I don’t think this is the best time. But if he’ll let you –“

Luckily for all of them, Jessica stopped with the baby talk.

“Hi Kurt. I really would love to pet you. Is that okay?”

He thought about it carefully, and nodded.

“He can understand me?” she asked Adam.

_Hey, I’m right here, ya know! ___

“Yes, if he’s actually paying attention, he can understand you. At other times, I’m not sure if he’s not paying attention, or if it’s selective hearing.”

Kurt decided it was in both their best interests that he pretend he hadn’t heard that.

Jessica slowly reached her hand out. Since he could see it coming, and knew she intended to pet him, it didn’t startle him. Her long nails actually felt good combing through his fur.

“Oh my God, his fur is so soft and fluffy!”

She chose that moment to scratch behind his ears, so Kurt decided he’d let her live. 

I am not soft and fluffy, I am a fierce predator. __

His ego rapidly deflated as Adam explained, “I think he’s looking for his toy mouse. It’s this hideously bright pink thing, you can’t miss it. He treats it more like it’s his pet than a toy.”

Jessica shook her head, but didn’t stop scratching under his chin. It sounded like she was having a little trouble breathing as she said, “I haven’t seen it. But now, I so desperately want to!”

“Well, shall we help him find it?”

Kurt heard a number of gasps, squeals and giggles, and realized most of Adam’s friends had crowded into the room, probably to see what the hell was taking their friends so long. He leaped down from Adam’s arms, hit the floor running, and dodged several pairs of feet, to get out to the relative safety of the living room. That’s most likely where he would find Harriet anyway. Unless she was hiding from him…he hadn’t thought of that possibility.

He realized he’d been followed, by everyone who was still in the bedroom, so now they were all out here, staring at him. Every one of them. Giggling, laughing, making bizarre sounds that he wished only dogs could hear, and they were all talking at once.

He decided to ignore them all while he found Harriet, then he’d grab her, run back to his room, and stay in there forever. Under the bed or in the closet, and never come out again. Except perhaps for food…or to go to the bathroom. Yuck. Definitely coming out for that.

He finally started listening to the words, as he tried to avoid all the feet and grasping hands trying to catch him, for some purpose he couldn’t fathom.

“Can Kurt stay a while?”

“Is it okay if we pet him?”

“I wanna hold him and love him and squeeze him and call him George!”

_Why in the world would you want to do that? My name is Kurt, damn it! ___

“He’s so cute!”

“He’s adorable!”

“He’s so fluffy and pretty…can I call a boy cat pretty?”

“If it’s Kurt, you can.”

No, Adam did NOT just say that. Must have been someone else with a British accent.

“What are you looking for, sweetie?”

“A bright pink mouse,” Adam helpfully explained. “You’ll know it if you see it.”

He ignored them all. He also hated them all, not coincidentally.

“Come here, baby!”

“Come on, Kurt, I just want to see if your fur is as soft as it looks!”

At the moment he wished his fur was made of barbed wire.

“I see something pink. Is this it?”

Kurt looked up at Ron, who had his hand in between the sofa cushions. He pulled it out, and Kurt could see bright pink fur between his fingers.

Kurt made happy noises and waved his paws in a clear “gimme!” gesture, but Ron didn’t seem to understand, as he was looking at the mouse. At Harriet. As though she were some kind of object, or toy, or -- Oh, yeah.

He carefully tossed Harriet to Kurt, rather than getting too close. If he’d been close enough, Kurt might have rubbed against his legs in thanks, but as it was, he just pounced on Harriet. He looked her over carefully, and she seemed to be fine. He laid down on top of her, glaring at them all and daring them to try to take her, if they wanted to lose a hand.

“He’s just so incredibly adorable!”

“You keep saying that!”

“Well, he is! And so protective of his baby! Is that your baby, honey, or your pet?”

Tessa stopped, as though she realized she might have crossed a line.

“He can understand you, you know. Ask him if you can pet him.” He looked at Kurt. “You can say no, if you want. Either way is fine with me.”

Kurt looked at Adam, and mewed at him. Adam walked closer, and knelt down. He scratched Kurt’s head. “What do you want?”

He’d scooted himself backwards so Harriet was now between his paws, rather than under his stomach. He made strange little growling sounds while looking up at Adam. He picked Harriet up in his mouth, and tried desperately to ignore the ridiculous humans and their bizarre fascination for his furry form.

“What’s the matter, love?” Adam moved his hand from Kurt’s head to the floor in front of him.

Kurt dropped Harriet into Adam’s hand. 

Adam grinned. “Do you want me to look after Harriet for you, while you’re entertaining our guests?”

“Mrrrrrp?”

“Oh my God, her name is Harriet!”

“So cute! I can’t believe it!”

“Where’s my phone? I need to get some pictures.”

_Enough of this nonsense! _“Hssssss fffffffttttttt!”__

“Er, Clark, sorry, I think that’s a ‘no’.”

“Whoops! My bad,” someone else said.

“Joey, please delete the picture. You, too, May.”

They pouted, but did as Adam asked.

Adam started stroking the soft fur of the mouse, as Kurt settled down on the floor again. He decided Adam would keep her safe for now.

They were all still murmuring, talking, and cooing.

“I think one at a time will be best,” Adam said. “I’m sure he’s still tired; he can’t have been napping that long. Please don’t overwhelm him, and make sure he can see you. In other words, don’t sneak up behind him and try to pet him. I won’t be responsible if you get hurt.”

Kurt sighed. He had a feeling it was going to be a long evening. On the other hand, at least for the moment, rather than feeling despised, he was feeling like a king, magnanimously making an appearance before his loyal subjects, granting or denying their requests as he saw fit. He purred as the first supplicant approached.


	27. Chapter 27

Kurt heard Adam’s voice again. “I do hope none of you is allergic to cats. I forgot to ask.”

Great, now he had something new to worry about. After a chorus of “no”’s, Kurt relaxed again.

“Kurt,” Adam spoke again. “If you don’t mind, it might be easier if you sit on the sofa, and Tessa can sit beside you, instead of her having to get down on the floor. It’ll be easier on everyone’s back that way.”

Kurt sighed, but slowly stood up and stretched. He walked past the giggling crowd of admirers and leaped up on the sofa. He settled into the corner, laying on his stomach, and waited for Tessa to approach.

She sat next to him, close but not right up against him, which he appreciated.

“Is it okay if I pet you now, Kurt?”

He nodded, and she carefully reached out and started stroking his back. Her nails were short, but it still felt nice when she let her fingers sink into his fur.

“Oh! He’s sooooo soft! Pretty kitty,” she cooed, then looked horrified. “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t – Adam, this seems weird.”

“Don’t I know it,” he confirmed. “I’ve been trying to keep Kurt the person and kitty Kurt separate in my mind, but I don’t think it’s that simple. They are both aspects of him, but right now he’s physically a cat, with some human personality traits, and can understand us. He’s much better trained than most cats, though. I don’t have to worry about him destroying the furniture, or breaking something he mistakes for a toy.”

“Does he have any other toys to play with as a cat?” Ron asked.

“Er, not yet. We need to go shopping soon. I found the mouse – Harriet – for him, but I think he should get to choose what other toys he wants.”

They got a few offers of help on their shopping trip, and Kurt tensed up and shook his head.

“No, thank you all for offering, but we’ll be fine handling that on our own.”

Kurt decided to act surprised if he received gifts of cat toys in the future, and he would pretend to be grateful, even if they were hideous or ridiculous.

He was enjoying Tessa’s continued attentions. She very carefully stroked his tail, and he purred to let her know it was okay.

After a bit other people begged for a turn. Tessa was replaced by May, who was very gentle and considerate, then Ron, who was a bit rougher, but more out of ignorance of cats than malice. Kurt thought he had a pretty good instinct for who naturally liked cats and who didn’t.

“I was just thinking,” Clark said, as he took Ron’s place, “You know who’s not comfortable around cats? Adam 2.” He scratched behind Kurt’s ears, and lifted the collar to scratch underneath it. Kurt was tempted to lick his hand, but restrained himself to purring instead.

“Oh, yeah, that’s right,” Eric said. “I’m not sure if he’s allergic, or just doesn’t like cats.”

“That’s crazy, who doesn’t like cats?” Joey asked. 

“Lots of people,” May replied. “Some people hate them enough to hurt them, just for existing.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m sorry, Kurt, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

It wasn’t exactly news to him. It was another reason his parents wouldn’t let him out of the house as a cat, no matter how badly he wanted to play outside. Even with his father watching, they didn’t want to take a chance on all the animal, and human, predators out there, or cars.

“Well, I’ll find out if Adam 2 feels that way,” Adam asserted. “If so, he’s no longer welcome here, and I’ll have Kurt stay here if he’s going to be at any future gatherings.”

“You think that’s why he didn’t show?” Joey asked, replacing Clark.

“I would hope he would have been honest with me, were that the case.” Adam sighed. “He said he had to pick up another shift at work, so I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt until I learn otherwise.”

“As far as I know, nobody else has problems with cats.” Joey was a little hesitant in petting Kurt, though he soon relaxed.

“I’ll find out from the others before they meet Kurt.” 

He appreciated Adam being so protective.

“By the way, you don’t all have to pet or talk to Kurt, if you’re not comfortable with it. It just seemed like you all were fascinated, and I thought this might be the best way for you to get to know this…other side of him.”

Both Eric and Jessica insisted they wanted to get to know him as a cat as well. Eric was a bit rougher than most of the others, but again, Kurt didn’t sense it was from meanness. But he thought he could smell the reason on Eric anyway, that he was used to bigger animals. He decided to forgive him.

“Sorry, Kurt, I’ll bet you don’t like dogs too much, but I’ve got two at home.”

Kurt whined a little, low in his throat.

“They’re good dogs, though, they’re nice,” Eric added.

Adam laughed, then turned it into a cough. “I’m sorry, Eric, but when we meet at your house, I don’t think Kurt will be joining us. At least, he won’t be turning into a cat there. I’ll find out later if he objects to dogs when he’s human.”

“Well, they might object to him, even as a human,” Eric sighed. “You’ve met them, they’d never hurt anybody. But when I’ve been walking them, and a hybrid is nearby…a human, wearing a collar, walking with somebody…the dogs start growling. I don’t know if the hybrids were cats, or dogs, or what, when they’re animals, but my dogs got nervous.”

Kurt decided he might need to educate Eric as to other reasons his dogs might have objected. It could well have been the human the hybrid was with that set the dogs off.

“I just realized, if someone is walking their dog on a leash, how do you know if the dog is a real dog – sorry, regular dog? Or if it’s a hybrid?”

“I have no idea. Maybe Kurt can tell you next time he sees you.”

Kurt shrugged. He had no trouble telling them apart, mainly by their smell, but he suspected most people weren’t so sensitive. 

Jessica went last, since she’d been the first to see him as a cat.

“Aren’t you the most adorable little thing ever,” she whispered. “As a cat or a human.”

Kurt wasn’t sure whether to be insulted or not, though he was sure Jessica meant it as a compliment. It was confusing, though. Nobody had ever accused him of being adorable as a human. If anything, they shied away from him, or made fun of him, or flat out told him he was too ugly, too feminine for girls or gay guys to like him, and too gay for straight guys to tolerate. Oddly enough, none of Adam’s straight male friends seemed to object to either of them being gay, or boyfriends, but they presumably had known that about Adam for a while. 

Kurt started yawning, so Adam decided it was time for him to go back to bed, and the group to go back to singing, if they were still up for it.

“I’ll be right back,” he promised. “Let’s get you back to bed.” He picked Kurt up and brought him and Harriet, back to Kurt’s room, and deposited them on the bed.

“Are you going to be alright here?”

Kurt nodded, and yawned again.

“I’ll turn the light off now. I’ll check on you before I go to bed, okay?”

Kurt meowed his agreement with this plan. When he was alone again, with the light off and the door closed, he sighed and tried to go back to sleep. He pulled Harriet closer, and rested his chin on her. She was warm from Adam’s hands, and smelled like him, too. It was almost enough. 

Kurt jumped off the bed and started tugging at the hoodie, which was hanging from the back of the chair. He finally pulled it free, and with some effort, dragged it back up to the bed and snuggled into the opening. He reached over with his paw and grabbed Harriet, and brought her into the hoodie with him. Within moments he was asleep.

 

 

A couple of hours later, Adam said goodnight to the last of his guests. It had been a wildly successful evening, he thought, and as he’d suspected, everyone had fallen in love with Kurt. If not as a human, then as a cat, and he suspected some of them were in love with him in both forms. Well, too bad, Kurt was his.

He looked around the living room, dining room and kitchen, and decided it wasn’t too bad. He stopped the drain in the sink, poured in some dish soap, and let the hot water run for a while. He’d let things soak overnight, and hopefully he and Kurt could get them clean in the morning. There were definitely enough for the dishwasher, but he wanted to get the worst of the food off first. He did put away the leftover food, lest it tempt Kurt, if he happened to prowl out to the kitchen in search of a midnight snack. Adam poured some of the dry hybrid cat food into Kurt’s food bowl, so he could have something healthier to snack on.

He glanced at his watch and blinked. Half-past two? Good thing he didn’t have to be up early the next day.

Before he allowed himself to go to bed, he stopped by Kurt’s room, as he’d promised. Then he had to run and find his phone, so he could take a picture. He thought it might well be worth investing in a good digital camera at this rate. Kurt was on his own bed, “wearing” Adam’s NYADA hoodie, with Harriet peeking out from between Kurt’s neck and chin. He’d have to remember to ask one of the Apples who were still at school to buy him another. This one was navy blue, and looked adorable on Kurt, but now he had an excuse to get the burgundy one.

He wondered if he could get away with using the flash, or if that would wake Kurt. He decided to risk it. He managed to get several pictures before Kurt woke, wriggled out of the hoodie, and came over to tell him what he thought of this rude awakening.

“I know, I’m sorry, darling. Let me make it up to you. You want to sleep on my bed instead?”

He sighed as he watched Kurt’s back end exiting the room, fluffy tail waving exuberantly. He hoped Kurt understood he was too tired to play, and just wanted to sleep.

He needn’t have worried. By the time he finished in the bathroom and changed into his sweatpants and t-shirt, Kurt was sleeping soundly, on the correct side of the bed. As soon as Adam settled down, Kurt shifted closer and snuggled in as close as he could get. Adam turned on his side, facing Kurt, several layers of covers separating them. He saw Kurt shivering, and reached over to throw the end of the duvet closest to Kurt over him. Kurt sighed and licked his hand in thanks.

“You’re welcome. Good night.”

He heard a sleepy murmur that quickly turned to snoring. Good, now he could get to sleep himself.

 

 

Kurt woke a couple of times during the night, which wasn’t unusual for him in cat form. He was too hot, though he’d appreciated the cover earlier. He went to the kitchen, and was disappointed to find no leftovers that were easily accessible. He did, however, find the kibble in his dish. He was fine with settling for crunchies. He debated about playing with some of them before eating them, and swiped a pawful out of the bowl and onto the floor. That was more like it! He skidded on the linoleum, tracking down all the tasty treats. He had to make sure to get them all, so they didn’t get ground into powder by him or Adam walking on them later. No point in wasting them that way.

When he thought he’d located them all, he looked around for something to do, before he got tired enough to go back to bed. He tried leaping up on one of the kitchen chairs, then the table. From there he jumped onto the counter, and finally, the top of the refrigerator. King of the World! He surveyed his kingdom, but it was lacking in anything truly entertaining, so he was soon bored. Back down onto the counter, table, chair. Next time he skipped the chair, and went directly up to the table, then down again. Borrrrrrring.

He stretched as far as he could, and trotted back to Adam’s bedroom. He was as stealthy as possible in getting back onto the bed, not wanting to wake Adam. But for some reason, it woke him up anyway.

“Kurt? What are you doing? Go back to sleep, please? I’m exhausted.”

Well, fine. He wouldn’t annoy Adam any more, he’d just stay on his own side of the bed. Very, very far away from his human. He didn’t like being so far away, so he rolled over, ending up a bit closer to Adam. He still wasn’t comfortable and rolled over again. It was fun, so he did it again, until he bumped into Adam.

“Kurt!” Adam growled. “Stay in one place and go to sleep or I’m sending you to your own room!”

Fine. He would stay exactly where he was, half on top of Adam. It was actually pretty comfortable.

 

 

Kurt woke early, and figured Adam would need more time to sleep. He was very careful in rolling away from him and jumping off the bed, trying not to disturb the sleeping man. He wanted to stay as he was and explore the apartment some more, but it was going to be a busy day, and he had a lot to do. Once he was in human form again, he took a long shower, and figured he’d have plenty of time for moisturizing and his full morning routine before he had to show up for breakfast. 

He gave a lot of thought to the events of the previous night, and decided he felt pretty good about everything. He certainly hadn’t meant to show his cat form to so many of Adam’s friends so soon, if at all, but none of them had freaked out or hurt him. They’d all treated him really well. But he couldn’t understand why all the girls seemed so think he was cute, even as a human. He’d seen himself in mirrors, as a cat as well as a human, so he had no problem understanding why they thought he was cute as a cat, though he tended to think of his cat-self as “handsome” rather than “cute” or “adorable”. 

The problem was the guys. They’d also used those words to describe him, as a cat. Not one of the guys had said he was hot, or cute, or anything like that, as a human. Well, maybe they were trying to be sensitive to Adam’s feelings, but why were the girls okay with expressing their attraction? He just didn’t understand people, sometimes.

When he’d completed his morning routine, complete with exercises, he thought for sure Adam would be up. But he wasn’t. He got out his pencils and paper and worked on some more designs for Lily, since he would be seeing her later today. After a while, he was happy with the changes he’d made to his earlier designs, but Adam still wasn’t up, so he couldn’t show them to him.

Maybe he should go check on him, to make sure he was okay.

The door was still wide open, and he could see Adam was still asleep. It was almost 10:00, and he had to go to Lily’s that afternoon. It wouldn’t give them much time together, and they still had to clean up and do the dishes.

Well, no, actually he could do those things on his own. He didn’t need Adam there to supervise him, and he probably needed the extra sleep anyway.

He didn’t want to run the dishwasher, because the noise would definitely wake Adam. Since the dishes had been soaking overnight, it was pretty easy to clean them thoroughly and set them in the dish drainer to dry. When the dishes, silverware, glasses, pots and pans were all done, and the grills scrubbed clean, he cleaned the rest of the kitchen. He hadn’t left any pawprints on the table or counters, but thought Adam would probably appreciate those surfaces being washed anyway.

He thought about cleaning up the living room, but moving the furniture around might wake Adam up, and he really didn’t want to do that.

Maybe he should check on him one more time.

Adam looked exactly the same as he had earlier. Kurt carefully put his finger under Adam’s nose, without touching it, to make sure he was still breathing. It would be horrible if Adam had just stopped breathing in the middle of the night…no, he was still alive. But also still asleep. Kurt looked at the inviting bed that he knew was very comfortable. He didn’t want to mess up his clothes, so he took everything off but his underwear, undershirt, and socks. He carefully climbed on the bed and stretched out next to Adam, on top of the covers. He covered himself with part of the comforter, and was soon snoring in Adam’s ear.

 

 

Adam woke to the sound of snoring, and sighed. He glanced over, and sure enough, Kurt was next to him, in human form. Judging from the amount of sunshine coming in through the curtains, it was late morning. He supposed he really should get up. He saw Kurt’s clothes, neatly folded on the chair near the bed, and wondered if he’d gotten up for a while and dressed.

When he tried to get out of bed, Kurt woke. “You’re finally awake!”

Adam was oddly annoyed to realize Kurt must have brushed his teeth. And probably taken a shower, washed and styled his hair, and whatever else he did to look so gorgeous. How long had he been up, anyway?

“Time to get my day started,” Adam mumbled, hiding a yawn.

Kurt pouted. “Why don’t you stay in bed for a while? I’m sure we can think of something to do, besides sleep.”

“No, not a good idea. Besides, there’s a lot of cleaning up to do before you go to Lily’s.”

“Most of it’s done. We’ve got time.”

“Did you clean up the kitchen?”

“Mm-hm.”

“Thank you.” Adam kissed Kurt carefully, with his mouth closed. Kurt may have brushed his teeth, but he hadn’t. “I’d better take a shower and get dressed.”

“Why? Stay here for a little bit.”

Kurt was being very persuasive, but Adam could be stubborn when he wanted to. Probably not as stubborn as Kurt, but there was no reason to let him know that.

“I need to get myself cleaned up. I see you’ve gotten a head start already.”

“Yeah.” Kurt yawned, and threw the duvet back.

Adam realized, belatedly, that Kurt’s clothes on the chair meant that he wasn’t wearing them. Thankfully, he was still wearing underwear and a t-shirt. It didn’t seem fair that Kurt could look so toned and fit, when he hadn’t seen him so much as exercise yet. But now he really needed to take a shower.

“I’ll see you in a while.”

“Can I at least shower with you?” Kurt asked, eyes wide and not at all innocent.

“You don’t need another shower.” Considering how little cats liked water, Kurt seemed to make up for it as a human.

“No, but I can help you. Scrub your back,” he clarified. Then he batted his eyelashes at Adam. “Unless you want me to help you with other things.”

“Kurt, I am perfectly capable of taking a shower on my own. Since you seem to have so much energy, why don’t you fix us both some breakfast? I’ll be out in a little while.”

Kurt sighed, but seemed to accept it.

“Okay, but remember, you owe me a make-out session. From last night, remember?”

Yes, indeed, Adam did remember. “Later today, when we’re less busy, I will make up for the time we really can’t spend now. Deal?”

“Deal,” Kurt agreed. He waited until Adam was in the bathroom to get dressed and go to the kitchen.

 

 

Kurt busied himself making breakfast. Eggs, bacon, and leftover biscuits from the night before, warmed up. He added some cheese, and had several breakfast sandwiches ready to go when Adam stumbled into the kitchen, yawning. Kurt poured orange juice for both of them. 

“Good morning.”

“Good afternoon,” Kurt corrected. “What time am I supposed to go to Lily’s?”

Adam took a bite of one of the sandwiches and moaned. “This is delicious!”

“Thank you. But I need to know when to go over there.”

“Erm, we didn’t specify, just early afternoon. I’m sure she’ll call when she’s ready for you.”

They ate in silence for a while, until there were no more sandwiches left.

“Well, this way we don’t have to deal with lunch,” Adam observed. “I’ll clean this up, if you have something you want to do.”

“I just realized, I forgot to fix you some coffee or tea. Do you want any?”

“I’ll fix it, but thank you for offering.” Adam started to prepare his tea.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Kurt ventured.

“Okay, what is it?”

“How come all these girls seem to like me, the ones from last night and some of the others I’ve met, but none of the guys do?”

Adam turned around to look at him. “What do you mean? Who do you think didn’t like you? I thought they all seemed very comfortable with you.”

“No, I mean, like me, as in, the girls seem to like how I look, and the guys don’t.”

Adam sat down with his tea. “I still don’t undersand. Where’s this coming from?”

Kurt shrugged. “Just some stuff I’ve been thinking about. It’s just weird that so many girls think I’m cute or whatever, but none of the guys said anything like that.”

“Well, in this case… Clark is in a monogamous relationship, Ron and Joey are straight, and Eric – well, I don’t know, maybe you’re just not his type.”

“I’m never anybody’s type. Any guy.” 

“Well, thank you very much! You’re my type.”

Kurt blinked, and sort of shrank in on himself. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way! I know, now, that you’re attracted to me. But I was thinking, it doesn’t do me much good to have a bunch of ladies that really like me.”

“Doesn’t do you any good? What on earth are you talking about?”

Kurt sighed, knowing he wasn’t expressing himself very well. “I just mean, I’m gay, and they’re straight ladies.”

“Not all of them,” Adam murmured. “But go on.”

“Well, then that’s even weirder! They’re nice to me, and it’s nice to know there are so many people who care about me. But you’re the only guy who has ever been attracted to me. Well, except maybe for some of the guys who came into the store and seemed to maybe want to adopt me. But they were creepy.”

He looked at Adam’s face, and saw he’d hurt him, but didn’t understand why. “I didn’t mean to upset you! I’m glad you adopted me. I’m really attracted to you, and I don’t think it’s just the way that a pet usually bonds with its owner. Though sometimes the owner doesn’t feels quite the same thing.”

“So what are you saying?” Adam looked genuinely confused.

“Nothing! I guess, I just mean, what does it mean when all these women seem to think I’m cute, but I’m attracted to men, and most men don’t find me attractive? I was lucky to find you, and that you’re really nice, and I like the way you look, and you like the way I look.”

“That’s what I was thinking. So why are you questioning it?”

“I dunno. I was just thinking, it would be nice to be wanted by other guys.”

“Even though you’re not available to date, or do anything else with, these other guys?”

“Yes, exactly. I know everyone at the pet store thought I was ugly --“

“Kurt, don’t say that!”

“Or didn’t look right,” Kurt continued, “except maybe Brittany, but she also liked the way all the other guys looked, even the dog hybrids.” Kurt shuddered. “And I’m lucky you don’t think I’m ugly. But you know how there are some actors or singers or whatever, that so many people seem to think are really hot? It must be nice to be that attractive to everybody.”

Adam was shaking his head. “I’m not sure I agree with you there. Just think how annoying it would be, if everyone you saw wanted you. If they were so enthralled with your looks, that they wanted you without knowing a single thing else about you? How would that make you feel?”

“Good, I’d think.”

“Not me. I know some men find me attractive, others don’t. Some women find me attractive, others don’t. That doesn’t really matter, because I’m not attracted to women. I can recognize when one is beautiful, but they’re not my type. But it’s still hard to get a relationship started, even with a guy I know is gay. If it comes out in conversation that I’ve got money, I don’t know if their continued interest is really in me, for who I am, or if they’re just sticking around because of the money.”

“I never thought of it that way,” Kurt admitted. “So you’re saying, with some of these sex symbols, if people like them, they don’t know if it’s real, or if it’s just because they look so sexy, or they’re a star? Or they don’t even know if it’s their acting talent, or their looks, that gets them jobs?”

“That’s right. That alone is enough for some people.”

“Like someone would maybe put up with somebody they didn’t really like that much, if they liked their looks?”

“Happens all the time,” Adam interrupted. “All the time. How many marriages do you think are really happy, and how many are more marriages of convenience? Hm? A lot of people marry for love, and a lot marry for other reasons. You’ve heard of trophy wives, right?”

“Yeah. Isn’t that usually like a second wife, after a divorce, that’s younger and prettier?”

“Usually, and she’s perhaps marrying someone she doesn’t love, and knows doesn’t love her, because he has something she wants. Usually money, it seems to me. It can happen the other way, where perhaps a younger man ends up with a wealthy or sophisticated older woman, not because he thinks she’s beautiful, or he loves her so much he can’t live without her, but because maybe she has money, or can help him get something he wants.”

“But why would people do that?”

“Do which? Settle for a pretty face and no love, for presumably good sex? Or settle for someone they’re not attracted to, but has power or money or something they want?”

“It doesn’t sound good either way.”

“Well, let’s take a real example. The guy I told you about, Sebastian –“

“Sebastard,” Kurt snickered.

“Exactly. He’s good-looking to many people, but he really isn’t a nice person. He doesn’t want a long-term relationship with anyone, I think because he’s too selfish to want to compromise for someone else. So he has a lot of one-night stands, or maybe some people he might see now and then just for sex, but probably no one will want him long-term, no matter how wealthy or attractive or sophisticated he is. Or they may think those things are enough, but will soon get their heart broken when they find he doesn’t care what they want, he only wants them for their body, very briefly, then he’s going to throw them out like a used tissue. Very much like that, in fact,” Adam shuddered. “If he ever gets married, it will likely be to a woman his family wants him to marry, and not because he’s fallen in love with her. I’m not sure he’s capable of falling in love with anybody. So I pity anyone who ends up with him long-term. But he may well end up getting married because his family insists, to carry on the family name or whatever. Then you’d have two unhappy people trapped in a marriage of convenience.”

“And you avoided that with your family,” Kurt remembered.

“Yes. I don’t know if Sebastian’s parents know or care that he’s gay, but since his father is very conservative politically, I think it’s much more likely Sebastian will end up married to a woman, even if he has no attraction to women at all. It seemed to me when I saw him recently that he was still very much under his father’s thumb.”

“So even though people think he’s sexy, and he has money and all that, he’s probably always going to be lonely, because nobody will fall in love with him for himself?” Kurt asked.

“Right. But in his case, maybe he doesn’t get lonely. Or maybe he will someday, but by then, it might be hard for him to learn how to live with another person. He wouldn’t know how to treat a partner well, because he’s so stuck on what he wants from them, and he doesn’t really give a damn what they want from him. But odds are good nobody is going to want him for himself.”

“I see.”

“You don’t sound convinced. Why is it so important to you that other people find you attractive?”

“It’s not that, so much as wanting to know they’re not repulsed by me, or aren’t laughing at me. It’s just odd that women, who I’m not attracted to, seem to find me hot or something. And guys, even gay guys, don’t see me as attractive. Am I doing something wrong?”

“I have no idea, because I find you tremendously attractive. It hurts me that that isn’t enough for you. It makes me feel like I’m not good enough for you.”

Kurt ran over to him and hugged him.

“I’m sorry Adam, it’s not like that. I don’t know how to say it, it’s just…ironic, I guess, that it seems like women would be throwing themselves at me if I let them, if I were straight and single, just like I was a regular guy. But most gay men just don’t seem to want someone who looks like me. I’m glad you’re the exception, really, I am, because I love you, and think you’re hot.”

“Well, we can’t all be sexy. Think what the world would be like if that were the case? How would people get anything done if they found every person they met stunningly attractive?”

“I guess that makes sense.”

“Since we’re talking about difficult subjects, and I assume we’re both being totally honest –“

Kurt nodded his agreement. “Of course.”

“I need to know…” 

Kurt could see Adam’s shoulders tensing. 

“When you’re a cat, and you want to sleep on my bed, and you end up sort of all over me, what’s that about? Is it just affection?”

“Yeah. I like being close to you, whether I’m a cat or human.” He saw how uncomfortable Adam looked, and thought he knew why. “But it’s different. Adam, it didn’t occur to me before that you were worried about this. When I’m a cat, I still love you, and I want to be around you, be held by you, crawl around on you, and all that. But it’s not sexual. It’s affection, that’s all. I don’t have sexual feelings for you when I’m a cat. I love you, but those other feelings aren’t really there. I don’t mean I don’t, you know, get horny in general, but not because of you, when I’m a cat anyway, and I pretty much try to work that out when I’m human.”

“Oh, thank God.”

“Does that make you feel better?”

Adam hugged him. “Yes, that is a real relief.”

“So, now that we’ve got that clear, will you kiss me already?”

Adam laughed at how quickly Kurt changed gears, but he wasn’t about to say no.


	28. Chapter 28

Kurt and Adam were still kissing when Lily called a few minutes later, wanting to know if Kurt was ready to come over yet. Adam answered in the affirmative, and Kurt gathered the things he was taking next door. Adam reluctantly attached the leash to Kurt’s collar, but Kurt reminded him he really didn’t object. 

Lily greeted them at the door, and reassured Adam that Kurt would be perfectly fine there. “But if you’d like to stay, and work on your computer or something, that would be alright, as well.”

“Kurt, would you like me to stay?”

He knew Adam probably needed some time to himself, so he just shrugged. “No, I’ll be okay.”

“Alright, then. I have some things to do, so just call me when you’re ready for me to pick him up.”

Lily offered Kurt a soda, but he was anxious to get to work, and didn’t want to take a chance on spilling anything on his drawings.

“No, thank you. Um, maybe later?”

“Of course, dear. Just let me know when you get thirsty.”

“Did you want me to work on your nails first, or should I show you the designs?” he asked.

“Ooh, I’d love to see the designs now. That way I won’t get wet nail polish on them.”

Kurt was distracted for a moment when Misty ran into the room. Maybe she heard his voice.

Lily scolded her. “You were supposed to wait in my room until I called you out here.”

“Purrrrrrrrrt,” Misty said.

Kurt laughed. “She’s trying to say my name, but can’t really pronounce it. I guess she wanted to see me.”

“Okay, you two can visit for a bit. I was going to let you see her later.” Lily didn’t sound put out about it at all, which made him feel better.

“If you can give us just a couple of minutes now, I think I can get her to settle down while we’re busy,” Kurt suggested.

Lily agreed, so he clicked his tongue at Misty and patted his lap. She leaped up and made herself comfortable, resting her head on his arm.

He petted and soothed her, and Lily seemed astonished when he picked up one of Misty’s paws and ran his finger over her claws. Misty murmured unhappily, but didn’t try to take her paw back. After a few minutes of running his fingers back and forth across her claws, she sighed and relaxed in his lap.

He continued petting here and calming her with his voice. After a couple of minutes, he said, “Okay, sweetie, time for you to get down now, so your mommy and I can get some things done.”

Even though he knew she didn’t really understand him, it took just a little bit of pressure from his hands to her back to get her to jump down. She sat on the floor for a while and watched them, then got bored and lay down to take a nap.

He found the drawings in the bag he’d brought with him, and showed Lily the various designs he’d come up with so far. She was either genuinely impressed, or a very good actress, because she seemed to like them all.

“Can we start with this one, and see how it works out?” she asked, pointing to a long dress. “I have an event to go to next month, and I was going to buy a new dress, but it’s getting so I just hate shopping. I can never seem to find exactly what I’m looking for in the store.”

Kurt said it wouldn’t take too long to make. “Now you just need to write down your measurements for me, and let me know the material and color.”

Lily bit her lip. “I don’t know. I was thinking maybe a dark blue of some kind.”

Kurt shook his head, said, “No, definitely not!” Then he realized what he was doing. “I’m sorry. I was just thinking that so many of your clothes are dark, it might be nice to have something in a brighter color, something a little unusual for you, but that still flatters your skin tone. Maybe a pale blue?”

“Maybe,” she mused. “I was wondering if maybe we could go to a fabric store together, and look for something? Would that be okay? Adam can go with us, if he wants, or if he needs to.”

Kurt nodded. “I’m not sure if it’s legal for me to be out with someone who’s not my actual owner, so we should ask him to come with us.”

“Poor boy will probably be bored silly. Unless,” Lily added, eyes sparkling, “he could pick out material for a shirt or slacks or something for himself.”

Kurt smiled as he thought about it. “I do have some designs for him.” He showed her the drawings he’d done, just a couple of things he thought Adam would like. “I haven’t even had a chance to show these to him yet.”

Lily liked those designs, too, and thought the shirts, vest and slacks would look good on Adam.

“If that’s it for the drawings, you said something about a makeover?”

Kurt smiled. “I haven’t had a chance to do this for anyone, but I’ve thought for years about makeovers for some of my fellow hybrids, and the employees at the store. It kept me from thinking about other things.”

“I’ve got some make-up, not much, but I can show you what I’ve got. I don’t usually bother with it unless I’m going out somewhere nice.”

He looked carefully at her face, and tried to think of the most tactful thing to say. She actually didn’t have quite as many lines and wrinkles as he would have expected.

“You have very nice skin. Do you moisturize regularly?”

She nodded. “My mother told me it was important to take care of my skin, and moreso than wearing make-up. She was right, but time has taken its toll.”

“You look nice now, but I think we could do some improvements, that might make you feel better when you look in the mirror, or when you go out anywhere.”

“Okay. I do have a vanity in my bedroom. That’s probably where the light would be best.”

Misty woke up when they started to leave the room, and followed them.

Kurt looked through the depressingly small collection of make-up, and decided part of the problem was that Lily didn’t have quite the right shades to suit her skin. “I’m guessing you would prefer to look as natural as possible, without making it obvious you’re wearing make-up, right?”

“That’s the idea,” she agreed.

“Well, this isn’t going to do it. You need a lighter shade of foundation, for one thing. I hope you’re going very light with this shade of blush?”

“Yes, I hardly use any at all.”

“It might be easier if it were also a lighter shade.”

“Maybe we can go shopping for make-up at the same time as the fabric store?” Lily asked doubtfully.

“That might be a good idea. I know Adam will be bored, but I kind of wanted to get some cosmetics for myself, if he’ll let me.”

At Lily’s lifted eyebrows, he added, “I’m almost out of moisturizer, and I need some concealer for breakouts, some foundation to even out my skin tone, and I want to see if a little bit of eyeliner will bring out my eyes a bit. They wouldn’t let me use anything at the shelter except moisturizer, and even then, the other guys made fun of me.”

Lily sighed, and smiled sadly at him. “I’m sorry they weren’t more understanding. Your eyes are such a beautiful color already, are you sure you need any enhancement?” Lily asked. “You have beautiful lashes. I was just thinking, if my eyes were as pretty as yours, I wouldn’t want to bother with anything else.”

“Maybe,” he sighed. “But I want to look as good as I can for Adam.”

Lily opened her mouth, then shut it again. “It’s really none of my business,” she began.

“What were you thinking?” he asked curiously. He really did want to know anything anyone thought would help him win Adam over.

“Well, from my observations of the two of you together, Adam is already crazy about you,” Lily began. “I’d say he likes the way you look just fine. I understand wanting to take care of your skin, and maybe concealing the breakouts. But as far as enhancing your natural beauty – forgive me, that’s probably not the right term. But you are such a striking young man, it’s not like you have any flaws to conceal. You skin tone is lovely, and I’m guessing Adam likes the freckles and wouldn’t want to see them hidden. You might want to talk to him, if you’re thinking about doing this to please him. If it’s to please yourself, so you’ll feel better about yourself, that’s different, but it might be good for you to try to look at yourself through his eyes.”

Kurt appreciated what she was saying, but he wasn’t entirely sure he was attractive enough, despite their conversation that morning.

“I used to wear a little bit of makeup before they took me away from my dad. He wasn’t crazy about it, but the only thing he ever said about it was to make sure it didn’t look too obvious, if I was going to be seen by anyone. I know he was worried kids might make fun of me, or beat me up, and I’m sure he was right, they probably would have. But it made me feel a little bit better about myself, to know I was doing everything I could with what nature gave me. But I really don’t know how Adam will feel about buying makeup for me. I guess I really should talk to him first.”

“I have an idea. If you’d like to help me with my makeup now, you can try some of it on yourself, and see what Adam thinks. Even if they’re not quite the right shades for you, it will give him a better idea of what you would look like with makeup, as opposed to without.”

“Really? You’d let me use your makeup? Thank you, that would be awesome!”

Lily smiled at him, and patted his knee. “I never say anything I don’t mean.”

“Adam said something similar, that if he said something, he meant it. But I haven’t always been able to trust what people said, in the past. Sometimes I did, and they were just playing a trick on me, or just wanted me to go along with something. Or they’d be really insulting, then say they didn’t mean it, and can’t I take a joke? I never thought it was very funny.”

“It’s not,” she sighed. “Sometimes people can say really hurtful things, then try to hide behind pretending it was a joke, or sarcasm, or that you weren’t supposed to take them seriously.”

“How do you know? I mean, sometimes I can tell, if someone says one thing, but their body language says another. But I’m not even sure how accurate that is.”

“Well, I think the more time you spend around other people, the easier it will be to tell when they’re being sincere, and when they’re being cruel, no matter how they try to mask it. I’m really sorry you had so many bad experiences with people, but I’m guessing you really haven’t gotten to know many people over the last few years, other than other hybrids or the employees at the store.”

Kurt nodded. “That’s true.”

He took his time on Lily’s makeup, so her natural looks would be enhanced, rather than painted over. She allowed him to play with her hair, styling it in different ways, though she wouldn’t allow him to cut it shorter. She found a look she liked, that she thought would work for her event the next month, when she would wear the new dress Kurt would design for her.

“Ooh, can I help you with that? I mean, if you want, I can come over and help you with your hair and make-up, and show you how you can do it next time. Sometimes it’s hard to get everything right, if you’re nervous, or don’t have as much time as you thought, or there’s just a lot of pressure to have everything come out perfect.”

“That would be lovely, dear, if you’d be willing to do that. I’ll write down all the details later, when I give you my measurements and whatever other information you need.”

She let Kurt sit at the vanity and try out her makeup. He tried to keep it as subtle as possible, but Lily agreed with him, it definitely looked like he was wearing makeup, rather than coming across as natural.

“I think Adam would like me better the way he’s used to me,” Kurt concluded. “But I still might ask him about getting me some cosmetics so I can see if I can make myself look better.”

If Lily disagreed, she didn’t indicate it. She reminded him about her nails, and asked if he wanted to try to trim Misty’s nails.

“Yes, I do, but let me work on yours, first. Maybe if Misty watches, she won’t be as concerned if I try to do hers.”

Misty had gotten bored with watching them at the makeup table, and was taking another nap.

Kurt got down on the floor and very lightly started petting Misty’s back, and humming to her. She woke up slowly, but didn’t seem too startled or out-of-sorts.

“Come on, Misty, I’m going to do your mommy’s nails. You want to watch?”

He concluded she may not have understood anything more than her name, but she did jump up on a chair and watch them carefully.

Kurt told Lily he would need a bowl of warm water for her to soak her hands in, and a little bit of soap, preferably liquid soap. She had a cuticle remover and nail file already, and a bottle of polish. He wasn’t surprised it was pink, but at least it was a delicate shade of pale pink. She showed him the bottle she’d bought for Misty’s nails, a much more vibrant pink. It wasn’t quite Harriet-hot, but it was close. They went to the kitchen and put some newspaper down on the table before arranging everything they needed.

“Now, just sit here for a little bit and let your fingernails soak, for about 10 minutes,” Kurt instructed. “What made you choose this color for Misty?”

“I figure we might as well make hers stand out as much as possible. Some of the colors they had were very – interesting – but I thought that shade would be best.”

“Okay. Ooh, I like this!” Kurt picked up a bottle of navy blue polish, with iridescent flecks in it.

“I hope you mean for you, not for me,” Lily teased. “It’s definitely not my color.”

“Not even with a dark blue dress?” he asked, eyes sparkling with mischief. “I’ll bet you could make it work.”

“Not even with a dark blue dress,” she insisted. “Actually, that’s a bottle my granddaughter thought she’d like, but once she tried it, it just wasn’t what she’d hoped for, so she didn’t take it with her. If you’d like to try it, you’re welcome to, or you can even have the bottle.”

“But what if your granddaughter changes her mind, and wants it back?” Kurt fretted. He did want to try it.

“Then I’ll buy her another bottle, but I don’t think that will happen.”

“Thank you! Let me do your nails first, then try to trim Misty’s. If she’ll let me, I’ll put some polish on her afterwards.”

“Er, do you think you can just get it on her nails, and not all over her paws or fur? It might be difficult to get her to sit still for the nail polish remover.”

“Good point. Let’s see what happens, but if I do try to paint Misty’s nails, I’ll be very careful.”

She asked him how things had gone at Adam’s party, and he filled her in on the highlights.

“I couldn’t believe how nice everyone was, even when they saw me as a cat. Nobody said anything deliberately cruel, and I think they genuinely want to learn more about hybrids. I was kind of surprised that nobody in Adam’s group has a hybrid pet.”

“Well, they are – you are,” Lily corrected herself quickly, “very expensive to buy and care for. Owning a hybrid is a little like raising a child, in some ways. Not quite as expensive as a child would be, but there are a lot of the same financial commitments. You either have to be pretty wealthy to buy one, or maybe receive one as a gift, or inheritance. Even then, it costs a lot to care for a hybrid, so I’m not sure how much longer people will continue – well, I mean, I hope the government changes its mind about the practicality of treating hybrids as a commodity. It would probably be much healthier to let you stay with your parents, and have them raise you, until they can help you find a good home. It’s a little bit like raising a child,” she added, “but with more responsibility, because a child can go out at 18 or so and get a job, support themselves, maybe go to college. None of that is currently possible for a hybrid.”

Kurt bit his lip, not sure what he should say. He was sure Lily was right, she wasn’t the type to listen to gossip, but when he thought about himself and all the other hybrids he knew, he couldn’t imagine them all just suddenly being set free to fend for themselves, or try to find their family.

“Maybe if they change the laws, it will be different, but for now, if they stopped selling hybrids, and maybe sent them back to their parents, a lot of parents wouldn’t want them. They’d have gone on with their lives, either having more hybrid kids, or doing whatever they didn’t get to do when they had that extra financial responsibility. And they are compensated by the government.”

“What about your parents?”

“Um, my mom died when I was six. She was the hybrid. My dad wanted to keep me with him, and I’m sure he’d take me back now if he could. But Adam found him, and called him, and Dad’s coming out to visit us soon. I can’t wait to see him again. I’ve really missed him.”

Lily sighed. “I’m so sorry, Kurt. I’m glad you’re going to get to see your father, though. I suppose not all family reunions like that would be happy.”

“Probably not,” he agreed. “Okay, I think your nails have been soaking long enough. Let me shape them for you.”

Lily changed the subject to lighter things, and Kurt appreciated it. He wanted to be able to focus on what he was doing, and it was hard to do that with a lot of background noise in his head, all these thoughts he didn’t have time to really process.

By the time he finished her nails, Misty had gotten as close as she could to the edge of the chair, and was watching avidly.

“Hey, Misty, you want me to do your nails, too?” Kurt asked.

She hopped up on the table, and sniffed the bowl. She slowly lowered one front paw into the water, and kept it there.

Kurt looked at Lily, and she seemed very surprised.

Lily brought over some nail clippers she’d bought for Misty a long time before. She very casually laid them on the table.

Misty looked at them and shook her head. She verbalized something that sounded very much like “no no no no no!”

Lily tried not to laugh, but couldn’t help it.

Kurt grinned, but didn’t want Misty to feel that no one was taking her plight seriously.

“How about you sit on your mommy’s lap, let her hold you, and I’ll do one paw, just trim the nails, and we’ll see how that goes, okay?”

Lily didn’t give her a chance to answer, and soon had her securely on her lap.

Kurt picked up the clippers in one hand, and Misty tensed.

“It’s okay, baby, I’m not going to hurt you. Damn it, I wish I could talk to her properly, but if I change into a cat I can’t hold the scissors. It’s hard to go back and forth rapidly.”

“I think she trusts you, so that might be enough,” Lily ventured.

Kurt carefully scooted his chair closer to Misty, but didn’t want to make too much noise and startle her. He picked up her nearest paw and just held it for a minute, rubbing his thumb along her nails. “Ouch,” he said clearly, looking directly into her eyes. “Your nails are sharp.” He set her paw down and showed her the indentations in his thumb from her nails. “I’m going to fix them, and I’ll be very careful.”

He didn’t know if it was just his voice that was soothing her, or being held by Lily, but she was pretty calm, considering the circumstances. He set the clippers down, and used Lily’s clippers on his thumbnail, showing Misty that it didn’t hurt. She seemed fascinated.

He picked up the ones intended for her again. “Okay?”

Misty didn’t say anything, but didn’t object, either, so he slowly brought the clippers to her nails. Her claws were fully extended, which was good in this case. He was careful to avoid going too deep, and used a new emery board to file her claws once they were shortened.

Misty didn’t seem too happy, but she wasn’t struggling, or crying out, or strenuously objecting, so Kurt counted it as a win. 

It took a while, because he was being even more careful with Misty’s manicure than he’d been with Lily’s, but he finally had finished all four paws.

“I think we’d better leave the polish to another time. I think she’s had enough.”

In truth, he was getting tired, and was ready to go home and take a nap.

“Kurt, I can’t thank you enough for doing this for Misty, and for me. I really appreciate it. It’s usually so traumatic for her, and this is the easiest it’s ever been.”

“You’re welcome. And she was a very good girl,” Kurt assured her. “Yes you were,” he cooed to the cat. 

Misty let him know she wanted him to change, to be like her, so they could play, but he figured Adam was probably already wondering what took so long.

“Next time, baby, we’ll play.” He looked up at Lily, a little concerned that he’d overstepped his bounds, just assuming there would be a next time.

“I’d love to have you come over and play with Misty. We’ll plan that soon, and the shopping trip.”

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you for everything. I’m so glad Misty has someone she trusts, to play with, and to help with her nails. Now why don’t I call Adam to come and get you. You look like you’re getting pretty tired. I imagine you want a nap right about now.”

“Uh-huh.” He started to yawn, and covered his mouth. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’ll clean up all this later.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to help?”

“No, dear, it’s fine.”

Misty seemed to be getting tired of being ignored. “Purrrrrrrtttt!”

“I can’t, baby, not this time.” 

Lily handed Misty to him, so she could call Adam, and he held the cat on his lap, laying on her back like she was a baby. He cradled her upper body and head against his upper arm as he held her close to his body, and petted her with his free hand. She immediately started purring, and he scratched her tummy and sides, trying not to get any tangles in her fur.

“Looks like you mommy does a good job brushing you, sweetie.” He bent down and kissed the top of her head. “That’s a good girl.” Misty just preened and purred and seemed to want to stay forever. Unfortunately, Adam was at the door, so he would have to set her down.

“Kurt, wait, don’t move. I want Adam to see this.”

“Should I get my camera out?” he asked jokingly.

“Yes, and please e-mail me a copy,” Lily requested.

Adam came in and grinned widely. Kurt sighed, but patiently sat through at least half a dozen pictures, before both he and Misty got annoyed.

“Enough,” he muttered. “I’d say ‘take a damn picture’, but, well…”

“I’ll send you all of these,” Adam whispered to Lily, as though Kurt couldn’t hear him. He rolled his eyes, but set Misty down on the floor and waited patiently for Adam to attach his leash.

Misty was very unhappy to see him go, and was very vocal about it.

“Goodness, she never talks this much to just me,” Lily observed.

“Probably because she knows you can’t understand her.” Kurt bent down and petted Misty’s head, scratched behind her ears, then straightened up.

“Bye Lily, thanks for everything. Bye Misty.”

“Goodbye, Kurt, and thank you. Here, don’t forget this.” Lily gave him the bottle of the blue nail polish.

Adam’s eyebrows rose, and now he seemed to be noticing the make-up. “Um, ah,” he said.

“Yes,” Lily nodded. “All three of us are going to go on a little shopping trip soon.”

“We are?” he asked faintly, still staring at Kurt. He didn’t look too happy about the make-up, so Kurt tried to reassure him.

“These aren’t the right shades for me, but if I can find the right ones, it will look a lot better.”

“Kurt, you look just fine without any makeup,” Adam protested. “But we’ll talk about it later. If you really want to get some, we will.”

“I’ll call you,” Lily promised, “to set up a little lunch date and some shopping.”

“Great, I can’t wait to hear all about it,” Adam sighed, looking resigned.


	29. Chapter 29

While Kurt was gone, Adam had the perfect opportunity to do some online shopping. After doing some research, he came up with some things he thought Kurt would really like. They’d still need to go to a store a check out the toys, because Kurt really deserved to pick out his own. So why wasn’t he willing to let him choose his own bed? Adam was having so much fun looking at possibilities, he was having a hard time making a decision anyway. In reality, since it would be Kurt’s bed, he decided to print out some of the options he liked the most and hoped Kurt would like, or the ones that seemed the most practical. And if Kurt didn’t like any of those options, they could look online together. Maybe they could get something specially made.

One thing he wanted to order now was some type of cat tree/condo thing, something Kurt could climb around on that also had several options to sleep on. He found one that had five different levels, a couple of platforms for him to sleep on, a couple of little “rooms” he could sleep in, with a hole to look out of, and a little hammock-type swing. It was mostly carpeted or covered in soft fake fur, but some of the columns were covered in sisal, so Kurt could safely sharpen his claws. But there were so many to choose from, he thought it might be better to keep looking.

He found one toy he decided to get, because he’d seen Misty and other cats play with similar things. He read up a bit more on catnip, and found out it was not, in fact, an aphrodisiac, but its attraction would last about 10 minutes before it wore off, and then would take a couple of hours again before the cat became interested in it again. If, in fact, Kurt was one of those cats who was actually affected by catnip, because some weren’t. But because he’d requested it, he’d probably had it before. Adam found a little pillow, of sorts, about a foot long, that had an insert where catnip could be placed. The cat could hug, kick, bite, or otherwise molest the thing, without tearing through the cover. Both items should arrive on Tuesday, which would give Kurt a bit of time to explore the item he’d previously ordered, that should be arriving on Monday.

He looked through the local papers, to see if there was a show Kurt might enjoy that he could still get tickets to. Hm, pity they had just missed Phantom, which had been playing through March. What else? Mamma Mia might be fun, or The Lion King, he was pretty sure that was one of the movies Kurt had looked at before choosing The Princess Bride. Then he realized, the perfect show was still playing. Wicked was still at the Gershwin, where he’d seen it several times before. Well, surely once more wouldn’t hurt? He ordered two tickets, the best seats still available, for that Thursday. Four days would be enough time for Kurt to get ready. Then he’d be able to tell his father he’d seen it, when Burt visited.

He thought it might be a good time to pay bills and do some other mundane things that might be distracting with Kurt around. Once they were both more used to living together, things should be easier, but for the moment, it was nice to have some quiet time.

Once the bills were paid, he called Tessa to see if she’d be willing to pick up a sweatshirt for him at NYADA. He said he would pay her back the next time he saw her.

“That may be sooner than you think,” she teased. “Jessica and I are going to take you to lunch one of these days soon. We have some questions for you. Or maybe we’d be better off to take Kurt out to lunch instead.”

“Ah, an interrogation luncheon, how delightful. Gee, I’m so sorry we’re both booked up for the next – ever.” Adam tried to keep the anger out of his voice.

“Come on, don’t be like that! We just want to know all the deets on exactly how your two lovebirds met, how things are going, whether you’re as good together in the sack as we think you’d be, and how –“

“None of which is any of your business,” he snapped. “That’s exactly why neither of us will be available to fill in the details of your sordid fantasies.”

“Aw, you’re no fun!” she complained. He didn’t need to be in the same room with her to picture her expression. “I’m sure Kurt wouldn’t mind telling us,” she attempted.

Now he was getting really annoyed. She obviously wasn’t thinking this through very carefully. “And you think I’m just going to let him go out with the two of you, unchaperoned, so you can bombard him with personal questions he would likely feel obligated to answer, even if he doesn’t want to?”

That brought her up short.

“I’m sorry, Adam, I hadn’t thought about it like that. I guess I was thinking of him as more like a regular boyfriend, who might want to gossip.”

“Well, he’s not a regular boyfriend, and I don’t think he’d appreciate having other people know things that should be private. There are certain things he might feel comfortable telling you, about how we met, for instance, but I’d rather he tells you in his own way, when he’s ready. I don’t want anyone pressuring him, especially about things that might upset him.”

“I’m sorry, Adam, I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s just that Jess and I really liked Kurt, and think you two are really sweet together. We wanted to get to know him better.”

He relaxed a bit. “I’ll tell you what, maybe the two of you can come to dinner some time next week and bring the sweatshirt. I’ll reimburse the cost, and we can all have a nice meal, and talk about things that won’t upset Kurt. When he has too many things on his mind, especially upsetting things, he stops eating, and that’s not good for him.”

“I’m sorry, sure, that sounds lovely. I’ll let Jess know, and we can e-mail the details later.”

“By the way, Kurt isn’t allowed to go anywhere without me. It’s not just me being protective, it’s the law. I need to remember to call my lawyer tomorrow, and find out everything I can about hybrid ownership. You’d think they’d give you a manual or something of all the laws, what to do and what you can’t do, but unfortunately, Kurt didn’t come with instructions.”

They both laughed about that, and talked for a couple more minutes before saying goodbye. Adam wrote a note on his calendar to call for an appointment with his lawyer, first thing the next morning. He certainly didn’t want to accidentally do, or not do, something that he should, and get both of them in trouble. And he definitely didn’t want to do anything that might result in Kurt being taken away from him, though he wasn’t sure if that ever happened.

He went through his list of items Kurt might need from the store. More scarves, since he really seemed to enjoy them. A yellow shirt, a jacket, a hoodie in his size, and maybe some casual clothes, including some exercise clothing. He wasn’t sure what Kurt had done at the store for exercise, but Adam thought he could probably use some regular exercise, himself. Either they could get a workout DVD or something, and exercise together, or maybe use a public gym. Maybe both. Great, now he had to check and see which, if any, allowed hybrids to be members. Or allowed them to be brought as guests by members.

He located a gym that allowed people to bring their hybrid pets, then looked up local veterinarians. It would probably be a good idea to get a clean bill of health for Kurt, aside from the one from New Directions, just to be sure Kurt was as healthy as possible, and keep him that way.

When Lily called to let him know Kurt was ready to come home, he reflected that his Kurt-less afternoon had nonetheless been mostly about Kurt. But oddly enough, he really didn’t mind.

 

 

When they got home, the first thing Kurt did was excuse himself so he could go wash the makeup off his face. When he came out to the living room again, Adam was sitting on the sofa. He patted the cushion beside him, and Kurt sat down, a little puzzled by Adam’s serious expression.

“Kurt, I hope you didn’t get the wrong impression about the makeup. Your dad actually told me you might want to wear some, so I shouldn’t have been so startled.”

“It’s okay. It’s just that none of those things were in my shade. If I can get the right stuff, I can look so much better.”

Adam put his head in his hands and sighed deeply. When he looked up, he took Kurt’s hand in his.

“Darling, I love the way you look, just as you are. You don’t need to do anything to be more attractive to me. I have a feeling you want to cover up those freckles, but please don’t. I love them.”

“You do? But my face looks better when my skin tone is even.”

“Your face looks perfect to me now. How can you improve on perfection?”

Adam squeezed his hand, and Kurt squeezed back. He wanted to believe him, he really did, but he’d spent his whole lifetime being told, one way or another, that his looks weren’t acceptable.

“Can we at least maybe go to a store, with Lily, to get the right kind of makeup for her? I’d like to get some for me, at least some moisturizer, and if they’ll let me try some on, the right things, you can see what I mean.”

Adam bit his lip, and after a moment said, “Of course, we can do that. It’s not that I object to you wearing makeup, it’s just that I don’t think it’s necessary. But it won’t hurt to try. In the meantime, did you want to wear that dark blue nail polish?”

Kurt nodded. “I really do want to try it. It might not look good on me, but I really like the color.”

“It’s a pretty color,” Adam conceded. “Tell you what, why don’t you paint my nails, too? We’ll both try it, and see. But I’m not going to wear makeup!”

“It’s a deal,” Kurt laughed.

Adam added thoughtfully, “You know, I have worn stage makeup, and I have no objection to that, but that’s because they kind of have to go heavy on the cosmetics for the audience to see your face.”

Kurt shook his head. “No, stage makeup is entirely different.”

“Do you know where you want to look for cosmetics, or will any department store do? I have no idea.”

Kurt thought for a minute. “Ooh, they must have a Lush store here in New York, somewhere!”

“Lush? What’s that?”

“They have natural, hand-made cosmetics,” Kurt explained.

“Then they’re probably pretty expensive,” Adam said.

Kurt realized he should have thought about that. “Yeah, they are. One reason I like them is they don’t do any testing on animals.”

“In that case, we should probably support them, rather than a company that does,” Adam decided. “I think I’ve heard of them, actually. Did the company start in the U.K.?”

“I think so. You mean it? We can go there?” 

“Of course. Let’s go see what they have. I’m sure they’ll have a store here.” Adam brought his laptop over and soon had the information. “Nine stores in this state. There has to be one nearby. Here’s the closest.”

“Perfect! It looks like it’s not too far away.”

“No. We can manage that. So, you and Lily wanted to get cosmetics and go to lunch, is that it?”

“Well, she needs help finding the right shades, I think. Also, she wants me to make a dress for her for something she’s going to next month, but she’s not sure of the color or fabric. She thought I could help her.”

“Fabric and cosmetics… Well, if there’s a book store nearby, I can – damn, no, I can’t. I’m not supposed to leave you, even with Lily, in public.”

“We can go to a book store, too, I’m sure,” Kurt suggested. “Please, Adam? You can pick out some material for some clothes for you. I have some designs I haven’t shown you yet.”

“Really? May I see them?”

Kurt got his sketches, and showed Adam the various ideas he’d had.

“I like these!”

“You’re not just saying that?” Kurt asked anxiously.

“No, really, I do! And you’ll let me choose the color and fabric?”

Kurt wasn’t sure if Adam was teasing him or not, but decided to treat it as a serious question.

“Of course!”

“We still need to get you a sewing machine,” Adam reminded him. “I was planning on taking you shopping tomorrow anyway, to get some more clothes. I think instead of a department store, we’ll go to a store that specializes in sewing machines. The sales people are much more likely to know what they’re talking about.”

“Good idea.” Kurt tried to hide a yawn, but Adam saw it anyway.

“I think you need to take a nap.”

“Mm-hm. Don’t you? You were up awfully late last night.”

“I did sleep in, but a nap does sound pretty good right now.”

“Okay. Here on the couch?”

“I don’t think we can both fit.”

“Sure we can.”

Without warning, Kurt changed.

Adam sighed, but stretched out and patted his stomach. Kurt climbed over him and settled down on his stomach and chest, and wrapped his tail around Adam’s wrist. Adam held onto him, keeping him in place, letting his fingers sink into Kurt’s fur. Kurt was soon purring, and so, so relaxed…

 

 

Kurt changed back to human before dinner, and helped Adam clean the kitchen afterwards. He broached a subject he’d been thinking about, but hadn’t discussed with Adam yet.

“Adam, I haven’t had any nightmares since I’ve been sleeping with you. On your bed, that is.”

“I wonder why?”

“I dunno. I just feel safer with you.”

“Well, it’s not that I mind you sleeping with me – er, as a cat – but I do wish you felt safe enough to sleep in your own bad, by yourself.”

“Why?”

“Because I want you to feel strong and independent on your own. I don’t just want you to feel safe when you’re with me, I want you to feel safe on your own, too. I realize it hasn’t been that long since you were in the pet store, surrounded by others, and with people there to take care of you. You still need some time to adjust. I’d just like to help you, however I can, to help yourself. Does that make sense to you?”

Kurt thought about it a minute. “Uh-huh. And if something happens to you – “ He started breathing faster, and choking a little, “I’ll need to – need to – get along – by myself – till – till – someone else ad- adopts me. Or go back to – to – to the store.”

“Oh, Kurt.” Adam put his arms around him and held him tight. “I’m not planning on going anywhere, but you’re right. I’d like to know that, if something happens to me, you’ll be okay with someone else.”

“I sometimes think, you might want me to be someone else. Hybrids aren’t supposed to – we can’t get jobs, we can’t live alone, it’s illegal. We’re not supposed to be independent.”

“And you don’t know how, because you’ve been trained to let someone take care of you. Maybe I’m pushing too hard, expecting too much. I just don’t want you to get so wrapped up in me that you’ll never be able to adjust to being with someone else.”

“Where else am I gonna find somebody like you?” Kurt mumbled, burying his face in Adam’s chest.

“Well, that might be a bit difficult,” Adam admitted. “I should give it some thought, because I really don’t know the ramifications.”

“It’s something you’re supposed to put in your will,” Kurt said.

“But I don’t have a will.”

“You don’t?”

“I never really thought about it before, because I don’t have any family – I don’t have children depending on me. But you’re right, I have you now, and I need to make provisions, to see you’ll be taken care of if something happens to me.”

“Chances are I’ll die before you, ‘cause hybrids don’t live as long as regular humans,” Kurt reminded him.

Adam winced. He really didn’t want to think about that. Odds were Kurt might live to 70 or so, if he were lucky. It gave them a good 50 years or more together, if nothing happened to either of them before then, but suddenly, it didn’t seem nearly enough time.

“I’ll figure something out. I’ll make up a will. I don’t suppose I can leave you to your father? I know he’d take good care of you.”

Kurt was almost crying now. “No, that won’t work. Not legal. He could get in so much trouble. What about Miss Lily? Would she take care of me? I’m not sure Miss Nancy can afford to take care of me.”

Adam laughed, even as he fought back tears. “I’ll talk to Lily about it. She did once make me promise to take Misty, if something happened to her first. Of course I said yes. This is a little different, though.”

“That would be nice. I wouldn’t mind having Misty as a sort of sister. But I hope Miss Lily lives a long time.”

“Me, too. I’m glad you brought this up, because I really do need to figure out what to do. What happens, I wonder, if I die without making provisions for you in a will?”

Kurt shrugged. “I guess everything you have would go to the State, anything you didn’t specify, including me. They’d either put me back in New Directions, or more likely a different pet store, and someone else would eventually adopt me, or they’d put me to sleep if I was too old or sick or nobody wanted me after 7 years.”

“Seven years? That’s all the time they’ll take care of you?”

“It’s a long time. I was there more than five years. I’m glad you found me when you did.”

“Kurt, I just realized. Your file didn’t even list your birthdate, just your age. Do you remember your birthday?”

“Mm-hm. May 27, 1994.”

“That’s coming up not too long from now. We’ll have to do something special.”

“Really?”

“What did they do in the pet store?”

“Nothing. We didn’t celebrate birthdays. Or holidays. But the days we were closed, like official holidays, they’d have to find someone to take care of us. It was usually Miss Holly and Mr. Ken, or sometimes Miss Terri or Mr. Ken. I didn’t like any of them. They weren’t mean, just – they didn’t care about us too much. They did what they had to do, feeding us, giving us water, making sure we got our exercise, showers, and flea baths, but they didn’t care even as much as Mr. Will did. The only ones who were really nice to us was Miss Emma, and Miss Shannon, and sometimes Miss Sue.”

“It must have been a little confusing to have so many different people taking care of you.”

“Yeah, sometimes. It was just me and my dad for so long. He left me at home alone a lot, because he had to, for work. Sometimes he’d bring me with him, usually on days when there weren’t many people, and show me how to rotate tires, change the oil, different things to help him. I guess some customers thought it was like playtime, like with the toy vacuum Mom got me, ‘cause I wasn’t supposed to really work. But I wanted to help my dad, and spend time with him, and that was the only way I could. Sometimes, when customers came in, he’d send me into the office. I wasn’t allowed to answer the phone, but he’d let me do some filing, and do stuff on the computer. He only let me onto the Internet to download music, ‘cause he just couldn’t figure out how to do it.”

Adam sighed. So many things that Kurt should have been able to take for granted.

“Well, while you’re with me, you can watch TV, and sing, and play music, and dance, draw your designs, cook, bake, whatever. I guess we just need to be careful not to let anyone know about the designs.”

“But what about Miss Lily? She wants me to design for her.”

“Yes, she does. We talked about it a bit more, and she’s going to reimburse me for the materials. She’s not allowed to pay you for your time, or your designs or anything, but she’s going to give me some money, and I’ll put it in a separate bank account. It will be in my name, of course, but I’ll get an interest-bearing account. You can use that money if you want to buy something special.”

“Or if I want to buy a present for you? For your birthday, or Christmas or whatever? When is your birthday, anyway? Do you celebrate Christmas?”

“Just a moment, I have something in my eye. There. You don’t have to do that, but if you want to, that would be very sweet. My birthday is February 23, and yes, I celebrate Christmas. I usually have Christmas Eve with friends who are single, and sometimes we go to movies on Christmas Day. I don’t do a lot of decorating, but I do put up a small tree. Are you going to help me with all that this year?”

“Of course I will! Dad sometimes forgot to get a tree, after Mom died, but I always wanted one. He’d always remember, eventually, even if it was Christmas Eve, and we’d get one. But it was more because it was special to Mom.”

“I see. Well, how about we figure out our own traditions?”

“That sounds good to me.”


	30. Chapter 30

They spent the rest of that day evening moving the furniture back into place. Adam took the spare chairs back to Lily’s, and thanked her for entertaining Kurt.

“Oh, it was my pleasure, and I think it was the other way around. He’s fun to be around, for both me and Misty.”

The white cat looked up at Adam and clearly intoned, “Purrrrrrrrttttt!”

He looked startled. Misty stood up on her hind legs, put her paws on his knees, and repeated her demand that he return her beloved Purt at once.

“She misses him already,” Lily sighed. “I think she’s got a crush on your Kurt.”

“My Purt,” he corrected, slightly appalled at the fervor in Misty’s voice.

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, Misty, but Kurt is taken. He’s never going to be your boyfriend. Despite your incredible beauty and winning personality, I’m afraid you’re not his type.”

Misty couldn’t possibly have understood him, but she hissed at him and stalked away, tail waving angrily.

Lily looked after her in concern. “Oh, dear. I hope she’ll get over it soon. It’s just that she hasn’t had any company – cat-company or otherwise – in a long time, and nobody’s paid as much attention to her as Kurt has.”

“Great, I guess I don’t have to worry about other guys hitting on him, just women, of all species and orientations.”

“Hm? Why don’t you have a seat, Adam, and explain what you mean. Sounds like you need to get something off your chest.”

They made themselves comfortable in the living room.

“Kurt’s expecting me right back, but at least he knows where I am. I hope he realizes I’m not going to get run over by a car if I’m just next door in the same building.”

“Is he waiting by the door, do you think?” Lily asked in concern.

“Yes, but at least he’s sitting on a chair. I think I’m going to get a really comfortable chair he can sit on, as a human or a cat, when he’s waiting for me.”

“So, tell me what’s on your mind. It might help to talk about it.”

Adam explained Kurt’s concern about his attractiveness, or lack thereof, to the gender he wanted to appreciate him.

Lily listened, and didn’t say anything until he was finished.

“Are you really concerned that he’s going to leave you if he finds another man who thinks he’s attractive?”

Adam realized how ridiculous it seemed. “Not really. I mean, he couldn’t even if he wanted to.” He realized how that sounded, and quickly added, “Not that I would force him to stay with me if he really wanted to go with someone else, if whatever needed to be done legally was taken care of, that is. But he’s right, it’s rather disturbing how attached some women have gotten to him, in such a short amount of time knowing him.”

Lily looked troubled. “I hope you don’t think I’ve gotten too attached to him. I do like him, very much, and he is beautiful –” She sighed. “I keep using that word, and I know I shouldn’t, but it’s true. But I’m not romantically attracted to him. I’m not sure if Misty is, or if it’s just friendship, but I’m still very glad she’s fixed.”

“No, I wasn’t including you in that,” he said, to her obvious relief. “You’re not acting like a teenager with a crush. But it makes me wonder, since Kurt isn’t neutered, if Misty wasn’t fixed, and they –” He shuddered at the thought. “I’ve never heard of a hybrid getting a regular animal pregnant, but I wonder if it could happen?”

“No,” Lily reassured him. “There were some TV movies about that, I think, and maybe tabloid articles, but there were some scientists saying that it’s physically impossible. I don’t remember the actual scientific explanation, but you should probably ask a hybrid veterinarian about it if you’re concerned.”

“I think I’ll do that. I need to make an appointment for Kurt anyway, to make sure he’s as healthy as the report from the pet store seemed to indicate.”

“Hopefully he can put your mind at ease about various things. So, is it mainly those girls from your singing group that you’re concerned about?”

“Well, it’s not that I think they’re going to try to steal Kurt away from me, but I’ve never seen either of them behave like that before. And one of them is a lesbian, as far as I know, so it’s extremely unlikely she would suddenly change her mind for Kurt. And he’s not interested in girls that way anyway. I just don’t know why he’s so appealing to them.”

“Perhaps part of it is because they know he’s unavailable. They can have an innocent crush on him without it hurting anyone, as long as you and Kurt don’t get hurt by it. I don’t think they mean any harm, I think they just find him very sweet and charming, and adorable. And apparently they don’t know many hybrids. They want to see him happy, and they want you to be happy, and in a good relationship. Maybe they just want a vicarious positive relationship to enjoy from afar, but I don’t think it’s anything you need to worry about. It sounds like you made it pretty clear that Kurt doesn’t understand their teasing, and might take it too seriously.”

“I’ll make sure they’re aware of that, before they come over for dinner. Hopefully we can keep the conversation to pleasant topics, so Kurt will actually eat, and not just push the food around on his plate. When he gets upset, he loses his appetite.”

“I think things will go well, and I’m glad Kurt is meeting more people, and getting comfortable around them, without being scared of all of them. Goodness, he even seemed scared of me when I first met him!”

“He was,” Adam confirmed. “But he got over it quickly. Thank you for being so kind and welcoming to him. But I really think I’d better be getting back. He’s probably worrying about me.”

Lily stood up to walk him to the door. “While I wish neither of you worried as much as you do, isn’t it nice, in a way, you both have someone else to worry about?”

Adam blinked a couple of times. “Hm, I suppose you’re right. When do you want to go on our little shopping expedition? Kurt wants to go to a cosmetic place called Lush, and I guess we need to find a fabric store and one that specializes in sewing machines.”

“That sounds fine. The fabric store seems like an excellent place to get advice on sewing machines, and they might even sell some there,” Lily suggested.

“Ah, that would be convenient!”

“If you’d like, I’ll look into that for you, and let you know. I was thinking some time later this week, perhaps?”

“Okay. Maybe Thursday, late morning? I’m taking Kurt Thursday night to see Wicked, since he’s a fan of the music, and has always wanted to see a Broadway show. His father is coming to visit the next day.”

“Oh, that sounds marvelous, both things! I’ll check my calendar and let you know, but I think Thursday should be fine. Please tell Kurt that Misty says hello, and is looking forward to a play date.”

“I will. Maybe sometime this week they can get together. See you Thursday.”

When Adam arrived home, he found Kurt was waiting, but luckily he didn’t seem too anxious about Adam returning later than expected.

“I know you said you’d just be gone a few minutes, but I figured you and Lily had things to talk about.” Kurt got up to follow Adam to the living room.

“We did. We’re going shopping on Thursday morning, for a sewing machine, fabric, and cosmetics, then lunch. Or we might do them in a different order, but that’s the general plan.”

They settled on the sofa, removing their shoes and sitting at opposite ends. Kurt put his socked feet on top of Adam’s. He didn’t mind; he’d found even the slightest contact from him helped Kurt stay relaxed.

“That will be fun! Well, I hope it will be at least a little bit fun for you,” Kurt amended.

“I have a feeling between you and Lily, I’ll at least be more educated about those subject that I would have been otherwise.”

“Oh, that reminds me!” Kurt sat up a little straighter. “What does it mean, to take someone to lunch? I think there’s another meaning than the obvious,” he added.

“It depends,” Adam answered warily. “What’s the context?”

“Well, yesterday, Jessica and Tessa were talking about wanting to take either you or me to lunch. They didn’t exactly ask me, they were talking to each other, with me there, but it felt like I didn’t really need to be part of the conversation.”

Adam didn’t like the sound of that. “Can you tell me a little more how it made you feel? I want to be sure I understand.”

Kurt sighed. “Well, it kind of sounded like they were planning something for me that I didn’t need to be part of, like they were making a decision for me. It made me think a little bit about the pet store, and how sometime Mr. Will and Miss Emma would talk about the pets like we couldn’t actually hear them, or like they didn’t care that we could hear them.”

“I see.” Adam took a deep breath to calm himself. “Did you feel like you would have to do whatever they told you to do, like if they told you that you were going to lunch with them, that was it, it was happening?” He didn’t want to lead Kurt into a different direction than he’d meant, but he had a feeling he was really going to have to lay down the law with his well-meaning but love-obsessed group-mates.

“Something like that. I’d just met them, and they were kind of intense and scary. Now it’s easier to see that they weren’t going to hurt me, but I didn’t know that at first, and I kind of felt like they were going to pounce on me. Like I was a mouse and they were the cats.” Kurt started breathing a little faster, and Adam leaned forward and took Kurt’s hands in his. Kurt gulped, closed his eyes, and then continued once he was calmer, looking directly at Adam. “But I reminded myself I was the cat, and they were people. I wanted to make myself look bigger, but it’s easier to do as a cat than a person.”

Adam wondered if there were an assertiveness training course for hybrids, but he supposed not.

“Then what happened?” he asked softly, not wanting to upset Kurt.

“I decided it was more important to do what you told me to do, so I went to the piano and made sure it was in tune. They asked me to play something for them, so that’s when I played and sang “Eleanor Rigby” and you came back in.”

“I see. Would you have done that if they hadn’t asked you to play something?”

Kurt shook his head. “No, it wouldn’t have occurred to me that they’d want to hear me. I was just doing what you said.”

“Did you feel like you had to play something for them, like they’d be upset if you didn’t?” He couldn’t imagine the girls projecting anything like that, but Kurt was still very new to picking up non-verbal clues from strangers.

“Not exactly, but I wanted to play something I knew well, and I just automatically started singing. I thought it might be safer to play for them than have them ask me questions, or, I dunno, beat me up or something. I kinda thought they might do something to hurt me, but I think it was more something I was afraid of than I actually thought they’d do. Does that make sense?” he added uncertainly.

“It does. You do know now, that Jessica and Tessa, or any of the Apples, wouldn’t do anything to hurt you? Physically or emotionally, at least not on purpose?”

“Uh-huh.” Kurt nodded, and squeezed Adam’s hands.

Adam squeezed back. “Okay. I talked to Tessa earlier today, and she said the same thing, about wanting to take me to lunch to ask questions about you, or maybe they’d be better able to get answers from you. I pointed out that a luncheon for the purpose of interrogating someone, no matter how well-meaning, wasn’t a nice thing to do, and was not going to happen. It’s something I think women sometimes do, and I’ve heard of them taking a new boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend to lunch, to find out whatever dirt they can on the poor fellow, before they invest too much time in him.”

“That doesn’t seem fair,” Kurt pointed out. “What if the ex is angry, and lies about things? She’s not likely to tell them anything good. And why should someone new benefit from all the time someone else already put into a relationship?”

“Now that is a very good question, Kurt.”

“I’m not sure I’d want to talk to your ex-boyfriend, especially if you didn’t know about it,” Kurt mused. “It doesn’t seem right, or fair, for anyone.”

“That’s a relief. By the way, if we ever run into Sebastian, or any of my actual exes, please let me do all the talking. I’m afraid they might trick you into saying something that could get us in trouble, or trying to cause a scene. So if you feel upset, just don’t say anything and let me handle it. Even if they ask you a direct question, please look at me and I’ll tell you if it’s okay to answer.” He paused. “Hm, I’m realizing this sounds a lot like me telling you what to do, and not giving you much choice in the matter, which is exactly what I don’t want anyone else to do to you.”

“But I trust you,” Kurt interjected, his gaze clear and direct. “You said, when you first adopted me, that there might be times when I’d need to listen to you and let you make decisions for me.”

“Mm-hm, and this would be one of those times. I’d like you to be able to make most of your own decisions, and speak for yourself, but any time someone is talking to you and it’s making you uncomfortable, just let me know, if I don’t jump in right away and take over. Take my hand or arm, and squeeze it, and don’t say anything, no matter how provoked you might be. I don’t think hybrids can get away with talking back to people as much as everyone else does.”

Kurt nodded. “I understand. There were so many times the other hybrids, or someone who worked in the store, or customers, said things that upset me, and I’d think of all these really good things to say back. But every time I did, I’d get in trouble. It never once was satisfying enough to make it worth the punishment, so I finally stopped responding, and just said everything in my head.”

Adam squeezed his hands again and smiled reassuringly. “That’s exactly what I want you to do. As soon as it’s just the two of us again, you can tell me everything you wanted to say, and I’ll be happy to listen to you. I might even have some things to say as well, that didn’t seem prudent at the time. At least we can get it out and have someone listen.”

“That’s such a relief,” Kurt sighed. “Just having someone listen to me is kind of unusual.”

“I know. Before I forget, I made it clear to Tessa that you weren’t going to lunch with them, or anyone, without me there to chaperone, and they were not to try to interrogate you about anything, no matter how badly they want to know things. Tessa realized she wasn’t being fair, because maybe one of my previous boyfriends could choose to answer or not, but you might feel like you have to tell them, and the things they want to know are none of their business.”

“But I don’t understand what they wanted to know,” Kurt complained.

Adam sighed dramatically. “They were curious about how we met, our love life, things like that.”

“Our love life?” Kurt asked, eyebrow raised quizzically.

“Meaning our sex life.”

“But we don’t really have one of those,” Kurt replied, then seemed to think better of it. “But if we did, you’re right, I wouldn’t want to talk about it with anybody else.”

“Good, that’s how I feel. So I did invite the girls to dinner, maybe later this week, maybe next week, we’ll work out the details later. But they are not to ask you pointed, direct questions that make you uncomfortable.”

“Would that be one of those instances where I’m just supposed to let you answer, and not say anything?”

“Exactly.” Adam beamed warmly at him. Kurt was a fast learner.

He tugged gently on Kurt’s hands, and slid down the couch, trying to encourage Kurt to lay on top of him. Kurt seemed a bit surprised, but delighted, by the change in position.

Adam’s eyes sparkled as he said, “Now, I believe we have a make-out session to make up for.”

Kurt settled comfortably on top of Adam. “So glad you remembered. I almost forgot.”

“No you didn’t!”

“Not really. I have an excellent memory for things like that,” Kurt teased.

“Oh, shut up and kiss me,” Adam petulantly demanded.

Kurt didn’t need to be told twice.

Yes, Adam noted happily, Kurt really was a fast learner.

After a few moments, Kurt pulled away. “Your belt is in the way,” he pouted. “Your belt buckle is digging into my stomach.”

Adam tried to ignore how much he sounded like kitty Kurt would have sounded, could he speak as clearly.

“Yes, Your Highness,” he teased. “But you’ll have to get off me so I can undo this.”

“Let me try,” Kurt insisted impatiently. He sat up and focused on unfastening the belt buckle, and pulled it through the loops rapidly. He tossed it on the floor, then resumed his former position.

“Better?” Adam asked.

“Better,” Kurt confirmed, attacking Adam’s mouth again.

He started rubbing against Adam in a most delightful way, but he would have to put a stop to it soon.

“Hey,” he said, pulling away a bit. “Enough, or we’re not going to be able to stop.”

“So?” Kurt asked, not stopping.

“Well, if we don’t quit soon, both of us are going to have to change clothes.”

Kurt managed to shrug without pausing. “It’s almost bedtime anyway, right? We can just shower afterwards.”

“Separate showers,” Adam gasped, throwing his head back as Kurt started gently biting his throat.

“If you insist.”

“Or we could take cold showers now,” Adam suggested, wondering why he couldn’t just shut up and enjoy it.

“Or we could take comfortable showers after,” Kurt countered.

“Fine, and a cold shower after that if you want to sleep in my bed.”

Kurt grinned, and bit his neck more aggressively. Adam decided not to remind him they had agreed Kurt should try to sleep in his own bed.

By the time they both agreed they should quit, Adam decided they would need to do laundry the next day. He hadn’t come in his pants since he was a teenager, but he wasn’t regretting it. Still, Kurt didn’t have to look so damned smug about it.

They did end up in Adam’s bed, both in pajamas, but cuddling, as they’d both made compromises. Adam was amazed how quickly Kurt dropped off to sleep, though he didn’t think he stayed awake much longer.


	31. Chapter 31

Adam woke before Kurt and recalled he had some important phone calls to make. He wanted to stay in bed and snuggle with Kurt until he woke up, but that might lead to staying in bed way too long. He wondered if he could get out of bed without disturbing Kurt, but it seemed unlikely, given the way he was currently wrapped around his boyfriend. Then Kurt woke and stretched, settling back even closer against Adam.

“This isn’t fair,” Adam muttered. While Kurt was making himself comfortable, it wasn’t doing anything to motivate Adam to get out of bed. Far from it.

“What’s not fair?” Kurt yawned, then turned to face Adam and burrow even closer.

One of these days he’d be able to just enjoy it, without feeling like he was taking advantage of Kurt, but right now, he still felt guilty.

“Never mind. Come on, I need to get up and get dressed. After breakfast, I’m going to make a few phone calls, and set up some appointments.”

“What kind of appointments?” Kurt still sounded sleepy, and wasn’t making the slightest effort to move away.

“Lawyer, veterinarian, and a gym, so you and I can both get in shape and stay healthy.”

“Mm.”

Adam wondered if Kurt had even heard him.

Kurt sat up, threw the covers off, and leaped over Adam to land on the floor. He stretched, then did a few toe-touches, some push-ups, then some ab crunches. “I don’t need to go to a gym,” he explained.

“Show-off,” Adam muttered. He couldn’t even be too envious of Kurt’s ability, because he was too focused on mentally applying his flexibility to other activities. “Well, I need some help. You don’t have to go, but I thought it would be something we could do together.”

Kurt leaped to his feet and started doing jumping jacks. Adam knew he should look away, but couldn’t. “Okay, sounds like fun.”

“Maybe for you.” Realistically, Adam knew he was only 4 years older than Kurt, and he wasn’t in bad shape, it’s just that never on his best day could he look like Kurt. Then it occurred to him…

“Cat genes. I bet that’s why you’re so flexible.”

“Probably.”

Kurt didn’t even sound winded, though he was currently running in place. It wasn’t fair, though he couldn’t say he objected to the show.

“Alright, I obviously have some catching up to do. I’m going to take a shower.”

“Want some company?” Kurt asked, laying on the floor, lifting one leg at a time over his head.

God, yes. “Not today.”

“Your loss.”

_It certainly is. > Adam resigned himself to a cold shower. How the hell did Kurt have so much energy first thing in the morning? Oh, yeah, part cat._

 

 

/div>Adam wasn’t terribly surprised to learn, when he walked into the kitchen, that Kurt had become a cat again. It looked like he was continuing his exercises, this time throwing Harriet around the kitchen, catching her, and tossing her into the air again.

Adam caught Harriet when she was near enough to grab, and grinned down at a frustrated Kurt. “Go play in the living room. I’ll fix breakfast. You get Hybrid Surprise.” He tossed Harriet in the general direction of the living room, and watched Kurt streak after her. He shook his head, and focused on cooking some breakfast.

As soon as he turned on the can opener for the Hybrid Chow for Felines (Beef!), he felt something warm and heavy land on his feet. He looked down.

“Hello there. Did you want something?”

“MEEEEEP!”

“Oh, you’re hungry. I see. You’ve probably burned off so many calories you’re starving, poor thing.” He emptied half the can into Kurt’s bowl, which he had already washed. He couldn’t set it down on the floor with Kurt sitting on his feet, however.

“Kurt, we have a problem here. Can you guess what it is?”

He tried to flex his feet, in an attempt to dislodge Kurt, who merely grumbled and looked up at the bowl in Adam’s hand.

“MEEEEEP!”

“Yes, Your Royal Highness, as soon as you get off my feet and I can move, I’ll –“

Kurt ran over to where his bowl usually sat, and waited impatiently for Adam, tail thumping in annoyance.

“Behave, and I might give you a treat,” Adam promised, setting the bowl in front of him. “And I don’t mean a kitty treat.”

“Mrrrp?” Kurt asked, lifting his face from the bowl.

Adam refrained from letting him know he had cat chow on his whiskers. He’d figure it out soon enough.

“Give me a minute.”

Adam went back to rescuing his own breakfast before it burned. He put a small amount of scrambled eggs on a saucer. He put the rest of his food on a plate, waiting for Kurt’s eggs to cool a bit. “This is supposed to be good for your fur, maybe your hair as well.” He had barely set the saucer down next to the bowl before Kurt practically inhaled it.

“Slow down, darling, you don’t want to get sick. No point in gobbling down your food and then losing it all.”

Kurt didn’t bother to answer, just flicked his tail at Adam.

“Same to you. And you’re welcome.”

By now Kurt had finished eating, so he came over to visit. He leaned against Adam’s leg and rubbed his face against it, purring.

Adam looked down and sighed. Kurt had indeed found a way to clean the food, now including egg, off his whiskers. He bent down and wiped the bits of food away with his napkin. At least Kurt had the decency to look contrite.

After a few minutes, Kurt lay down to take a nap. As soon as Adam finished eating, he thought it would be a good opportunity to make some calls. He’d already looked up a nearby veterinarian and a gym that allowed hybrids. Now all he needed to do was call and set up the appointments.

He was able to get in to see his lawyer at 9:00 that Wednesday, since he stressed what it was about, and due to a cancellation, scheduled a physical for Kurt that Tuesday, with a veterinarian who specialized in hybrids. He was pretty sure he could get Lily to arrange a play date with Misty during the lawyer appointment. Hopefully the week wouldn’t be too much for Kurt, but at least everything from Thursday on should be fun. He’d do his best to try to make sure Kurt wasn’t too stressed out. The gym would be open all day and much of the evening, so they could come in at any time and sign up.

It seemed like Kurt was content to stay a cat for a while longer, so he woke him up long enough to let him know he had an errand to run.

“I promise I’ll be back in a couple of hours at the very most. Will you be okay if I leave you here like this?”

Kurt nodded yes.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to bring you to Lily’s? Misty really misses you. I think she’s got a crush on you.”

Kurt shook his head, and managed to look horrified at the same time.

“Pretty sure she does, actually,” Adam added. “But if you don’t want to go, you don’t have to. If you want to change while I’m gone, go ahead. We’re going to go to the gym some time after I get back, and you’ll need to be in human form for that.”

Kurt nodded and leaped up into the chair by the door.

Adam sighed. “Kurt, I know you feel like you have to do this. But really, if you want to run around, or play with Harriet or something while I’m gone, you don’t have to wait here for my sake.”

Kurt’s ears perked up.

“Do you want me to bring Harriet to you?” He didn’t wait for a reply, but very quickly located the pink mouse and brought her to Kurt. He set her down in front of the cat, who cooed and murmured to her, and wrapped his paws around her before using her as a pillow.

Adam was so tempted to take a picture, but he didn’t want to annoy Kurt, so he decided this one time he’d have to do without.

 

 

Adam had really only intended to pick up some workout gear for Kurt at the mall, and he’d found a sort of tank top and matching shorts in a deep, vibrant blue, and a sweatsuit in dark green. But as he started to pass by the Build-A-Bear shop on his way to the car, he paused. He remembered promising to buy Kurt a teddy bear, even if he wasn’t sure Kurt had actually heard him. Considering how quickly he’d turned Harriet into a pet, maybe his instincts were correct. Kurt needed something to cuddle and look after when he needed comforting and Adam wasn’t immediately available.

He went inside and looked around, at all the many types of stuffed animals. He saw there were also a tremendous number of clothing options for them. The first animal he considered, because it was so bright it was hard to look away from it, was called the Blushing Beauty Kitty. It was hot pink, with long eyelashes, and lots of bright colors on its feet and inner ears. There were apparently a lot of accessories to go with it, but he decided one hot pink toy friend was enough. He looked at a lot of other options, different kinds of animals, and finally decided on the “Curly Teddy” because it was a fairly standard teddy bear, light caramel in color, with longish, curly fur. It looks like it might be softer to cuddle than the others.

A sales clerk came up to him, a perky girl possibly younger than Kurt, and asked him excitedly what he was looking for, and if she could help.

He blushed, realizing it would sound rather odd to say he wanted a stuffed pet for his hybrid, so he quickly invented a young nephew. He hoped Kurt would forgive him for lying about his age, too.

“Oh, this one should work well, it’s popular with boys. Would you like an outfit, or any accessories?”

Adam decided to let Kurt pick out his own accessories, if he wanted any, and it might be good practice for him to make outfits for the bear, if he were so inclined.

“No, that’s okay. If he wants to add anything, he can pick it out himself. I’m terrible at guessing things like that.” Well, that part wasn’t really a lie.

She explained how it worked, and how he could stuff the bear himself, to get just the right amount of stuffing, depending on a number of factors. Adam thought he got the hang of it, and was rather pleased with how it came out. “The most important thing,” the girl added, as she rang the purchase up and put it in a little box shaped like a house, “is that your nephew will know you took the time to not only pick out the bear, but to make it specially for him.”

“Yes, made with love,” Adam murmured. “As opposed to buying a pre-made bear?”

“Exactly! There are toy stores that sell plenty of bears that are exactly alike, but this one is unique because you made it, or at least stuffed it.”

“I see. Thank you for your help.”

Adam felt slightly ridiculous carrying the box, but nobody looked at him twice as he walked through the mall to his car.

 

 

Kurt woke from his nap, but when he lifted his head and yawned, Harriet fell to the floor. He looked at the door, then back at Harriet. He jumped down and held her firmly in his mouth, then returned to the chair. This time he turned around so they would be facing the back of the chair. Then he realized he wouldn’t be able to see the door from there. He wished the chair were bigger, so they weren’t so close to the edge. He curled up as tightly as he could, protecting Harriet as he settled down to sleep.

When he woke up later, he had no idea how much time had passed. He knew he would have woken up if Adam had come back, but he should probably be alert anyway. He tried to look at the clock on the living room mantel, but it was too far away. Since he wasn’t even sure what time Adam had gone, it wouldn’t do much good to know the time, so it didn’t matter.

He looked around the comfortable room, and remembered what it was like in New Directions. It was never entirely quiet, even at night when they were supposed to be sleeping. There were always other hybrids around, in one form or the other, and humans. He didn’t miss them at all. Here he just had one human, whom he loved very much, and Adam was good to him. He had a little pet of his own, and even his own room. Adam gave him all kinds of choices, and introduced him to a lot of people, as his boyfriend, even. He’d never thought he would have it so good.

But he still wished Adam would come home soon.

He sighed, and sat up straighter on the chair. Harriet was now protected by all four feet, and was unlikely to escape.

After what seemed like hours, but probably wasn’t, he heard Adam’s key in the lock. He wished he had a mirror, to make sure his fur was smooth and shiny. He licked his paw and tried to run it over his head, but wasn’t sure how good a job he’d done.

Adam held a bag in one hand, and was hiding something larger behind his back. Kurt tried to crane his neck around to see, but Adam turned so he couldn’t see anything.

“Nope, it’s a surprise. But this is something you can have now.” He started to hand the bag to Kurt, probably expecting him to change and take it out of his hand. But for some reason, Kurt was feeling stubborn, and wasn’t quite ready to change yet. Maybe by the time he got to the bedroom he would be. He carefully pushed Harriet to the back of the chair, then leaned his neck out and took the bag in his mouth. It was heavier than he thought, but maybe partly because Adam wouldn’t let go.

“It’s heavy. You might need to carry it in your hands.”

Kurt didn’t let go of the bag, even though the plastic didn’t taste very good. Adam had two good hands. He could set the other present down, and maybe then Kurt could see what it was.

“I suppose you’re expecting me to carry this into your room for you?” Adam asked with some amusement in his voice.

“Mrrrp,” Kurt replied, though he thought the plastic probably muffled it a bit.

Adam sighed, but gently pulled the bag from Kurt’s mouth. “Follow me.” He set the intriguing box down, and shoved it around to the back of the chair so Kurt couldn’t see it. Humans could be very tricky sometimes.

“Well, come on.” Adam walked toward Kurt’s room, so he followed, and raced him there, even though he wasn’t sure his human knew it was a race. He did move aside so Adam wouldn’t trip over him when he walked in.

Adam set the bag on the bed. “I don’t think you’ll need any help from here, as long as you change back to human. When you’re ready, meet me in the living room. I’m going to get changed, too. But just into workout clothes,” he sighed. He walked out and left Kurt alone in the big, cold, empty room.

Kurt trilled mournfully, but there was no one to hear him, so he stopped. He leaped up onto the bed and nosed his way into the front of the bag. It held clothes of some sort, in pretty colors. In moments, he was human again, sitting on the bed and pulling the clothes out. He set the bag aside to play with later.

“Oh, wow, love these!”

He quickly had his clothes off, except for his underwear.

When he tried on the shorts and top, they fit well. They were loose enough he could move around well in them but when he checked himself out in the mirror, he saw his ass looked really good in them. Excellent. The top showed off his arms. He wished he had at least a little bit of a tan, but he hadn’t spent enough time outdoors to get one. Besides, he usually freckled, burned, and when that peeled away, had such a faint tan that it wasn’t worth the pain. He found some nail scissors in the bathroom and cut away the store tags.

He slipped the sweatpants on over the shorts, and they fit well, and then slipped on the hooded sweatshirt. It fit better, but he still thought he liked wearing Adam’s better. But this was more practical for actually working out. Once he had those tags off as well, he found some athletic socks and the yellow tennis shoes. They didn’t really go with the rest of the outfit, but he liked them, and they fit better than his old ones.

In the living room, he saw Adam wasn’t there yet, so he looked for the box in the hallway. It wasn’t where it had been behind the chair. He picked up Harriet and petted her for a minute, then put her in his sweatshirt pocket.

He sat on the sofa, but had barely gotten comfortable before Adam appeared. He was wearing regular clothes, just very casual. Kurt was disappointed. He’d been looking forward to seeing Adam in workout clothing.

“Ah, it fits, good. But I think we’re supposed to wear regular clothes, and take the workout things with us in a duffle bag or something. I should have explained that.”

Kurt shrugged. “Okay. Give me a few minutes.” It didn’t take long to locate his New Directions bag, and put the clothes in there. He put on Adam’s slightly loose-fitting jeans, a t-shirt, and Adam’s hoodie, and felt better. He decided he didn’t need to wear different shoes.

Adam was just putting his cell phone away when he came out. “I just talked to Lily. She’s going to have you come over early on Wednesday morning for a playdate with Misty, while I go see the lawyer.”

“Okay. This week?”

“Yes. It’s going to be a busy week. We have an appointment at the vet tomorrow at 8:30. It’s going to be very long, a two-and-a-half-hour appointment, because he’ll be examining you as a human, and as an animal, and will need to talk to us, together and individually. He stressed that you should be allowed to answer as honestly and frankly as possible when I’m not there, which makes perfect sense to me. If you have any issues or problems, questions, whatever, that you don’t want to talk to me about, or want to know more about, you can ask him.”

“Really? That might be a good idea.” He saw Adam’s worried expression. “It’s not that there’s anything I’m going to complain about, I just might have some questions you might not be able to answer.”

“I want you to know, even if you do have complaints or problems, while I’d prefer you talk to me directly about it, please don’t feel you need to hold back with the doctor. Be honest with him. It might be easier for him to explain things to me than for you to try, I don’t know. I just want you to know it’s okay, you don’t have to be scared or worried that anything you say will get you in trouble with me.”

“Good,” Kurt sighed. “I’m not really that worried about that, anymore, but it will be nice to feel I can talk freely.”

“Maybe after that we’ll go somewhere for lunch. Or come straight home for you to rest, whatever you want to do at the time. Does that sound alright?”

“Sure. And we’re going shopping and to lunch with Lily on Thursday, right?”

“Yes. And I’ve got something special planned for Thursday night, so make sure you get a good nap in as soon as we get back on Thursday afternoon.”

“Oh? What are we doing?”

“It’s a surprise, but don’t worry, while we’re shopping, we’ll find you some appropriate clothes.”

“Thank you!” Kurt had a feeling it would be a nice surprise. “And Dad’s coming this Friday!”

Adam held up one hand to slow him down. “Yes, there’s a lot of exciting things happening, so I want to make sure you get plenty of rest and food. If you feel like anything is too much, just let me know.

“In the meantime, speaking of surprises – wait right here.”

Kurt was bouncing up and down on the sofa as he waited, trying to keep his feet on the floor. He bet he could have bounced a lot higher as a cat, and decided to try it some time, to make sure he was right.

Adam came back with the intriguing box from before. It looked a little bit like a house.

“What is it?” He couldn’t wait to play with the box. It should be plenty big enough for him to sleep in it.

“You’ll have to open it to find out.” Adam looked nervous, like he wasn’t sure Kurt would like his present.

He looked at the box, slowly reading the outside.

“Build-A-Bear?” He’d heard of them. “Did you get me a stuffed toy? And stuff it for me?” he asked excitedly.

Adam nodded, and coughed. He was still nervous, though Kurt didn’t understand why.

He lifted the bear out of the box, stroking the soft fur and examining it carefully. It was a beautiful color, and a nice size to hold. “It’s so cute! Thank you, Adam!” He gave him a hug, then hugged the bear, rubbing his face over the top of the bear’s head. “So soft,” he murmured. “I love it! He can keep me company when you’re not here.”

“That’s the idea. Does he have a name yet?”

“Nope, not yet,” Kurt admitted, “but I’m sure it will come to me soon.” He took out the paperwork, including the certificate of adoption, and laughed.

Adam winced. “I didn’t realize that was part of it. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine, it’s just that now I have my own pet to adopt.”

“Well, at least he’ll be there when you need a friend. They wanted me to buy some outfits, naturally, but I decided if you wanted him to wear anything, you might prefer to make him something. It might be good practice before you start on the people clothes.”

“That’s a great idea!” He knew he didn’t have time to let himself start thinking about outfits just yet. He should wait until he could actually start drawing them.

“Now, why don’t you go put him in your room, then we’ll go to the gym.”

Kurt set the bear gently on the bed, resting against the pillows. He’d introduce him to Harriet later, once he knew the bear’s name.


	32. Chapter 32

Kurt enjoyed riding in the car, and he appreciated the sunglasses. He just wasn’t used to bright sunlight yet. The leash didn’t bother him, as he’d been wearing one when out in public for as long as he could remember. He wished it didn’t upset Adam so much, but maybe he’d get used to it someday.

The gym was called “Faster Fitness Center”, and was at the corner of two busy streets. It had its own parking garage, which was pretty crowded for late morning on a weekday.

The front room was bright, clean and airy, with a view of the street. Adam saw double doors that no doubt led to the actual gym itself. They were greeted at the front desk by a perky blonde, around Adam’s age. Adam introduced both of them. Kurt merely nodded, since the woman didn’t hold out her hand to be shaken.

Kurt was looking curiously around the room. There were some brochures in stands on the counter, and he wished he could read them, to get more of an idea what to expect. He tried to pay attention to what Adam and the receptionist were saying.

“Fill out this form, please, for your hybrid. We just need some basic information, and if you can sign this release as well. We’ll do our best to find the appropriate workout for him in both his human and animal forms. In case of injury, this allows for basic treatment, but we can’t be held liable for any injuries from misuse of the equipment, or refusal to follow directions.” Kurt tried to perk up his ears, but the human ones didn’t move too much. He hadn’t known he could exercise in both forms here. 

“I’ll have Daniel show you around. He’s one of the owners, and he has a beginners class for owners and hybrids to take together. We also have a pool, that can be used by hybrids as well, but they can only use the hot tub and sauna in their human form, for their own safety. Daniel can explain more about what else we can offer hybrids in their animal form.”

Adam filled out the paperwork, and wrote a check. Kurt tried to be as still and unobtrusive as possible, though he really wanted to explore everything.

The receptionist gave Adam a receipt and said, “Daniel will be with you in just a couple of minutes, once he reviews the paperwork. If you’d like to have a seat over there, he’ll be with you shortly.”

Adam thanked her, and led Kurt to a few hard-backed plastic chairs in the waiting area. There were some body-building and fitness magazines on a table nearby, but neither of them felt like looking through them.

“Kurt,” Adam said in a low voice, so as not to attract attention. “The rules here are a little bit different. If this Daniel, or another trainer we’re working with, tells you to do something, do your best to follow the instructions. You can go ahead and answer their questions, or ask some of your own. I don’t think we’ll have a problem with any of the staff here. The other clients, I’m not so sure. If anyone says anything that makes you uncomfortable, I’ll take care of it.”

Kurt nodded. “Yes, Adam. Should I call you Sir, or Mr. Adam while we’re here?” 

“No.” Adam used the hand holding the leash to briefly pat Kurt’s knee. “Just call me Adam, and if anyone says anything about it, let me handle it.”

The double doors opened, and Kurt could briefly see a much larger room beyond them. A short, but very fit and muscular man came out. He was maybe a little shorter than Kurt, but carried himself with the air of someone much taller. His brown hair was long, but pulled back into a pony-tail. He appeared to be in his early-to-mid-thirties. He was good-looking, but there was something in his dark eyes that made Kurt think he wouldn’t want to cross this man. But oddly enough, he didn’t feel personally threatened.

“Hi, I’m Daniel Greene. Call me Daniel.” He held out his hand first to Adam, then to Kurt.

He explained that he whenever he was there at the same time they were, if he wasn’t instructing a class, he’d be working with them if they needed assistance. “And if I’m not available, you’ll be working with my partner, Jerry. I’ll introduce you to him. We usually work with hybrids and their owners. All our instructors are trained to work with both, but Jerry and I have had more experience.” He showed them around the main room, which held a large variety of workout equipment, some of which Adam recognized, and some he didn’t.

“We also do physical therapy here for sports injuries.” He explained that they’d need to use the equipment exactly as instructed to make sure they didn’t get hurt. “Once you get the hang of it, it’s not difficult. You can always ask any of our instructors for help with the equipment if you’re not sure.” Kurt saw that all the trainers wore the same red t-shirts with “Faster Fitness Center” on the front and back.

Daniel showed them the classrooms, and the men’s changing room, which also led to the showers and the restrooms. There was another door leading to the pool, hot tub, and sauna. “We have to insist that all clients, fully human and hybrid, shower before using the pool, hot tub or sauna, and you might want to shower afterwards, too. We’ll give you a lock for your locker. The two of you will need to share a locker, but it will be bigger than for the clients who are here alone. It’s just easier.” He didn’t say for whom it was easier, but Kurt wasn’t going to complain. He was a bit overwhelmed by everything he’d seen, which was all so much bigger, newer, and nicer than anything they’d had at New Directions.

“One more place you’ll need to see,” Daniel suggested, as he led them towards another door. “This is sort of a combination exercise and play area for the hybrids,” he said, looking at Kurt. “If want to exercise in your animal form, or just get tired and want to rest, you can just let Adam know, and come in here. We have a staff member here at all times in case you need anything.” 

At the moment there were no hybrid animals in the room, but Kurt saw exercise balls, mats, a little obstacle course, some other exercise equipment conceivably used by animals, and one corner that had some much softer mats. “You can take a nap there, if you want,” Daniel explained, pointing to the soft mats. Kurt thought they looked very tempting at the moment, but he didn’t want to disappoint Adam by taking a nap, before they’d even seen the whole place. 

Daniel waved to the other staff member in the room, a huge man who had to be at least 6’5”, good-looking and muscular, with brown hair that came almost to his shoulders. He was talking to a redheaded young woman who was at least a foot shorter, dressed in workout clothes. To Kurt’s surprise, she was wearing a collar, indicating she was a hybrid. Something about her face looked familiar. “Jerry, come meet our newest clients.”

Jerry was very friendly, with long, shaggy dark brown hair, maybe 10 years younger than Daniel, which might put him around Adam’s age. His hand, which he thrust out for Adam and then Kurt to shake, was huge. He looked like he could probably use Kurt to weight-lift, but again, Kurt felt oddly safe around him.

“Good to meet you both. I’ll be working with you when Daniel isn’t available.”

Jerry beckoned the redhead over, and gave her a huge smile, that looked slightly lovesick, if Kurt wasn’t mistaken.

“Donna, honey, this is Adam and Kurt Crawford. Adam, Kurt, this is my hybrid pet, Donna.”

Kurt gasped, suddenly realizing why she might look familiar. Her nose and green eyes especially, as well as her hair. Adam squeezed his hand, hard, so Kurt didn’t say anything.

They shook her hand. She seemed very shy.

“You probably figured it out already, honey, but Kurt’s another cat hybrid, like you.”

Donna nodded, and smiled.

Jerry turned back to Adam and Kurt. “As you know, hybrids can’t have jobs, so Donna doesn’t actually work here,” he stressed. “However, she spends a lot of time in here, and she’s very familiar with all the equipment and procedures, so if the trainer is busy, or you just want to talk to another hybrid, Donna’s available.”

“Ah, I see.” Adam nodded. “That’s very good to know.”

“Sometimes you’ll see my hybrid pet here, too,” Daniel interjected. “He’s a dog hybrid, big blond guy named Carl. He also knows how things work around here, and will be happy to talk to you if you have questions.”

Jerry added, “We both spend so much time here, we’d rather have our partners – er, hybrids with us than just leave them at home alone. We both work here around 10 to 12 hours a day, so you’ll usually catch us here.”

Daniel’s pager went off, so he excused himself to answer it.

“So, did either of you have any questions for me?” Jerry asked.

“Um, yes, actually, we do.” Adam looked uncertainly at Donna.

Jerry said they could go to his and Daniel’s office to talk. “Just let me page someone else to come in here, so we’ve got a staff person here all the time.” He spoke quietly into the pager, and Donna went back to straightening a stack of towels. “Okay, it’s this way.”

He led them to a small room that held one long table with two laptops and chairs, and a couple of folding chairs. Adam and Kurt sat in the folding chairs, facing Jerry.

“Okay, you had some questions?”

Kurt looked pleadingly at Adam, willing him to understand that they had to find out about Donna.

“Two questions. The first, are you familiar with a hybrid veterinarian named Dr. Gabriel Hanover?”

Jerry nodded. “I am. In my opinion, he’s he best in New York, possibly the country. I did a lot of research before we came here, and his name is the one that kept coming up as the best, or the one the hybrids preferred. I wasn’t quite as concerned about who the owners preferred.”

“Ah, good to know. I made an appointment for Kurt – for us – tomorrow, and I thought he seemed the best. Does Donna like him?”

“Yes, very much. He treats her like a person, not just an animal.” He looked at Adam carefully as he said that.

“Good. That’s the way it should be.” Adam took a deep breath. “I read the confidentiality paperwork, and I’m sure it goes for staff, too, and their guests, so you might not want to answer this. My housekeeper, Nancy, has a step-sister who’s a hybrid.” 

They both noticed Jerry tense up a bit. 

“They were raised here in New York, and Nancy said she was heartbroken, and their parents devastated, when her step-sister, Donna, was taken away at age 13. They would love to see her again. At the very least they’d like to know she’s alright. As you know, they discourage owners having any contact with the original family, so they’ve had no way to try to find her. Kurt and I both noticed a strong physical resemblance between your Donna and our friend Nancy. I just had to bring it up.”

Jerry covered his eyes with one huge hand, for a minute, and they noticed his breathing was more labored. He cleared his throat, blinked a few times, and said, “Donna has been wanting to get in touch with her family of origin, but we had no idea how to do it. I found her in Texas, where I used to live, at a pet store there. She said she used to live in New York, but she didn’t remember her last name. She’d been there close to 7 years when I found her.” His face darkened, and again, Kurt was glad he wasn’t an enemy of this man.

“The only reason I could even afford to buy her was she was discounted quite a bit, because she was so close to being euthanized.” He cleared his throat. “They gave me her file, but no information about her family. I’ve tried to make her as happy as I can, but there’s always this underlying sadness that I can’t do anything to erase.” He was quiet for a minute, composing himself.

Kurt felt his heart speed up, and he didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. It had to be Nancy’s sister!

Adam spoke up, his voice low and even. “If it helps, I was able to put some clues together, and found Kurt’s father. We talked on the phone, then I let him talk to Kurt. He’s going to be coming here to visit us this weekend. Kurt feels more relaxed, and his father was beyond relieved to find out his boy was with someone who cares about him, as a person as well as a pet.” 

Jerry nodded. “I’ll talk to Donna, but I don’t want to raise her hopes too much, in case it’s a coincidence.” He cleared his throat. “By the way, there’s an unadvertised special we’re doing this week. New members are given a pass for a free 3-day trial membership, to give to anyone they want. If you were to choose to give the pass to your friend Nancy, she’d get the same tour you did, of the whole facility, and if she had some questions, for anyone on staff, we’d arrange some time for that. She should call ahead of time so we can make sure I’m available to give her the tour.”

Kurt wondered if this ‘unadvertised special’ was something anyone else knew about, including Daniel, but he wasn’t about to ask.

“Thank you, so much,” Adam answered. “I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem. It will be waiting at the front desk when you leave, along with some brochures and things we give out to new clients.” Jerry cleared his throat, and his eyes were watering a bit, so he swiped his hand across them. “Damn allergies,” he muttered.

Adam smiled at him. “I don’t believe I have any more questions right now. I’m so glad we discovered this particular fitness club.”

“Yeah, of all the fitness clubs, in all the world, y’all had to walk into mine,” Jerry misquoted.

Both Kurt and Adam laughed, getting the reference to Casablanca.

Jerry looked at Kurt. “What about you, Kurt? Do you have any questions?”

He automatically shook his head, without even thinking about it. “Um…”

Jerry waited patiently.

“What happens if Adam needs to rest, or gets tired during a class? Is there a place people can rest, too?”

“Hey!” Adam objected. “I’m not that out of shape.”

Jerry smiled, and glanced at Adam. “Yeah, you may have seen some lounges by the pool. You can just hang out there for a bit if you need a break. Try to wait till class is over, though. Kurt can wait with you there.”

“I doubt it will be necessary, but thank you.”

Kurt continued with his next question. “This might be none of my business, because Adam said something about confidentiality. But I’m just curious. Are most of the hybrids that are here with their owners, are they lovers, or just owners who want their pets to be in shape?”

Jerry took his time answering. “We don’t ask that sort of thing. My guess is you’ll find owners here with their hybrids for any number of reasons.”

“Okay. I just wanted to know if maybe there could be a problem, because Adam and I are gay.”

“No.” Jerry didn’t hesitate this time. “Hopefully everyone will respect everyone else’s feelings, but I think as long as you’re not actually engaging in any heavy PDA or outright sexual activities here–“

Both Kurt and Adam chorused, “No,” so Jerry continued.

“It shouldn’t be anyone’s business. If anyone says anything to you, if there’s any name-calling or outright threats, anything at all that makes you uncomfortable, you can always tell one of the trainers, and they’ll take care of it. Or I will.”

Again, there was something in his eyes that made Kurt feel like this man would have no problem putting bullies in their place. It actually made him feel secure.

Jerry relaxed a bit. “Odds are, someone on staff will be around and see or hear anything happening, and will put a stop to it. We don’t tolerate bullying, abuse, or anything like that, of any of our clients. I think you’ll find that almost anyone you run into here will be pretty open-minded and tolerant, so there shouldn’t be a problem. It’s a co-ed facility, but generally we have separate classes for women, because some of them feel a bit safer that way. 

“By the way, if Nancy wants to try a class, she can ask for a female instructor. We like to let people know they can feel safe here, they have options, but we also make it pretty clear this isn’t the best place to try to pick up a date. There are plenty of other fitness centers people can go to that might be more open to that. Do you have any more questions, either of you?”

They both answered in the negative.

“If you need anything, or have any concerns, just ask. Any of the staff here will help you, but me, Daniel, Donna and Carl, like I said, are the most knowledgeable about hybrids and your fitness needs.”

“Thank you,” Adam said. “I really think this is a great place for us.”

“Well, now you’ve had the tour, you might want to change into your workout clothes and check things out for yourselves. It’s probably best if Kurt sticks close to you, Adam, though you can leave his leash in the locker. It’s a safety hazard for him to wear it here, but as long as you’re nearby, it’s fine.” He opened a box on the table and took out a combination lock, with the number 35 written on the back of it. He told them the simple 3-digit combination, and asked if they could memorize it, or needed it written down. They both thought they could remember it. “It’s for locker number 35. Just take the lock with you, and use that locker each time you come. It’s one of the larger, double lockers. They’re cleaned out once a week, so don’t leave anything here.”

“Thank you so much.” Adam stood, and shook Jerry’s hand.

“Thank you,” Kurt said softly, a little overwhelmed by all the sensory input and new information.

“I think we can find our way out to the changing rooms,” Adam offered.

“Okay. I don’t know what your time is like today, but Daniel has a class for newbies, that is, hybrids and their owners who are new to working out, that starts in about half an hour. Anyone on staff can direct you to the right room.”

They did find the locker room easily enough. There were some other people in the room, and a few of them had collars. Some people looked up, some said “hey” or something similar, others just nodded. Adam unclipped the leash from Kurt’s collar and hung it from a hook in the locker. Kurt stayed close to Adam as they changed, but he didn’t really feel threatened by anyone there. Adam looked at his watch, before taking it off and putting it in the locker as well. There was plenty of room for their bags, several hooks for jackets or a leash, and two small shelves. After locking the padlock, they went to the restroom, then in search of the “newbies” exercise class.

There were signs on all the doors indicating what took place inside, with schedules, and the names of the instructors, so it didn’t take long to find. There were 7 other hybrids in human form, plus their owners, all male, for a total of 16 in the class. Kurt wasn’t sure if Adam could tell what animal forms the hybrids took, but it was pretty easy for him to determine there were two other cats, and five dogs. They all seemed friendly enough, if a little reserved. The dogs didn’t growl, or the cats hiss, as the ones he knew from New Directions would have on seeing him, they just seemed to accept him without any need for territorial behavior. He kind of had to fight the temptation to mark his mat, which was next to Adam’s, but since Adam had insisted they both use the restroom before class started, he couldn’t really have marked it properly anyway. Since nobody else was doing that either, he decided to not worry about it.

Daniel had everyone introduce themselves by first name, then had them start with some easy stretching exercises, and they gradually progressed to slightly more complicated ones. If someone was having a hard time, Daniel would come over and explain again, and if necessary, put his hand on them to position their arm or leg properly, or go through the movement. They’d been told ahead of time it would happen, so none of the hybrids panicked, and none of the owners had to get protective. Kurt found he rather enjoyed the class, especially since it was one are where he clearly excelled over Adam. He wondered if Adam would allow him to help practice at home, so Adam would be better prepared the next time.

By the time class was over, about 50 minutes later, they’d all worked up a sweat. Kurt didn’t much like the smell of sweaty humans (except for Adam), or other cat hybrids, but sweaty hybrid dogs were, in his opinion, the worst. But he managed to hide his distaste. Most of the hybrids and owners ended up taking showers there. Kurt was tempted to ask Adam if they could just go home and shower there, but Adam seemed pretty determined to shower now, so he didn’t say anything. Some showers were pretty small, but they took one of the larger ones, so they could shower together. Kurt was still very careful not to look at Adam. He just concentrated on getting himself as clean as possible. There were dispensers on one wall containing soap, shampoo, and conditioner. Kurt wanted to complain about the lack of hand lotion, until they exited the showers and he saw there were lotion dispensers near the sinks. 

By the time they were dressed in their regular clothes and had gathered all their things, Kurt was ready to go home. He was tired, not so much from the exercising, but from everything else. They stopped at the front desk to pick up a manila envelope of brochures and papers.

Adam was quiet until they got in the car. “Are you okay? You seem a little down.”

“Oh, I’m fine, just tired. So many new things to take in, and think about.”

“It was a lot,” Adam agreed, as he started the car. “I hope it wasn’t too much. I think you handled everything very well.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I’d be.”

“I rather enjoyed it.”

“Me too,” Kurt admitted. “Can you believe we found Nancy’s sister?”

“We don’t know for sure it’s her, yet,” Adam cautioned.

“Are you sure we got the free pass thingy with the other stuff?” Kurt asked.

“I’m pretty sure. Want to check and see?”

Kurt opened the envelope, and looked through it. He couldn’t read most of it, but he did find a card with the center’s logo on it, that said “3-day” something, and “free”. There was a phone number on it, and when Kurt checked, it didn’t look like the same number as the one on the brochures. 

“Yep, I’m pretty sure this is it.”

Adam chuckled. “You know, I could be wrong, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Nancy wins some contest, and it ends up becoming a free life-long membership.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised, either. They seemed like such nice guys, and I think Donna’s probably pretty lucky. That whole place – I had no idea there was anything like that for hybrids.”

“There aren’t many, at least that I could find.” Adam sighed in satisfaction. “But somehow, I think we picked just the right one.”


	33. Chapter 33

When they got home, Kurt said he needed a nap. Adam agreed it sounded like a great idea, since it would be a difficult and busy week for both of them.

“Let me just call Lily to make sure it's still okay for your playdate with Misty on Wednesday morning, while I see the lawyer.”

Kurt was torn between wanting to play with his friend Misty, or be with Adam. “I guess you don’t want me to go with you to see the lawyer?” he asked.

Adam shook his head, but briefly hugged him. “No, not this time. There are a lot of things to discuss, and some of it might be difficult for you to hear. I’ll tell you all about it – everything you should know about, that is, when I pick you up from Lily’s. Let me call her now, then maybe we can take a nap together.”

That definitely made it worth staying awake a little bit longer. Kurt looked around for Harriet, then remembered she was in the pocket of his sweatshirt. He was relieved to find out she hadn’t fallen out at the fitness center and gotten lost. He stroked her fur to get it to all lay flat again, the set her on the edge of the coffee table. He didn’t need to cuddle with her if he could cuddle with Adam instead.

He wondered if Adam wanted him to be human or cat for their nap. He supposed Adam would let him know if he was supposed to change.

Adam was off the phone pretty quickly.

“Okay, Lily says I can bring you over any time tomorrow after 7:30. I told her I’d fix us a quick breakfast first, then bring you over. My appointment is at 9:00, and I’ll need time to get through the traffic, so I’ll probably bring you there about 8:15, so we’ll need to get up early tomorrow.”

Kurt nodded. He knew Adam wanted him to get used to them not being together every minute, so he’d have to try. It’s not like he was being left alone anyway, he’d be going to see Misty. And Lily. But Misty was actually a little bit more fun, especially when they were both cats. He was starting to look forward to it. And if Misty seemed to have a crush on him, he’d explain to her, in sounds she could understand, that he was Adam’s boyfriend, and he couldn’t be hers, even without Adam.

“I think I’m going to rest on my bed,” Adam told him, “so I can really stretch out. You’re welcome to join me if you want. As human or cat,” he added. “We’ll worry about dinner later, unless you need something now.”

“No, I’m fine. I’m so tired.” He yawned extravagantly, stretching as much as his human muscles would allow. For some reason, he seemed stretchier as a cat.

Adam must have realized he was too tired to expend the energy to change, because he just put his arm around Kurt’s waist and walked with him to the bedroom.

They just took their shoes off, and Kurt took the hoodie off, then laid down on Adam’s bed, which seemed so much more comfortable than his own. He snuggled close to Adam, and he didn’t pull away, just put an arm around him to hold him close. 

 

 

Adam ordered a pizza to be delivered, because they were both starving and didn’t want to take the time to cook anything. They put in a movie while they waited, Casablanca, since it had been on both their minds since Jerry had referenced it.

When the delivery boy rang, Adam went down to pay him, and Kurt didn’t worry about him being gone. He figured by the time he got from the TV room over to the chair by the door and got settled, Adam would be back. He was right, Adam was back in less than five minutes.

They had agreed that a pizza with everything was fine, but both drew the line at anchovies.

“I hate them, but I’m surprised you don’t like them,” Adam commented.

Kurt wrinkled his nose. “I like a lot of kinds of fish, but not all of them. And anchovies are way too salty.”

“So glad we agree on that,” Adam laughed. 

They were still watching the movie when a call came in for Adam, to let him know a package had arrived. “Oh, good, I’ve been waiting for that! Kurt, wait up here while I go get the box. I’m pretty sure I can handle it by myself, but if I need help, I’ll call the landline here and let you know.”

Kurt nodded. He took the movie off Pause and stopped it, since it might be a while before Adam was ready to get back to it. He hummed and looked around the room for something to do. He took the now-empty pizza box to the kitchen and disposed of it. Although he wanted to finish the movie, he was getting restless again, and kind of wanted to run from one end of the apartment to another, which was much more fun to do as a cat. But Adam preferred it if he got a warning before Kurt changed, so he decided to wait till the movie was over, depending on how engrossed Adam might get with the contents of the mysterious package.

Maybe he could get in a quick nap. He stretched out as much as he could on the loveseat and relaxed his body. He woke a couple of minutes later, when he heard the door open.

“Could you hold the door open for me?” Adam called.

Kurt opened it all the way and stood against it, as Adam struggled in with a rather large box.

“Is it heavy?”

“Not really, just awkward. Please bring me the scissors, from the kitchen drawer, and I’ll get this open.”

“My dad used to use a box cutter,” Kurt offered.

Adam grimaced. “No thank you. I have one, but I prefer to keep all my fingers attached to my hand.”

“Okay.” Kurt shrugged and went off to find the scissors.

In moments after he returned, Adam had the box open. He stood and bent down, lifting the item out. Kurt tried to see what it was, once Adam removed the plastic wrapping, but it didn’t look that special to him. It was just a box itself, though it looked soft, because it was covered with fur. Adam took out another item. It was a lid for the box, big deal. It was soft, though not furry, and had a nice, leafy design in brown and beige. Pretty, but boring. The box it came in looked more promising.

Adam set the furry box and lid carefully in front of the sofa, and they sat down again. He rested his feet on top of the box, and moved Kurt’s legs so he could do the same. Oh, that was it! It was an ottoman. He supposed it would be nice to sleep on top of, as a cat.

Adam picked up the remote. “Are you ready?” Kurt nodded, though he was really more ready to turn back to a cat than finish the movie. But it was almost over. As soon as the credits rolled, Kurt said, “I’m gonna change now, if you don’t mind.”

“No problem, go ahead.”

In moments he was free to stretch, run around the apartment, and play with the new box. Adam could have the ottoman; this would be more fun. He jumped high up in the air, and landed in the cardboard box.

Adam made some exclamation he couldn’t understand, because he wasn’t paying attention. He was busy, exploring a new toy. Adam might not have intended the box to be a toy, but then, humans weren’t very creative. He jumped up and down a few times, sniffed at each corner of the box. He debated, but knew it wasn’t really necessary to mark the box; he doubted Adam would fight him for it. And he would doubtless get in trouble if the carpet got stained.

He walked around the box three times, then settled down for a little nap. 

He’d had a nice nap, but he was wide awake now. The apartment was quiet; no TV, music, or phone calls. He tried to see where Adam was, but realized he couldn’t see over the sides of the box. He was just starting to realize this could be a problem. He wasn’t sure which side of the box he’d jumped into. What if he jumped out and landed partially on the coffee table? That could hurt. He started grumbling to himself, trying to figure out how to see what was on the other side.

“Kurt?” Adam called. It sounded like he was very nearby. “Do you want some help getting out of the box?”

No, he certainly didn’t need help. He could figure it out eventually, without any assistance.

Maybe if he could knock the box over, then he’d be able to see what was outside it, and could just walk out easily, instead of jumping and maybe hitting something hard. Or he could let Adam reach in and take him out, but for some reason, that didn’t appeal to him.

He backed up as far as he could go, then ran at the opposite wall, trying to tip the box over. It didn’t move, and it kind of hurt, so maybe that side of the box was up against something…the sofa, the coffee table, the ottoman. Something was in his way. He turned around and tried a different side, and that time, the box tipped over.

“Kurt, what are you doing?“ he heard Adam ask.

Now he could see exactly where he was. He strolled out of the box as if he hadn’t a care in the world. He walked leisurely to the loveseat, and jumped up onto Adam’s lap. There was an annoying book in the way, but that wasn’t going to stop him. It was a paperback, so it was easy enough to bat it away with his paws.

Adam sighed. “Did you want something, Kurt?”

Well, obviously he wanted something! Since Adam wasn’t stupid, he must be attempting to be sarcastic.

“Mrrroooowww.” _Put the damn book down and pet me! ___

Adam acted like he hadn’t understood the perfectly reasonable request.

“What was that? I don’t know what you want.”

Kurt batted the book harder.

“Hey! Be careful with the books.”

Adam continued reading. Kurt meeped quietly, quite politely requesting Adam to put the book down, but it still didn’t happen.

He sat up as tall as he could, with his feet resting on Adam’s thighs, and rested his chin against the top of the book, staring at Adam.

Adam’s glasses really shouldn’t have obscured his vision of Kurt, but it seemed like they did, because he ignored the cat staring at him. He turned a page. It brushed against Kurt’s chin, irritating him.

He growled low in his throat.

“Was that a threat?” Adam asked calmly, but he kept on reading.

Maybe it was a really good chapter, or the part of a murder mystery where you found out whodunit, so Kurt tried to be patient. The next time Adam tried to turn a page, Kurt was tired of waiting. Maybe he needed to try a different tactic. Maybe he could get around the book a different way.

He crawled under Adam’s arm, onto his lap, in front of the book. He glanced at the pages, but they made even less sense than when he tried to read them as a human. Why would Adam want to read, when he could pet Kurt instead? It made no sense. 

Adam sighed and held the book out a little further away. 

Kurt took advantage of the space and turned around three times before settling onto Adam’s lap. Maybe another nap was in order. 

Adam lifted the book higher, then had the gall to rest it on Kurt’s back, as though he were some kind of book-holding thing! The indignity of it all was just about more than Kurt could handle.

He whined at Adam to get his attention.

“Yes, Your Highness?”

There, that was better. Or was Adam making fun of him? How dare he! Kurt swiped at Adam’s nose with his paw, though he did remember to keep his claws retracted.

“Hey! None of that!”

“Mmmrrrrroww,” he bitched, but Adam ignored him. He tried a different inflection, to see if that would help get the message across better. It didn’t. Adam continued reading.

He sighed to himself, and just settled down more comfortably on Adam’s lap. The book certainly wasn’t heavy, and the edges of it didn’t really hurt, so he supposed it could stay there. He’d just rest a while where he was.

He woke up again because Adam was talking to him, and actually lifting him up off his lap, and setting him on the floor. How rude!

“Sorry, love, be back in a minute.”

Kurt looked at the ottoman, and it was still boring. But the top did look comfortable. He wondered if he could sleep on it, just till Adam came back, probably from the bathroom. No, that wouldn’t be much time to sleep, and Adam would probably want to put his feet there.

He sniffed the ottoman, and walked around it. He supposed the top came off for storage. Maybe he could sleep inside it some time, that might be fun.

Adam came back out, and asked if he needed a bathroom break.

Oh, yeah, as a matter of fact, he did. He ran back to his bathroom. They’d been trained at the store to use a toilet in animal form, and even to flush, and he just wasn’t ready to go back to human just yet.

When he came back out to the TV room, something was different. The ottoman now had a round hole in the front of it, a little bit up off the floor. How did that happen?

Oh, maybe it was already there, and had been facing the loveseat, and Adam turned the box around so the hole was visible now? Damn tricky humans. 

It actually looked intriguing. Kurt could see part of a soft-looking pillow, and as he moved closer for a better look, he both smelled and saw a few fish-shaped treats. Treats! Treats treats treats! Kurt ran into the box and gobbled them up as fast as he could, before they could swim away. Well, technically, they were treats, not real fish, so they weren’t swimming anywhere, but it made him wish Adam had a fish tank. He could store real fish in there, as even better-tasting treats. Maybe he could talk him into getting one, with a good supply of fish.

He noticed the pillow-cushion thing he was standing on was very soft, so he lay down. _Hey, this might be a good place for a nap! ___

He heard Adam’s voice, and thought maybe he’d called his name a couple of times, but Kurt had been busy.

“Hey, Kurt!”

“Mrrrrrrp?”

“Do you like it?”

He hummed his appreciation.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then.”

He heard movement, then heard a thump on top of his box. It startled him until he realized Adam was just sitting on the loveseat again, and resting his feet on the box. Oh, that was nice. Adam could go back to his book, and Kurt could nap in peace, knowing his human was nearby.

Kurt woke later, and was startled for a moment until he remembered why it was so very dark. He couldn’t tell if Adam were still in the room, or if he’d already gone to bed. That would be terrible! He raced out of the ottoman and looked around, and heard Adam yawn. Oh, maybe that’s what woke him up.

“I hope you’re not too tired from your nap to go to bed soon,” Adam said, closing his book and setting it aside.

Kurt shook his head. Napping was just good practice for sleeping.

“Good, because I think it’s time to brush you.”

Yes, brushing was good! That would be a nice way to end the day. He followed Adam at a leisurely pace, to his bathroom where the comb and brush were kept. Adam put the toilet seat down for Kurt to sit on, and set a folded towel on the floor to kneel on while he combed and brushed him. He loved having his human pay attention to him like this, taking care of him, letting him know he was loved. He knew Adam loved him as a human, but it seemed he loved the cat side of him as well.

He listened carefully to Adam, though much of what he said was nonsense. Adam sang to him a bit as he worked, and Kurt purred, to encourage him. He loved Adam’s singing voice, and would have to remember to tell him when he was human again.

He let Adam lift his feet and move him around however he needed, and didn’t fuss or protest. It was just nice to have this closeness. He wondered if he could talk Adam into a massage, as well, but wasn’t sure how to communicate that.

Once he was thoroughly combed and brushed and cleaned up, Kurt felt better. He looked askance at all the fur Adam had collected from the comb and brush and started to worry. Was he losing too much fur? He’d have to check his hair carefully as a human, to make sure he wasn’t inheriting his dad’s hair, or lack of hair.

“Amazing, all this loose fur we’re getting rid of, and you look just as fluffy and furry as you did before.” Adam dropped the fur into the wastebasket and cleaned the comb and brush.

“Now, the question is, are you going to sleep like that tonight, or change?”

Kurt decided not to wait for Adam to tell him what he wanted. In moments he was human again.

“That answers that,” Adam chuckled.

“Now, my question is, do you want me to sleep in my bed or yours?” Kurt asked, hands on hips.

“I’ll tell you what, let’s both sleep in your bed tonight. I want to see just what’s so awful about it. But if you really don’t like it, tomorrow I’ll show you some of the options I’ve found.”

“Can we look at them now?”

“Ah, now you’re awake again, hm?”

Kurt shrugged. “I could sleep.”

“You haven’t had anything to eat since dinner, have you?”

Kurt shook his head.

“Alright. Let’s get you a snack, and we can look at what I found on the laptop.”

It sounded like a great idea to Kurt. Anything to get to spend time with Adam, and he really did want to see what his other options were regarding beds. Though it seemed to him it would be a lot easier, and cheaper, if he just spent every night in Adam’s bed, either as a cat or human.

Kurt found some leftover chicken to heat in the microwave, while Adam brought up the pages he’d been looking at.

He settled at the table, and Adam moved the laptop so they could both see it.

“Here, let me show you what I’ve been looking at.”

He showed Kurt the pages he’d saved of different types of loft beds.

Kurt was really excited by the different designs. He loved the beds that were made to look like castles, but thought he was maybe just a little too old to be able to find it amusing for much longer. But they were still cool to look at, with the little turret towers to look out of, and the bed hidden inside the main part of the castle, with just a smallish opening to get in. He would have loved something like that when he was growing up.

One looked promising, a lot of solid wood, with a larger bed sticking out in the middle, drawers to one side of it, and around the corner was a desk. It even had a hinged door-type thing that could swing down and hide the desk from view, making it look very neat. There were stairs at the other end, leading up to a smaller bed, surrounded by wood slats, but with room to peek out of them if necessary. It looked nice and secure, and the stairs would be good for him in both forms.

A couple had a bed on top of a metal frame, with a futon-type couch below, that could be turned into a bed. The problem was the ladder going straight up the end of the bed. It would be fine as a human, but didn’t look terribly safe for him as a cat. But the couch beneath the bed was appealing.

Adam showed him one final bed, with a larger bed on the bottom, and lengthwise across the top, a narrower bed. They were connected by stairs that should be fun to run up and down in either form. It had some drawers, but no desk space.

“I like the way the beds are going in the same direction in this one, but it’s kind of, I dunno, boring, ‘cause it’s just the beds. And all the open space in between, by the stairs, they might be a problem when I’m a cat.”

“It’s going to be your bed, so you need to make the final decision. Hopefully you can decide on something that will work equally well for your human and cat side.”

“I don’t know! I like them all in some ways. I can’t choose.” Kurt wanted them all, but knew that wasn’t possible. He wondered how much they cost, but Adam had only copied the pictures, not the prices. He had a feeling they were expensive. “Can’t I just sleep in your bed, with you?”

Adam put his hand over his face, then after a moment, said, “That’s probably what will happen most of the time. But I want you to have a sanctuary of your own, in your room. You should have a place that’s all yours, that you can go to whenever you want to be alone, or to rest, or play, as a human or cat. Of course you’re welcome in my room, and my bed, but you need your own space as well.”

Kurt had to agree, the idea was appealing. “I do really like the idea, especially of a bed I can sleep in, as a person, and a much more comfortable, more secure-feeling bed as a cat, that’s up higher. So all these designs are good for that.”

“You don’t have to decide right now. Take as long as you like, and let me know once you decide. We can look at some others as well, or maybe have one specially designed for you, that has different elements of some of these, or new things you may think of later.”

“Okay, let me think about it.”

“Looks like you’re done eating, so let’s go to bed. Maybe you’ll have a better idea after a good night’s sleep.”

Kurt yawned in response. “Excuse me.”

“Alright, come on, let’s see if you can manage to at least get into your pajamas before you fall asleep.”

It was a near thing, but Kurt did manage to get his pajamas on before going to his own bed. Adam was waiting for him, with the covers pulled back. Kurt blinked. Maybe he could put off sleeping for a bit for something more fun. He yawned again. Damn! Not tonight. He snuggled into Adam as close as he could, and felt the other man sigh and hold him securely. In moments he was asleep.


	34. Chapter 34

Adam woke before Kurt, and managed to untangle himself without waking him. He turned the alarm off, about five minutes before it would have gone off. He thought it might be best to fix himself a light, quick breakfast and tea before Kurt got up, as Kurt would have to fast before his appointment. He took a quick shower, and found Kurt still asleep. He shook his shoulder gently.

“Hey, Kurt, time to wake up.”

Kurt stretched and opened his eyes.

“I didn’t hear the alarm.”

“I got up before it went off.”

Kurt’s face crinkled adorably. “You’ve had your shower already.”

“Yes. Now come on, better get your shower. Don’t forget, you can’t have anything to eat or drink this morning. They need to give you some blood tests before you have anything. You didn’t eat anything after we went to bed last night, did you?”

Kurt shook his head, then put his hand up to his hair. His eyes widened in horror.

“You look adorable, but go clean up.”

He fixed some eggs and toast while Kurt was showering, and managed to finish eating and clean up the kitchen before Kurt appeared. He was wearing black pants, a green t-shirt, and his green sweatshirt over that, with the yellow high-top sneakers.

“Hm, we’ll need to do more shopping for you soon. If not this week, next week, but we’ll go to some of the nicer stores.”

“Maybe while we’re shopping with Lily? You said you’d get me something to wear Thursday night.”

“I think it’s going to be a very busy day, so we’ll see how you feel. I don’t know how much extra time Lily has, but if we go in separate cars I guess she can go home while we do your shopping.”

Kurt shrugged. “I think the shopping will be easier now. I’m not nearly as nervous as I was last week when you brought me home.”

“That does make me feel better about it, but we’ll see. I have no idea how long it will take to get the rest of the things on our list. Are you ready to go?”

“Uh-huh. I’m fine now, but I’m probably gonna be pretty hungry by the time we’re done at the vet’s.”

“Don’t worry, they’ll feed you somewhere in there. They need to test your blood when you haven’t had anything to eat for at least 8 hours, then they’ll give you some sort of breakfast, and test your blood again a little while after that. The vet will explain everything to you. He’ll start examining you in human form, then later as a cat. He’ll probably have you change back again so he can talk to both of us at the end.”

“Okay. I hate needles, but I guess I don’t have a choice.”

“No, you don’t, but I’m sure they’ve dealt with a lot of patients who hate needles, so hopefully whoever draws your blood will be very good at their job.”

The drive was about 20 minutes, not bad at all by New York standards. They found Dr. Hanover’s practice took up a good part of the third floor of a large building, comprising various medical, dental, and associated offices, an optical dispensary, pharmacy, etc.

Adam had been told to arrive 15 minutes ahead of the appointment to fill out paperwork, and had brought Kurt’s file. He’d added some notes to the file, after talking to Kurt’s father about his diet, and added some notes of his own observations about Kurt’s moods, habits, preferred diet, sleep patterns, etc. He’d thought it might be a good idea to have records of those things, and write down some of the changes in his personality as well, like gaining confidence, less fearful of people, new situations, etc. Kurt wanted to see the file, but Adam wasn’t sure it was such a good idea just yet. Kurt had a good argument that if it was all about him, there shouldn’t be any reason he couldn’t see it, but it was one of the things Adam wanted to ask the doctor about.

As they sat in the waiting room, Adam finished filling out the forms, and explained, “Yes, they’re your records, and I agree in theory you have a right to know what’s in them. But there might be things in here that you’re not quite ready to see yet. I wanted to talk to the doctor –“

“Vet,” Kurt corrected, sighing. 

“Yes, the vet, about some of these things first. I promise, I’ll let you see it one day, but maybe not today.” He was particularly concerned about some of Will Schuester’s notes on Kurt’s unusual behavior, uncooperativeness, and his recommendations for how a future owner should deal with his recalcitrant ways. Adam had already determined that neutering was NOT the solution to mellow Kurt’s disposition, nor did he approve of most of the punishments Will thought suitable if Kurt was intractable on some issue. He thought them downright barbaric, and would prefer to figure out his own solutions. So far, Kurt hadn’t really been all that difficult to deal with, at least as he might have been led to believe from the file. Perhaps a lot of Kurt’s attitude had to do with how he felt he was being treated.

Kurt reluctantly agreed to not seeing the file, but didn’t pout for long. For one thing, there were some intriguing things to look at in the waiting room. There was a particularly fascinating mobile, probably designed for younger patients. It shined and sparkled, and moved slowly in the breeze created by the air conditioning. Adam looked up to see what had captured his attention and smiled.

“It’s beautiful,” Kurt breathed. “Imagine what it would look like in the sunlight.”

Their apartment had been designed in such a way that there were very few windows. Adam had never felt claustrophobic, but he wondered if Kurt could benefit from being able to see the outside world now and again. There was no window in Kurt’s bedroom, but there was one in Adam’s. Maybe he could find some similar decoration to hang in the window.

“It really is nice,” Adam agreed. “I was just thinking, there’s no window in your bedroom. Does that bother you?”

Kurt thought about it. “Not really, but I’m glad there’s one in yours. It makes me feel a little safer, for some reason, not having a window in my room. It makes it darker, which is easier for sleeping, but at least there’s a bright light, and the reading light.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back.” Adam returned the completed paperwork to the receptionist, who gave him back Kurt’s file, which she’d copied. There weren’t any other patients there yet, which surprised Adam, until he remembered what a long appointment they had. There was no other name on the door, so Dr. Hanover apparently didn’t share his practice with another vet.

Kurt continued to watch the mobile, while Adam thought about what he might need to talk to the vet about on Kurt’s behalf.

They didn’t have to wait much longer before being ushered in to see the vet. Adam was surprised to see it was an actual office, with a desk and a couple of chairs in front of it; bookshelves and framed diplomas filled the walls.

Dr. Hanover was about Adam’s height, seemed to be in his mid-40’s, and had dark, wavy hair and very dark brown eyes. He would have been quite a handsome man if it weren’t for the badly-healed nose that had probably been broken some years before.

He stood up to greet them, shaking Adam’s hand, and Kurt’s.

“Adam, if you’d like to take Kurt’s leash off, you can hang it by the door there. It will be easier to examine him without the leash. And if you’d remove the collar as well, please.”

Adam and Kurt both stopped short at this.

“I’m sorry, I was just under the impression that the collar was never to be removed,” Adam said hesitantly.

Dr. Hanover smiled reassuringly and sat behind the desk. “It’s quite alright. In order to do the most comprehensive medical examination, it’s best if the collar is off. That’s why it’s removable, and not locked permanently.”

The collar was designed in such a way that it would be very difficult for any hybrid to reach the latch to release it, but Adam could do it easily enough. He wondered how Angie, the little girl they’d met at Costco, had managed to get hers off, but he supposed it might have been a different design.

Adam unfastened the collar and slipped it into his pants pocket.

“Before we start with the examination,” Dr. Hanover began, “I’d like to explain to you both what I’m going to be doing, so you have some idea what to expect. If you have any questions after I’ve explained, please let me know.

“First of all, since you had mentioned when you booked the appointment, that you’re new to hybrid ownership, and hybrids in general, I thought I should go over my background. I’m a medical doctor, licensed to treat full humans, though I choose to treat hybrids. I also am a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, and can treat the most common hybrid types; cats, dogs, birds, and rabbits. I’m also a Psychiatrist, which means I am a Doctor of Philosophy, or Ph.D as it’s more commonly known. Not all hybrid veterinarians are Psychiatrists, though they’re all required to be medical doctors. I decided it was worth the extra education and residency to be able to more fully treat my patients.

“Many hybrids have difficulty dealing with their new life once they’re adopted. First there’s the change from their home environment to the pet store, and they may be there for quite some time before being adopted. There are many different factors that determine whether the newly adopted pet adapts easily to their new home and life. For some, it’s quite traumatic, and sometimes the owner doesn’t really know what the problem is or how to solve it. Some of this can be determined simply by knowing the right questions to ask, or even thinking to ask at all.”

The doctor (Adam now felt comfortable enough in thinking of him as such) had been looking from one to the other of them. It made Adam feel better that Kurt was being included, and he didn’t have to interact on Kurt’s behalf.

“If either of you feel that Kurt can benefit from talking to me as a psychiatrist, I wanted you to know that option is available. I will be doing a short psychological evaluation as part of the exam, and I will give you my professional opinion as to whether Kurt might need psychiatric help, but it’s up to you, Mr. Crawford, to determine whether you want to follow up.”

Adam spoke up. “Please, call me Adam. If Kurt needs to see a psychiatrist, then I have no objections to him doing so. But I really think he’s doing pretty well, all things considered.”

“What do you think, Kurt?”

“Me?” He looked startled. “Um, I think I’m okay. I’m not crazy or anything. The people at the pet store said they thought I had behavior problems, but I don’t think that’s the same as needing a psychiatrist.”

Dr. Hanover looked at his file. “Yes, I read their opinions here. What do you think, Mr. Craw – Adam, I’m sorry. Do you think Kurt has behavior problems that should be addressed, beyond what one might expect of someone newly adopted?”

Adam took a deep breath. He’d been expecting some sort of discussion about this.

“No, I don’t see anything really wrong with how Kurt has reacted to things. In fact, I think he’s doing quite well, and I’ve seen a lot of progress in the last week or so since I adopted him. I do think, however, that the transition between being forcibly taken from his home, from his loving father, and taken half-way across the country, to be displayed in a pet store, along with other hybrids, caused some problems that should have been addressed at the time and weren’t. I was not happy with the conditions at the pet store, or the way Kurt was treated, both by the other hybrids and the staff.”

Adam felt better to have gotten that off his chest.

“I see. Would you say there was abuse or neglect, or was it the hygiene of the place? That’s the most common complaint we hear.”

“Oh, no, I think the woman who ran the store with her husband kept the place as spotless as possible, with 20 or so hybrids in one place. It was very clean. It’s more the overall living conditions that bothered me.”

Kurt was looking at him curiously.

“Would you please elaborate? I need to know if there is anything that needs to be reported, that could be harmful to the hybrids, if they’re being mistreated.”

Adam told him some of his objections, such as the cages, the water hose to force them to change forms, the insults, threats and beatings from the other hybrids that led Kurt to stay as a cat most of the time.

“Unfortunately,” the doctor answered, “this is quite common, and not actually considered abuse. They’re treated like animals because, in the eyes of the government, they are.” He cut off Adam’s protest. “I take it you feel differently.”

“I certainly do! I see Kurt as a person first, and a cat second. I’m still trying to adjust, as is he, but he’s very human when he’s in human form.”

“I agree with you,” Dr. Hanover said candidly. “If it were up to me, hybrids would be treated very, very differently. But it’s not up to me, so I’m simply doing as much as I can to see that they receive proper physical and mental health care while I’m treating them.”

“May I ask why you feel so differently than the majority of the population?” Adam asked. “I had very little experience being around hybrids, and I must confess I never paid a lot of attention, until I had reason to do so. Which makes me feel rather guilty now.”

Dr. Hanover hesitated. “Let me be frank with you.”

“Please do.”

“I don’t normally tell patients this, or their owners, but since you asked… I was raised in a household with a hybrid. He was an orphan, whose parents both died in an accident at the same time. They were good friends of my parents, so they petitioned to adopt Harold. I’m not sure if you know this, but most orphaned hybrids are euthanized, because there are very few people willing to spend the time and effort to care for them when they’re so young, when they’re not blood relatives. My parents had the means and the willingness to look after their friends’ child. 

“We were just about the same age, and we were raised essentially as siblings. I couldn’t understand at first why Harold could become a dog and I couldn’t. I so badly wanted to be just like him, and was terribly disappointed to find out it would never happen. We had some of the usual childhood arguments and fights siblings often have, but we were best friends. We couldn’t go to the same school, or a lot of the same activities, but I still thought of him as a brother and friend.

“Because the circumstances were different, and my parents had chosen to adopt him as a baby, they didn’t have to give Harold up when he turned 13. But he lost all his hybrid friends and schoolmates, one after another, and he knew it was only by chance it wasn’t happening to him. It changed him, and made him despondent to realize he’d lose me too, someday, when I grew up and went away to school.

“During my freshman year, my parents called me just before the Thanksgiving holidays, to tell me Harold had killed himself. He loved me, and my parents, but he couldn’t really accept his dual nature. My parents blamed themselves, for maybe treating him too much like a person, and making it difficult for him to separate himself from me. I blamed myself for being too caught up in my school and new friends to call him every day, and because I didn’t notice how he was pulling away from us.

“I decided I would spend the rest of my life doing what I could to make other hybrids as healthy and well-adjusted as possible.”

Dr. Hanover’s eyes were bright, but no tears fell. He’d obviously had a long time to live with his decision, and the reasons behind it.

He continued to speak. “I want to treat the whole being, human, animal, and the combined hybrid mind. There are aspects of the animal in the human, and vice versa. The mind is an entirely separate thing that still influences the whole being. Each individual seems to differ in how much they understand of human speech and motivations, when they’re in animal form, and they differ in problem-solving as a human, often relying on their animal instincts when they should perhaps use the human ones.

“Part of this is due to the fact that some hybrids are more animal than human, and others are more human than animal, depending on their DNA.” He looked at Kurt.

“Have you been following all this, Kurt?”

“Yes.” 

Kurt was sniffling, and Adam handed him a tissue from the box on the doctor’s desk. 

Kurt wiped his nose, then crushed the tissue into a tight little ball. “I’m so sorry to hear about your brother. But I’m really glad, for me, that you’re doing what you can to help the rest of us.”

Dr. Hanover smiled gently.

“Thank you, Kurt. According to your file, your mother was a hybrid, and your father was fully human, correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You don’t have to call me sir. You can call me Dr. Hanover, or Doctor.”

“Yes, sir. Doctor, I mean.”

“It’s alright. You were probably trained at the pet store to call any authority figure – essentially anyone who isn’t another hybrid – sir or ma’am, correct?”

“Yes, sir – Doctor. Or in some cases, we could call them, like the people in the pet store, Mr. Will and Miss Emma. Even though I guess she maybe should have been Mrs. Emma, we all said Miss.”

“Okay. Do you know, of your mother’s parents, which one of them was the hybrid?”

“They both were. I don’t know about their parents, though, they died before I was born.”

Adam raised an eyebrow. It had never occurred to him to inquire about Kurt’s grandparents.

“Ah. In that case, you have more hybrid genes than you would if only one grandparent had been a hybrid.”

“Okay.”

“And your father’s parents, were obviously, both human, or he would have been a hybrid. So you might have more cat tendencies than you would have if one of your mother’s parents had been fully human.”

“I never thought about that!”

Dr. Hanover made some notes in the file.

“I’m going to talk to you some more, Kurt, while Adam waits in the waiting room. I trust you brought a book or something to occupy you?” he asked Adam.

He nodded. “I have my laptop with me.”

“Good. You can’t have the wi-fi on, so your device should be in airplane mode, but you can certainly use it in a non-communication capacity.”

Adam started to stand, but the doctor gestured for him to stay, so he sat again.

“Kurt, after we talk a bit, I’m going to have the nurse draw some blood from you. She’ll need to use a needle, and it will sting a bit, but I promise, it won’t hurt as much as you think it will.”

Kurt looked as though he doubted that, but he didn’t argue.

“I’ll do a thorough physical examination, which might include some things that haven’t been done before, but there will be a nurse in the room at all times. If you’d like to have Adam present, you can, but we’d prefer to have as few extra people in the room as possible, for your privacy.”

“Okay. No, I guess Adam doesn’t need to be there. But if I get scared, can somebody come get him?”

“Yes, if you want him there, just let me know. After the exam, we’ll give you some breakfast, then you can rest a bit. I’ll take more blood, and talk to you a bit, and then I’d like you to change to cat form, and take one smaller vial of blood. I’ll need to observe the change, just to see how long it takes, if there are any abnormalities, things like that. Then you can rest, take a nap if you like, for a little while, and I’ll talk to Adam about the physical examination. After that, I’ll do some of the same tests on you in your cat state. Again, if you want Adam to be present, you can find a way to let me know.”

“Kurt is very good at verbalizing or expressing himself somehow as a cat,” Adam interrupted. “Either that, or I’m getting more fluent in Cat than I realized.”

“That’s good to hear. Some owners claim to have great difficulty understanding their pets when they try to communicate.”

“Then they’re not paying close enough attention,” Adam said firmly.

“That could be, although some hybrids, perhaps because of how they were raised in their family, don’t have very good communication skills even as a human. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Kurt.” He looked directly at Kurt and said, “You’re very articulate.”

“Thanks. But I’m not sure I can remember everything you want me to do.” He started to look a little anxious.

“Don’t worry about that, we’ll tell you each step of the way what to expect, and what we want you to do. I try very hard to not hurt my patients, but some exams, such as the rectal exam, tend to be uncomfortable at best.”

Kurt flinched, and Adam was grateful he didn’t have to explain it.

“The more you can relax, the easier things will be, and that’s true of most of the tests. Just do your best to listen carefully and do as you’re told, and it will all be over pretty quickly.”

“I’m used to that, sir. Doctor,” Kurt rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry, I’ll try to remember.”

“Hm, don’t worry about it. Most hybrids find their life is easier if they’re given slow, careful instructions on everything, so that’s how we try to treat all the patients. Please forgive me in advance if I tell you to do things that may seem obvious, or conversely, might not make sense.”

“Okay.”

Adam wondered if he should intervene.

“Doctor, I should tell you, I’ve been trying to get Kurt to make his own decisions, and be as independent as possible since he’s been with me.”

Dr. Hanover raised an eyebrow. “Really? That’s most unusual.”

“I guess it is. I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing or not, but Kurt is so bright and capable of so much more than he’s allowed to do. I’d like to see him reach his full potential, as much as legally possible.” Adam didn’t try to hide his bitterness.

“I see. Okay. I don’t want to undo all your good work, but Kurt, while you’re here, please do as we tell you, unless something really distresses you. In that case, tell me what the problem is. Don’t worry about getting in trouble for complaining about something. The important thing is to find out the state of your physical and emotional health.”

“Okay,” Kurt agreed, looking at the floor.

“If you don’t have any more questions, Adam, I’d like to ask you to stay in the waiting room. If there are any problems, or Kurt wants you there, someone will come get you.”

“Great. If I’m not there I might be in the restroom, if this will take a couple of hours, but I won’t be far away,” he reassured Kurt.

“Okay,” he sighed.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright on your own?”

“No, but I want to try.” Kurt raised his eyes and looked at Adam. The look was more determined than defiant.

“Good. See you when you’re done.”

In truth, Adam was reluctant to leave Kurt alone with the doctor, though he was sure now that nothing improper or irregular would happen without him there. It was just a bit difficult to trust Kurt to other people, when so many had hurt him in the past. On the other hand, he was trying to teach Kurt that not every stranger was someone waiting to hurt him, so perhaps he’d best take his own advice, and trust people unless they seemed untrustworthy.


	35. Chapter 35

Kurt turned sideways in his chair to watch Adam leave. A part of him wanted to run after him and beg him to stay, or better yet, to take him home. He thought this was probably his cat side. The other side of him wanted to see if he could handle whatever was to come on his own, without needing Adam there for backup. Well, he knew Adam was still nearby, and would be there if he really needed him.

Kurt took a deep breath, and turned back to face the veterinarian. He’d had exams before, about once a year, he thought, and nothing too terrible had happened. It wasn’t fun, but it wasn’t necessarily scary either. He wasn’t that nervous now, maybe because he knew when it was all over, he’d be going home with Adam. He could take a nap on his own bed, or the sofa, or even Adam’s bed. He had choices.

Kurt looked directly at the veterinarian, who was just watching him. He decided to go first.

“What’s next?”

The vet leaned forward in his chair, resting his arms on the desk.

“I’ll take you to get your blood drawn and do some other tests. After we do that, I’ll explain the next step.”

Kurt nodded. It might be easier to remember if he just got a little information at a time. At least so far, Dr. Hanover seemed much nicer than the brisk, no-nonsense vet he’d been taken to while at New Directions. That one had hardly talked to him at all, except to order him to do this, do that, turn over, but didn’t even warn him before he’d get a shot.

“Can you – “ He hesitated, not sure if he should ask. “The vet I used to see, with my family, he’d tell me what he was doing, if it was going to hurt, or give me some idea what the tests would feel like.”

Dr. Hanover nodded. “I can do that, if you’d like.”

Kurt sighed in relief. “Yes, please.”

He followed the vet to the actual exam room, where he had a very thorough physical exam. Along with determining his height and weight, taking his temperature, checking his pulse, breathing, and the usual things he’d come to expect, Dr. Hanover also tested his reflexes. When he tapped Kurt’s knee with the little rubber mallet, he almost kicked the doctor in response.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to do that!” Kurt was terrified he would be hurt in retaliation.

“It’s alright, I moved in time. Your responses are a little quicker than I expected, even for a cat hybrid, but it’s fine.”

He shined a light in Kurt’s mouth, ears, nose, and eyes, which was annoying, but bearable. He also tested his vision.

Kurt tried to explain the he couldn’t really read that well, so the words didn’t make any sense, but the vet explained they weren’t supposed to make sense, and weren’t actually words.

“Find the smallest line you can read easily, and read each letter to me.”

Kurt read them aloud. “T, N, H, A, S.”

“Very good. Your distance vision is 20/20. That means, from a distance of 20 feet, objects are in focus as though they are 20 feet away. If your vision were 20/40, it would mean at a distance of 20 feet, and object would be as out of focus as though it were 40 feet away. So your distance vision is normal.

“Now we’re going to test your near vision.” He handed Kurt a card that had an awful lot of words in it, in small groups, getting smaller as they went further down the page.

“Please read to me the smallest paragraph that you can see clearly.”

“My reading isn’t so good, I mean, I might not know all these words.”

“Just do the best you can.”

“The…eye…is…the…organ…of…vision…”

Dr. Hanover interrupted him.

“Is that the smallest you can read clearly?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Is it because you don’t know some words in the other paragraphs, or you can’t see them clearly?”

“Can’t see them clearly.”

“Okay. Let’s try this. Hold this in front of your right eye.” He handed Kurt a piece of black plastic, with a handle. It was shaped a little like a rounded flag. Kurt couldn’t see anything out of that eye, and it made him nervous.

“It’s okay, Kurt, I just want to test the vision in your left eye, to see if it’s different from your right. Okay, can you read anything smaller than what you read before? Please be as honest as possible, there’s no right or wrong answer here.”

“It looks the same.”

“Now, cover your left eye, and look with just your right. How is that?”

“The same.”

“Okay. Let’s try something else now.” He took the plastic object from Kurt’s hand and put it on a table. He pulled over a large piece of equipment so it was in front of Kurt’s face. There were two holes in the center, with round pieces of glass in them. Dr. Hanover explained this would help determine what Kurt’s vision was, and if glasses might help him. 

Kurt didn’t like the machine, and didn’t want all that metal close to his face, but he was assured nothing was going to hurt him.

“At most, it might be a little cold on your face, but that’s all.”

He thought he could handle that. He let the vet adjust the equipment, and looked through the lenses at the same chart.

“I’m going to attach the card to the machine, and I want you to look at any one of those words near the bottom, and try to focus. I’m going to test your near vision in your left eye first, then the right. I’m going to try different strengths of lenses. Tell me if the first or second image is clearer. One,” he touched something and the first lens dropped out of sight replaced from another higher up, “or two?”

It was obvious to him the second one was clearer. He got a little bit excited, because the outline wasn’t as fuzzy.

“Two!”

“One,” he flipped the lens, “or two?”

That one was even better. “Two!”

“One,” flip, “or two?”

This wasn’t quite as obvious.

“Two, I think.”

“Let’s try again, to be sure. One, or two?”

“They’re almost the same, but I think two is better.”

The vet tried one more set, then seemed to think that was the best they would get.

“Okay, with this lens, the vision in your left eye is now 20/20. It was 20/60 before, so it’s no wonder you had trouble reading. Have you noticed if the size of the print makes a difference?”

He thought about it. “Yeah, the books for kids, that have bigger print, are easier to read.”

“That makes sense. Do you like to read?”

“Yeah, but it’s too hard. Adam is trying to help me. He’s reading me “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”, and I’m reading along with him, or trying to, looking at the same page. But some of the words don’t make sense till I hear him say them.”

“Well, I think, if Adam’s willing, we can get you a pair of glasses made up pretty quickly, and you’ll find reading, and any close-up task, a lot easier.”

“Will it make it easier to draw, and sew?” he asked eagerly. “I like designing clothes, but I’m usually not that satisfied with the drawings. Adam thinks they’re good, but they look kind of off to me. And I like sewing, but it’s really hard to do without a sewing machine, because I have to hold the material up really close, and threading the needle and tying the thread takes a long time.”

“All of that should be easier. I’m glad you have a hobby, but it’s unusual for a hybrid to develop a hobby like that.”

“My mom taught me to sew, and I sort of picked up the rest on my own.”

“Let’s test the vision in your other eye. You might need a different prescription for each eye.”

“Is that going to make it more expensive? Adam might not mind, but I don’t want him to have to spend extra money on me.”

Dr. Hanover answered patiently, “No, it won’t make a difference in the cost.”

They tested his right eye, and found out his vision was about the same, and they could use the same prescription for both eyes.

“I’ll talk to Adam about the glasses, and explain the different options. Now, we still have some other exams to do.”

Kurt didn’t like parts of the exam at all, especially the rectal exam. The vet seemed a bit surprised at his level of discomfort.

“The vet the pet store sent us to did those kind of exams, and it always hurt, and it was cold.”

Dr. Hanover shook his head. “It doesn’t have to hurt, and I run warm water over the instruments so they aren’t cold. I’m sorry this is unpleasant, but I need to be sure you haven’t incurred any injuries, possibly from having sex. Some partners don’t realize how rough they’re being –“

Kurt interrupted, very annoyed at this point. “I haven’t had sex, not even with Adam! He says we’re not ready yet.” Kurt didn’t want to talk about that, but it seemed like the vet really wanted to know.

“Alright, then please just relax as much as possible. I’ll try to not hurt you. I just need to make sure you’re healthy.”

Kurt had to admit, the vet was trying to be gentle, and actually seemed to be concerned about his dignity. It was over quickly, though, and hadn’t been quite as bad as he’d expected.

He listened carefully, realizing Dr. Hanover was speaking to him.

“I’m going to bring Sara, the nurse, in here to take a blood sample. It will sting a little, and she’ll need four vials of blood, so it’s going to take a few minutes. I suggest you look away from what she’s doing. Maybe you can look at this instead.” The doctor pointed to a similar mobile to the one in the waiting room. Kurt was mesmerized by the shifting colors. He flexed his arm, made a fist, but hardly felt the needle at all, because he was busy trying to predict which color would come up next.

Sara pressed a cotton ball to his tiny puncture in his arm, and put a strip of tape of it, then let him roll his shirt sleeves down again.

Dr. Hanover came in and told him he’d done very well.

“Let’s get some food into you. I’m going to take you to another room, where Sara will bring you some breakfast and juice. Please eat and drink everything. You don’t have to rush. When you’re done, you can rest, and sleep for a little while if you want. I’ll wake you up about a half-hour after you’ve eaten, and we’ll take one more vial of blood.”

“Isn’t that going to be a lot of blood to lose?” Kurt asked nervously.

“Not really, not as a human. We’ll only need one small vial from you as a cat. Then I want to talk to you alone for a bit. Anything you say to me will be confidential, meaning no-one has to know, including Adam, if you don’t want him to know. I just want you to know it’s safe to be honest. You’ll get more food, and another chance to rest, while I talk to Adam alone.”

Kurt liked the peaceful room he was brought into next. The walls were a very pale, soothing green. There was music playing at a very low volume, strings of some kind. He ate the plate of eggs and whole wheat toast, and drank the glass of orange juice, and felt much better. He was sleepy after the stressful morning, and did want to take a nap. There was a cot, with clean sheets and a thin cotton blanket. He took his shoes off and got into bed, and didn’t remember a thing until Dr. Hanover came in to wake him up. He was alert and not groggy, so he didn’t think anything had been put in the food or juice. Maybe he really was that relaxed? He supposed it was possible.

“I’m going to take one more blood sample from you, Kurt, in my office, then we’ll talk for a while.”

Once they were in his office again, Dr. Hanover lifted the tape and cotton ball, and said the bleeding had stopped. Kurt was surprised to realize it didn’t hurt anymore, either. The vet carefully removed the rest of the tape from Kurt’s arm, and took the other vial of blood from the other arm. He used just a bandaid to cover it that time. It hardly hurt at all.

Kurt tried to relax in the chair, as Dr. Hanover took his seat behind the desk again.

“I’m going to ask you some questions, to try to get an idea about how you’re feeling about things in general. Please be honest, and don’t worry about getting into trouble for anything you say.”

“Okay.” Kurt thought maybe he could trust this man.

“It seems like there was a big difference between the way your parents treated you at home, and how you were treated at the pet store. Then there was another change when Adam adopted you. Can you tell me a little more about that?”

Kurt knew he sometimes talked too fast, but he wanted to take the time to think about his answers. He supposed the vet would tell him if he was taking too long to answer.

“My parents were always really nice to me. They loved me, and I knew they loved me. My dad didn’t always say it, but he’d show it, you know? He was really patient with me most of the time. After my mom died, it was just the two of us. I don’t think I was supposed to know, but I heard him on the phone the day after she died. I don’t remember everything he said, but it sounded like they wanted to take me away from him then. I guess it was someone from the government calling. Dad said no, he was gonna keep me as long as he could, and it would be a cold day in hell before he chose to give me up. Then he said they could take their early release option and stick it where the sun don’t shine.”

Kurt couldn’t help but grin at the memory, and since Dr. Hanover smiled, too, it seemed okay.

“I didn’t have any friends, not really, not even the other hybrids, ‘cause I was so different from them. I guess my parents knew before I did that I was gay. But not just gay, I didn’t want to do the usual boy things, and when I was three, I guess I asked for a sensible pair of heels for my birthday. I liked wearing Mom’s makeup and lipstick. She didn’t get mad, just bought me a set of my own. Dad wasn’t too happy about it, but he never yelled or got angry, he just insisted I not wear it out of the house.”

He explained about the toy vacuum his mother got him, and the real tools his dad bought him to work in the shop with him.

Kurt paused. “Maybe I shouldn’t be telling you that. I don’t want to get Dad in trouble. He didn’t pay me for working with him, but I guess he shouldn’t have let me really work on the cars or in his office. He never let me do it when customers were around.”

“Don’t worry, Kurt,” the vet reassured him. “Nothing you tell me is going to be told to anyone else. It doesn’t sound like your father forced you to work for him, or made you spend a lot of time working there, just to save money.”

Kurt shook his head vehemently. “No, no, nothing like that. It was the only way we could spend a lot of time together. I don’t know what usually happens when a hybrid’s mom dies, but he didn’t want to leave me at home alone, said he wasn’t supposed to. Sometimes he had a neighbor look after me, Mrs. Jackson, the one who had all the cats. They all liked me, and I liked playing with them, but Daddy told me I wasn’t ever allowed to turn into a cat over there. He said he didn’t want Mrs. Jackson to accidentally forget how many she had and keep me by mistake. I didn’t think it would happen, but I always tried to do whatever Daddy told me.”

It wasn’t easy, but he told the vet about That Day, when the government people came to take him away from his dad, and how neither of them wanted that.

“But they said we didn’t have a choice, and they threatened to put my Dad in jail and take me away anyway if he didn’t give me up peacefully. I didn’t want him to go to jail, so I didn’t say anything else, just took the few things they’d let me take, though I did hide my moisturizer in with my clothes.”

He paused to think. He really wanted some water, but was afraid to ask for it, because he’d been told not to eat or drink anything. But just the thought of not being able to drink any water was making his throat itch. His voice was getting a little hoarse.

He hadn’t seen the little mini refrigerator until the vet got up and opened it. He took out a bottle of water, and handed it to Kurt.

He hesitated, not sure if it was some kind of trick.

“It’s okay, you can have some water now. Just drink it slowly.”

He still hesitated. The vet took another bottle out of the refrigerator and placed it by the first.

Okay, it was a test of some kind, but not necessarily a trick. He looked carefully at the bottles, and could see where the cap was attached by tiny pieces of plastic. He took the second bottle, twisted the cap hard to break the plastic pieces, and took a couple of small swallows.

His mouth and throat felt a lot better.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The vet opened the bottle that was left, and drank some of the water. He was perfectly calm and relaxed, and didn’t seem impatient at all.

After Kurt drank a little more water, the vet asked another question.

“How long were you at the pet store, before Adam adopted you?”

“Over five years. I guess close to six, because my birthday’s coming up pretty soon, Adam said.”

“Why do you think you were there for so long?” the vet asked.

Kurt explained about Mr. Will’s idea to make them show animals, to have them sing for people, and how that training took a while, and how badly they’d been received the few places they’d tried to sing.

“The others always said I’d never get adopted because I was ugly, and was too much like a girl for gay guys to want me. One of the dogs, who was also gay, but not as obvious as me, said gay guys wanted another guy, not one who might as well be a girl. They didn’t like my high voice, and hated my singing voice. They didn’t even bother to train me for sex, like they did with the rest, ‘cause Mr. Will said nobody would want me for that. He didn’t think anybody would want me for anything, because I talked back to him, was too different, and was just too weird for anyone to have to deal with. Whenever Miss Emma heard him say things like that, she’d threaten to wash his mouth out with soap. I thought only moms did that to their kids.” He wondered why Dr. Hanover was smiling, but it didn’t look like he was laughing at him, or making fun of him.

Kurt explained how Miss Shannon and Miss Sue were sometimes nice to him. He didn’t want to take up too much of the vet’s time, because he knew they had other tests to do, so he started talking a little faster, about how all the decisions had been made for the hybrids. Just about the only thing they let him decide for himself was if he wanted to stay a cat longer.

“At first they didn’t like it, Mr. Will and Miss Emma, but when they saw that the others kind of left me alone, and didn’t push me around quite as much when I was a cat, they let me stay that way. Unless a customer came in and wanted to see me in my human form. I didn’t want to change, but they’d use the hose on me till I changed, to get them to stop. Of course, my clothes and hair and everything would be all wet, and the customer would get annoyed and leave. Mr. Will would make me stay in those wet clothes, and wouldn’t even give me a towel, but I kept getting sick, so Miss Emma insisted he let me change. Sometimes they’d punish me by giving me a bath, as a cat. Not even just the usual flea bath, but if I tried to discourage a customer from wanting to take me home, like peeing on their shoes or something, Miss Emma would freak out and give me a bath until she was sure I was clean again, everywhere.”

Dr. Hanover was taking a few notes, but he mostly kept his eyes on Kurt as he was talking.

“Why didn’t you want to be adopted? I would think you’d want to get out of there and into a good home as soon as possible.”

Kurt sighed. “Yeah, I did, but the only people who were ever interested in me were these really creepy, scary guys. They just – I dunno, sometimes they didn’t have to even say anything, but as soon as they’d come in the store, my hackles would go up, my back would arch, I’d start hissing… Nobody else reacted like that, even if they were in animal form, but those are the times those people would decide they wanted to see me, alone, and have me change to human. They had cameras in the interview room, and I think Miss Emma or Mr. Will usually watched the interviews to make sure nothing bad happened, or step in if something did, but I still didn’t like being alone with those people. I thought they were going to hurt me, if they took me home, whether the sex kind of hurting or something else. So I’d do what I could to discourage them, and then I’d get in trouble.”

“I see. It’s probably a very good thing you listened to your instincts. I’m sure you’ve heard that some people do mistreat their pets, and some of them, if they can afford it, adopt a pet just so they have someone they can mistreat, often in both human and animal form. Maybe your instincts are more finely honed than your fellow hybrids.”

Kurt thought for a moment. “You think that’s maybe because, like you said, I had more hybrid genes than some of the others might, from both my mom’s parents being hybrids?”

“Maybe. Some people have very good instincts for dangerous situations, and a lot of animals do as well. Maybe your fellow hybrids felt safer in the store than you did, and thought they’d be protected from anyone hurting them.”

Kurt scoffed at that. He muttered something under his breath.

“I didn’t quite hear that,” Dr. Hanover said.

He hadn’t been meant to, but Kurt was fast on his feet, in more than one sense of the word. “I said ‘Lucky them’.”

Dr. Hanover coughed, the way Adam sometimes did, then cleared his throat. “Can you tell me what it was about Adam, that made you want to go home with him?”


	36. Chapter 36

“What was it that made me want to go home with Adam? Like one thing specifically?” Kurt asked, not sure he understood the question.

“Whatever you can think of that will help me understand what was different about Adam, what made you trust him, as opposed to the others.”

Kurt shrugged. “I dunno, I mean, it wasn’t immediate. But I didn’t get those weird vibes from him. I was actually in human form at the time, and I was singing. The other hybrids got mad and tried to drown me out, and this customer was actually looking at me. And it seemed like he liked what he saw. It startled me, ‘cause by then I just didn’t trust anybody I didn’t know to look at me. So I changed to my cat form. He looked surprised, too, like he wasn’t expecting that. He came closer, and just put his fingertips through the cage, and was talking to me, real quiet and gentle. I liked his voice, and his accent. But I still wasn’t sure I should come closer.

“Miss Emma was trying to discourage him, thinking he wouldn’t want me, ‘cause I think at that point even she had given up on finding a good home for me. Then Puck, one of the dog hybrids, told him what they thought of me, and that nobody would ever want me, and that seemed to make Adam mad. But he didn’t seem to be mad at me, for some reason. He told Miss Emma he wanted to spend some time with me. I was still nervous, but he wasn’t creepy. I’d thought, when I was human and first saw him, that he was cute. As a cat, I dunno, I don’t see him the same way, I mean, there’s no, like, sexual attraction, but I wanted to give him a chance to prove he wouldn’t hurt me. When Miss Emma explained about the water hose, how he could force me to change to human if he really wanted, he got upset, like he didn’t like that idea, and that made me feel better.

“He talked to me a little, and I kind of tested him, sort of sassing him back a little, and not doing exactly what he said when he said it. He seemed more amused than angry, like he got what I was doing. I did finally jump up on his lap and got comfortable. He didn’t get upset, even though I’m sure I got hair on his clothes. He held me a little, and when I tried to go to sleep, he said he could come back another time. He actually wanted me to change to human so we could talk, like he wanted to ask me questions. So I got off his lap and changed.

“The weird thing is, he was really concerned that I was comfortable, and was kind of upset that I wouldn’t sit on the other chair. I was kind of crouched on the floor, like we were taught, and he wanted me to sit so I was relaxed. It was different, but I did it, and it did make it easier to talk to him. I could concentrate more on what he was saying than worrying about my muscles cramping or something.

“Anyway, he told me a little about himself, and what he was looking for. I liked his looks, and the way he smelled, and he was nice to me, and I felt safe with him. He didn’t say anything about sex, but said he was looking for a companion. I thought, even if he did want sex, it would probably be a lot better than it would with anybody else I’d seen, and I just felt – I don’t know that I can explain it. I felt safe, like he wouldn’t hurt me just for the sake of hurting me, or be mean to me on purpose.”

Kurt sipped some more water, then continued.

“Miss Emma said we were closing soon, but he could come back the next day if he wanted. He said he needed more time to think. I didn’t want to let him go. I almost begged him to take me with him, but everybody says I’m stubborn, and contrary, and maybe they’re right. I wanted him to take me home because he wanted me, not because I talked him into it, and then he might change his mind.

“After he left, some of the ther hybrids were telling me he wouldn’t come back, nobody would ever want me, and all of that. But he did come back, and he did want me. Miss Emma made sure to brush me really carefully and wanted me to look as good as possible. While she took Adam to sign the papers, though, some of the dog hybrids – they’re usually meaner to me than the other cat hybrids – they started reminding me of what Mr. Will always said, that I’d have to be neutered before I left, that no owner would want me the way I was, that if they liked my voice, they’d want me to keep it, and then after they did that, while I was waiting to heal, he’d change his mind and leave me there.”

Kurt was breathing a little to fast, so he tried to calm down and drink more water. He reminded himself nothing like that had happened, Adam hadn’t let them do that.

“Did you believe them?” Dr. Hanover asked. He’d been taking notes, but never seemed distracted by it.

“Huh? Yeah, of course I did. That’s what Mr. Will had been saying for a long time. I was so scared, and when Adam and Miss Emma came back to get me, I was sort of hiding in the corner of the cage. I thought for sure he’d want me cut before he’d take me home. But I guess he figured out why I was scared, and so did Miss Emma. She seemed to know, without me saying anything, who had been scaring me, and she took them all into the Interview room to talk to them. She told Adam to just take me and go, so he must have already paid for me. He told me later he wouldn’t let them do that to me, that he liked me just fine the way I was. He said if my voice changed in time, that was fine, but he didn’t want to do anything to alter me. That was the first time anybody outside my mom and dad ever said they liked me just the way I was.”

He didn’t want to cry, he really didn’t, but Dr. Hanover gave him some tissues anyway, so he used them to mop up his face. He cleared his throat and continued.

“He asked if I was ready to go, and I changed back to human, and he took me home. But first we stopped to get me some more clothes, and sunglasses, ‘cause it was a really bright day.”

He stopped and drank more water, then waited for the vet to ask more questions.

Dr. Hanover wrote some notes, then asked, “Please tell me a little bit about your home life with Adam, what a typical day is like.”

That threw him off a bit. “Typical? I’m not sure. It seems like every day is different.”

“Then tell me about some of the things that you think are significant, anything you think is important for me to know, about your routine or home life.”

That was kind of hard to answer, too, but in a different way. There were so many things!

He told the vet about having his own room, and even his own bathroom, having choices about things, meeting Miss Lily and Misty, and Nancy, and Harriet, and the party with the Apples. He tried to hurry, but Dr. Hanover asked him to slow down.

“But there’s so much stuff! And I know there’s a lot more we have to do, and –“

“Don’t worry about that.” 

Even though the vet interrupted, it wasn’t rude or to shut him up, so he calmed down. 

“Kurt, this appointment may take longer than we expected, but that’s okay. It sounds like Adam is introducing you to a lot of people in a short amount of time. Are you okay with that?”

“I was nervous at first, but everybody’s been really nice. And Lily doesn’t mind if I turn into a cat and play with her cat, Misty. Misty’s a regular, you know, full cat, but I guess she’s lonely, too. Lily is nice to her, but she’s not a cat.”

Then he thought of the most important thing of all.

“Oh! Adam called my dad, to let him know I was okay, and find out how he was doing.”

Dr. Hanover looked up at that. His voice was quiet, but intense.

“Excuse me? He called your father? How did he find him?”

“Um –” Now he was nervous again, not wanting to get Adam in trouble. “He, um, asked me some questions about where I was from, and I couldn’t really remember the name of the town. I think I might have mentioned my last name sometime. He’d gotten some information from Miss Emma about what my dad did, and looked up car mechanics in Ohio, or something.” 

He paused, waiting to see if Adam would get in trouble. If he did, he’d tell the vet he’d wanted Adam to do it, he’d asked him to, it wasn’t Adam’s fault.

But the vet didn’t seem upset, just surprised. “What happened when he talked to your father?”

“Well, I didn’t know about it at first. They talked a while, and Dad wanted Adam to call him back in a little while. He was at work, almost done for the day, and he wanted to go home and talk from there. And he wanted to talk to me. So Adam woke me up from my nap, and told me about it, and he said he’d let me talk to Dad, and we could see if Dad wanted to come to visit. I was really, really nervous, and I thought Dad didn’t know I was gay, ‘cause I never actually told him, and thought he’d be upset, or might get mad at Adam if, you know, Adam was going to have sex with me and didn’t know or care that I wasn’t gay, ‘cause Dad wouldn’t know it was okay and that I am gay.” Kurt wasn’t sure he was making sense to anyone but him, but he figured the vet would stop him if he didn’t understand.

“But when I told him, Dad said he knew, and it was okay, he loved me just as much, gay, hybrid, or whatever. It was such a relief to not have to worry about that, too! I’d been worried about his health, ‘cause he’d had a heart attack and went into a coma not that long before they took me away. He was in the hospital for like a week. I was so scared he was going to die. I didn’t know if he was still alive, or who was taking care of him if he got sick again.”

“Who took care of you when your father was sick?”

The question startled Kurt. Nobody had thought to ask him before, except for Adam.

“One of the guys who worked in Dad’s shop. He and his wife let me stay with them, and let me sleep in their son’s bed, ‘cause he was away at college. They treated me like I was a normal kid.”

“But they knew you were a hybrid?”

“Oh, yeah, but they were okay with it.” It was one of the few happy memories he had of his childhood, with someone outside his parents. “They weren’t quite sure what to do when I was a cat, but they got some hybrid food, and I told them I wouldn’t need a litter box, ‘cause I could use the toilet, even as a cat. I tried to stay human as much as I could around them.”

“Your father obviously recovered, and then not long afterwards, you were taken away from him?”

“That’s right.” 

Kurt sniffled again, and Dr. Hanover gave him another tissue. He moved the waste basket closer to Kurt to dispose of the used tissues.

“I didn’t know how he was doing, or if anyone was left who cared about him. And I guess all this time, he was worried about me, and if anyone had bought me. Miss Emma had called to tell him I was adopted, but I guess nothing more than that. Now Adam is paying for plane tickets for Dad to come here to see me. He got married a couple of years ago, and his wife wanted to meet me, but he and Adam thought that should happen another time. He wants me and Dad to be able to talk. I never thought I’d ever talk to him again, hear his voice, or see him, but Adam thinks it’s important we stay in touch.”

From the look on Dr. Hanover’s face, he thought that yes, the vet did understand how unusual it was, but also how important.

“When will you see him?” the vet asked.

“Dad will be coming here on Friday.”

“This Friday?”

He seemed surprised, but Kurt was just grateful.

“Uh huh.”

“That’s awfully soon. Do you think you’ll be ready to see him?”

What a stupid question! He’d been waiting years to see him. But he controlled his temper. The vet wasn’t his enemy, and wasn’t trying to treat him like an idiot.

“Of course! I can’t wait to see him! He’ll spend the whole weekend, and go home on Monday. Adam is going to drive us to the airport to pick him up, and take him back. Adam says it’s going to be a busy week.”

He drank more water, and was feeling more relaxed. He’d been talking a lot, but Dr. Hanover hadn’t complained about his high voice or him talking too much.

“What else is happening this week?”

“We went to the gym yesterday, one for owners and hybrids, and met some really nice people. And found –” He wasn’t sure he should tell about maybe finding Nancy’s sister, so he changed the subject. “We found out about some different classes they have, and things just for hybrids, and it was really fun. Though I don’t think Adam thought it was quite as fun. I guess I’m in better shape, or more flexible than him or something. He says it’s ‘cause of my cat genes.”

“It might be.” Dr. Hanover smiled. “What else do you two have planned for this week?”

Kurt started to get excited, because they were getting to some fun stuff. “Well, today we’ve got this appointment. Then Adam’s going to take me home so I can sleep and rest and relax before tomorrow. He’s going to see the lawyer, about hybrid stuff, and I’m going to Lily’s to play with Misty, as a cat, I mean. They’re calling it a playdate. On Thursday, we’re going shopping with Lily – for some makeup for her. I gave her a makeover, and she needs some new makeup that will go better with her coloring.”

Dr. Hanover raised an eyebrow, but didn’t ask any questions.

“We’re also going to look at fabrics and maybe get a sewing machine. And we’re going to have lunch, too. Adam says he needs to get me some new clothes for a surprise on Thursday night. He won’t tell me what it is, but I’m sure it’ll be something nice, I mean, a good surprise, not a bad one.”

“And then your father is coming to visit on Friday?” 

“Uh-huh.” Kurt nodded, and couldn’t help grinning at the thought.

“It does sound like a busy week. Are you’re sure you’re up for all that?”

“Sure. I think this will be the hardest part, then the rest will pretty much be fun things. Well, fun for me. I don’t think Adam is looking forward to shopping with Lily.”

“But it’s something you want to do?”

“Oh, yeah! Adam’s really nice about letting me do some things I want to do.”

“I have another question for you. Are you getting enough rest, and actual naps, and food?”

“Uh-huh, Adam’s been really good about things like that.”

“Do you sleep through the night, generally?”

“Um, if I’m sleeping as a cat, I wake up a few times, and go out to the living room or the kitchen or something for a while. If I’m a human, it’s easier to sleep through the night. I had a lot of nightmares when I was at the pet store, but none since I’ve been with Adam, except the first night.”

“And how often do you change back and forth, human to cat and back to human?”

Kurt thought about it. “Maybe once a day, but usually for a few hours at a time, or I might spend the night on Adam’s bed as a cat.”

“You said you have your own room?”

“Yeah, but I don’t like to sleep there. The bed’s too big and cold and lonely. I don’t like being alone.”

“And Adam lets you sleep on his bed?”

He considered how to explain it. “At first he didn’t want me to, but that first night I had a nightmare and got scared and ran into his room, and he let me spend the night, in his bed, you know, under the covers. As a person. But the next morning, because I was cuddled really close to him, we both were – we had –” He knew he was blushing, but couldn’t help it. “Adam insisted we take separate showers, and had a talk with me later, about how it probably wasn’t a good idea, because he’s not sure how well he can control both of us.”

“He doesn’t want to have sex with you?” The vet sounded surprised.

“Well, yeah, but not yet. He wants to be sure I really know that I want to have sex with him. I’ve tried to tell him, I do, and I love him, but he’s not sure he feels as much for me yet as I feel for him, and he wants to wait till he feels as strongly as I do, and also he needs to know I’m really ready and won’t get upset about it later.”

“I see. Would you like me to talk to him about the differences between a hybrid 18-year-old male, and a human 18-year-old male?”

“Yeah, that might help! He said he might treat me as a little younger because I didn’t have the usual experiences most teenagers have, something like that.”

“I’ll talk to him, and let him know he has nothing to feel guilty about. But it’s important that you both be ready. Just like he doesn’t want to rush you before you’re ready, you shouldn’t try to make him feel guilty, or try to trick him into having sex with you. It’s not right to make that decision for another person, no matter which of you is making the decision.”

“Oh! I hadn’t really thought about it quite like that. So Adam’s trying to get me used to making choices by myself, and doesn’t want to make choices for me, except in situations that he thinks I might not be able to, or I might say the wrong thing. And in the same way, I shouldn’t be trying to make choices for him that he should make for himself, right?”

“That’s exactly right.”

Kurt wasn’t sure how the vet was able to untangle all his words, but he thought he understood a little better why Adam was waiting.

“He wants to not just love me, but be in love with me, that’s another thing,” he remembered.

“Ah. And how do you feel about him?”

“I’m in love with him already, and I wish I knew what to do to make him fall in love with me! He said there’s nothing I can do specifically, just be patient. But I don’t wanna be patient.” He didn’t care that he sounded petulant. He was so tired of other people always thinking they knew what was best for him.

“That’s another thing like we were just talking about, it’s not nice to try to make him fall in love with you. Do try to be patient and let it happen naturally. Then you’ll be sure it’s real, and not something he was tricked into that he might not really feel.”

“Wow, you explain things really well,” Kurt sighed. “Adam tries, and most of the time he does a good job, but I think you understand more about hybrids than he does.”

“That’s probably true, but I’ll do my best to educate him, and help him find some resources, so he can learn as much as he’s willing to learn.”

“Oh, about the bed situation,” Kurt remembered. “Adam wants to find me a bed I’ll like better, so I can sleep in my own bedroom, alone. He seems to think it’s important that I can do that, and be as independent as possible, and not only be able to sleep when he’s right there with me. He’s been looking at these loft beds, and showed me some he thought might work. 

“He wants me to have my own space, where I have a bed I can use as a human, and another one, above it, that’s more suited to me as a cat, that’s maybe smaller and softer and has higher walls around it. He showed me a lot that were really cool, and some that look like castles, but I have a feeling those probably cost a lot. He wants me to make my own decision about the kind of bed I want, and said if necessary we can get one specially made. He wants me to have a – what’s the word -- a sanctuary, so I have a place I can go to be alone.”

“That’s considerate of him. How do you feel about that?”

“Well… I like the idea, but it makes more sense to me for him to just let me sleep on his bed with him.”

“But what if he wants to sleep alone? Or maybe…”

Dr. Hanover hesitated, and bit his lip.

Kurt took a chance on speaking up. “Doctor, you said I should be honest with you, and tell you everything. Please be honest with me. What were you going to say?”

He sighed, but answered Kurt. “You’re right. I was just trying to spare your feelings. It’s not uncommon for people with hybrid pets to still go out on dates, or bring someone else home for sex, or develop other relationships. Have you and Adam discussed what will happen if he meets someone else, finds a boyfriend, something like that?”

Kurt’s lip trembled, but he bit it, not wanting to give in to the tears. “Yes, we did. He said he won’t be looking for anyone else, that I’m his boyfriend, but we maybe shouldn’t tell everybody that. But he introduced me to his Apples, his singing group friends, as his boyfriend.”

Dr. Hanover looked surprised, briefly, then his face smoothed over.

“I see. Well, Adam might still occasionally want privacy, or you might, so it’s good that he wants you to be comfortable in your own room, so you have a place to go if you need to be alone, or just need a place to retreat, or hide.”

Kurt sighed. “Yeah, we had a problem with that already. The first day I was there, I got scared, ‘cause the bed was too big and I had too much to think about. I didn’t change, I stayed human, but I hid under the bed. I heard Adam calling me, looking for me, but I was afraid he’d get upset so I didn’t say anything. He did finally look under the bed. He didn’t seem too upset, but said next time, if I felt like hiding, he’d appreciate knowing I was alright, and that I hadn’t run away. He said I didn’t need to actually hide, but if I wanted to stay under the bed or something, I could just tell him where I was when he came looking, and he wouldn’t insist I come out.”

“Hm. For someone who didn’t have much experience with hybrids before you, Adam seems to have remarkable instincts regarding what you need. You’re very fortunate that he’s so attuned to your needs and wants what’s best for you.”

“Oh, I know! A lot of owners wouldn’t put up with it, and would get really upset about stuff like that, and wouldn’t care what I want or need. Adam wants me to tell him ahead of time, though, before I change, and to let him know if I need to change, or I’m hungry, or need a nap. He’s good about reminding me about that stuff, but he’s worried he might not always think about it when he should, so he wants me to tell him what I need when I need it.”

“Well, it sounds to me like you have a very honest relationship, and I’m very pleased he’s so concerned about your welfare. Now, is there anything else you think you should tell me, or anything you want me to know, or are concerned about?”

He thought a minute. “Oh! Adam not only got me Harriet, the little pink toy mouse I told you about, and I hold or cuddle her if I get anxious and it’s not convenient to cuddle with him right then, but he also got me a teddy bear, at the Build-A-Bear place. He stuffed him for me. He doesn’t have a name yet, but he’s also for me to hold onto when Adam’s not available. He’s bigger than Harriet, and nice and soft and cuddly.” Kurt bit his lip, aware that most 18-year-olds, hybrids or not, didn’t have teddy bears. The one in the Interview room at the pet store didn’t count, because he’d only ever seen the youngest hybrids play with it.

“What did you think, when Adam gave you the bear? Did it make you uncomfortable?”

“No, not at all! It showed me that he loved me, and wanted me to have somebody to hold and talk to if he wasn’t there, so I wouldn’t be too lonely. I know it’s kind of unusual at my age -- Hey, I wonder if that’s why Adam looked so nervous? Maybe he wasn’t sure if I was too old for a bear. It’s not something I would have asked for, but it meant a lot that he thought about it, and thought I needed something for comfort.”

“His instincts are very good, it seems. So you have no complaints about the way he treats you? I mean, you’re not afraid of him, he hasn’t done anything to hurt or upset you?”

“No! He just treats me better than he should, sometimes, like he doesn’t know any better. I dunno, I get confused, sometimes, because he says I’m his boyfriend but maybe he’s just trying to be nice and I’m really just a pet, or maybe he doesn’t understand that I should be just a pet and he just doesn’t realize I shouldn’t be his boyfriend, even though I really want to be.” He frowned as he thought it through, trying to puzzle it out. “He wants me to be independent, and he wants to treat me like a boyfriend, like a human. But he’s not ashamed that I’m a hybrid, and he doesn’t try to stop me from being a cat. Sometimes I think he’s more comfortable with me like that, without the sex thing being a problem, but he really likes talking to me, too, and listening to me, and he wants me to be independent, like I was a human. It’s confusing.”

Dr. Hanover was silent a few moments, then said, “I know it can be very confusing for both parties, hybrid pet and owner. Would you like to come and talk to me every now and then, as a psychiatrist?”

Kurt shook his head. “I don’t think I need to. But maybe –” He thought about it a little more. “Maybe Adam and I can both come in and talk to you? Because he might need to talk to you more than I do. I mean, not that he’s crazy or anything like that, but maybe you can help us both sort of figure out this whole owner/hybrid/pet/boyfriends thing?”

The vet let out a long sigh, and looked relieved. He smiled at Kurt and said, “I’ll certainly ask Adam about that. I think it might be very helpful to you both to have a neutral third party to talk to at times. You don’t need to be crazy to see a psychiatrist.”

Kurt was suddenly ashamed, not meaning to be insensitive. “I’m sorry, it’s just the way everybody – I’m used to people sort of thinking that way.”

“A lot of people do. You and Adam might do as well with a counselor or therapist, but it sounds like the kinds of issues you’re facing are exactly the kind I’m trying to address.”

Kurt looked up at him, suddenly wary. How did he know? He bit his lip, and chewed on it as he thought.

“Can I tell you something?”

“Of course. Anything you say is confidential. I won’t tell anyone, unless it has to do with harming someone else.”

“No, just myself. I mean…” He took a deep breath. “When you were talking about your brother – your friend –“

“Harold.”

“Yes. I think I understand some of what he was going through. I feel better now, since I found Adam, but in some ways I was almost looking forward to being euthanized, if no one had adopted me by the time I turned 20. I wasn’t very happy, everyone around me was telling me no one would ever want me, that I was unloveable, and it looked like my future might be pretty miserable, if the only people interested in me were those creepy, scary guys. I knew I didn’t want to live like that, being terrified all the time. It would almost be a relief, to have everything over and done.” He wasn’t sure if he should have said anything, but it felt good to get it out.

Dr. Hanover waited, to see if he had anything to add.

“Kurt, I think those feelings are probably very common in hybrids. I would imagine there are a lot who end up very unhappy, and have no choice in who adopts them. My understanding is if a hybrid is very resistant to someone who’s interested in them, the store won’t sell them to that person, but I think we both know there are probably exceptions. And a lot of people are very good at hiding their true intentions, so the hybrid pet and those who are supposed to care for them at the store, are fooled. 

“I would guess that, out of the large number of hybrids that die much younger than they should, a lot more of those are suicides than they want the general public to realize. An autopsy is rarely performed, unless the death is extremely suspicious, and even then, since hybrids are considered animals, without the same rights as full humans, they’re not always investigated even in those cases. I would like to prevent any more hybrids from feeling like that’s their only option to escape an intolerable situation.

“I’m not going to say anything to Adam. It’s completely up to you whether you ever tell him what you’ve told me. It doesn’t sound like you’re in danger of harming yourself now, but if you do have any thoughts about that, or get so upset that it seems like a viable option, please, call me.” He handed Kurt his business card, after writing a number on the back. “This is a private number, sort of a hotline. Please call me, any time, day or night, before taking any actions to harm yourself. You can read the numbers, right?”

Kurt squinted at the card, but could see the numbers well enough. He read them out loud.

“Yes, that’s it. Please keep that somewhere safe, so you can find it if you need it. But unless it’s something about Adam himself that’s making you feel that way, I would hope you could talk to him about whatever the problem is. I think he’ll do whatever he can to help you. But if you don’t think he can help, or if he’s in any way causing you to feel unsafe, please call me at that number, and I’ll do what I can to help. I really don’t think it will be necessary, but I’d rather you have my number and not need it, than wish you had someone to ask for help. It sounds like you’re building a network of friends, which is wonderful, I just want you to have one more option before you consider anything rash.”

Kurt put the card in his pocket. “Thank you. I don’t think I’ll need it, but you’re right, it’s nice to know I can call you if there is some kind of emergency. And I wouldn’t do that to Adam, not without talking to him first. I can’t imagine a situation, right now, where that would be an option.”

“I’m happy to hear that.” Dr. Hanover closed Kurt’s file and picked it up as he stood.

“Now, let’s go back to a different examination room, and I’ll ask you to change forms, and I’ll observe the change, make some notes, and run a few tests. Then you can go back to the room you were in before and have a snack, and rest or nap some more, while I talk to Adam.”

Kurt nodded, and stood. “Okay that sounds good.” He wanted to see Adam, he had a lot of things to tell him, but he didn’t mind being alone with this vet. He felt like he’d met another one of the nice people Adam kept telling him were out there.


	37. Chapter 37

Kurt followed Dr. Hanover into the examination room, looking forward to the opportunity to change. He knew it might not be for very long, but he loved having the opportunity to really stretch his body.

“Before you change, I wanted to be sure we can communicate. Adam said you communicate very well as a cat, but you’ll be able to understand me as well, correct?”

Kurt nodded. “Yes. If I pay attention, I can understand the words. Sometimes I get too busy playing or doing something, or I just want to tune the person out, then it sounds more like white noise. It’s like I have to stop and really concentrate for the words to be clear.”

“And what about your thoughts? Would you say your thought process is similar to your thoughts as a human?”

This was a much more difficult question. “Not exactly the same. Sometimes I can’t think of the same words I’d use as a human, so I go for something easier. But it’s still closer to human than the way a real cat thinks or communicates, I’m pretty sure.”

“Really?” The vet gestured for Kurt to sit on the examination table. “That’s always fascinated me, because sometimes regular animals seem very smart, but I’m sure they don’t think exactly the same way we do.”

“Not really. It’s like, I offered to sort of translate for Lily, when Misty tries to talk to her. I haven’t really done that yet, but when Misty and I talk as cats, it’s not the same as having a conversation. I can’t repeat the sounds when I’m human, but I think she knows I’m trying to communicate, if I try to purr, for instance. It’s funny, Misty calls me ‘Purt’ because she can’t make the ‘K’ sound. It’s really more like a purr with a sort of ‘T’ sound at the end. Both Lily and Adam hear it as Purt, but it’s more like, “Prrrrrrrrt.” It’s more like she’s expressing a concept with certain sounds, like ‘play’ or ‘toy’ or ‘sleep’.”

Dr. Hanover was taking notes again, at a little desk. “I’ve never had another patient who could explain it quite as well as you. Thank you. By the way, do you know what Misty calls Lily?”

“Yeah. I’m not sure Lily can hear it the same way, but it’s very much like “Mama”. When I talk to Misty when I’m human, I refer to Lily as “your Mama” and she seems to understand. I don’t know if she means exactly the same thing humans would with that word, but I think the concept is similar.”

“Amazing. What do you call Adam, when you’re a cat?”

“I don’t really try to call him by name, I just try to get his attention. I don’t think he understands all the subtleties of cat language, and there’s no reason he should, but usually he understands. Sometimes I think maybe he pretends he doesn’t understand, for some reason of his own, like a practical joke sort of thing, but he’s not actually trying to be mean. I think he genuinely finds it funny to try to get me to express myself as clearly as possible.”

“Have you told him it irritates you?”

“Not in so many words, but I’ve made it clear, and he usually apologizes. But it’s more like a sort of game, I think, than being mean.”

“Alright. But I think he would probably understand, if you told him sometime when you’re human, the things that irritate you or are difficult for you as a cat, if you think he really doesn’t get it.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“I might need some assistance with your examination. I usually have the nurse come in to help, but would you prefer I ask Adam to come in?”

“Is it okay?” Kurt didn’t want to beg, but he’d much rather have Adam there than a nurse.

“Of course. Would you like me to send for him?”

“Yes, please.”

“Just a moment. Wait right here, and I’ll be back soon.”

Kurt waited, kicking his feet back and forth underneath the metal exam table. It was holding his weight, but he thought they were more likely designed for animal form than human form. He tried to keep his legs still, but he was getting restless. Now that he knew it would be happening soon, he was anxious to change.

In just a couple of minutes the vet returned.

“He’ll be here in a moment. Another thing. Can you try to explain exactly how you change, what the process is? I’ve asked all my patients, and the ones that have words for it have all given me different explanations.”

“Huh, I’ve never thought of trying to explain it. Sometimes I get startled and change when I don’t intend to, but that almost never happens anymore. I just concentrate on what it’s like to be a cat, and I can’t even begin to describe what it feels like. Kind of like my body is folding in on itself, turning itself inside out. It seems like it should hurt, but it doesn’t.”

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to record it with a camcorder. It’s equally hard for me to describe what it looks like, but it’s usually so fast I can’t really follow what happens.”

Kurt nodded. “Go ahead. Can I see it, afterwards? I mean, when I’m back to human? I’ve never seen myself change, though I’ve seen other hybrids change. And you’re right, it doesn’t look quite exactly the same with everybody, even other hybrid cats.”

“Of course you can see it. Yes, that’s been my observation, that it’s not always quite the same. They still don’t know the origin of hybrids, but if I weren’t such a man of science, I’d be tempted to say it’s more magic than science.”

Kurt grinned at that. “Maybe it is. Who says magic isn’t real?”

“That would certainly put a different spin on it, wouldn’t it?” The vet smiled wistfully. “I’d love it if we could get some sort of definitive proof about where you all came from, but I guess it’s going to remain a secret. But there’s no biological reason I’ve ever read to explain how your clothes somehow disappear or reappear when you change form. Or how your collar expands and contracts to fit your human or animal body. There’s no way that can happen, but I’ve seen it, over and over.”

“I don’t know. I don’t even really think about it, usually, it just happens.”

“it’s interesting that no one has ever really come up with a good explanation, or done a lot of research. But then, the government has good reasons for wanting to keep things quiet.”

“Yeah, they make a lot of money off the pet stores selling us,” Kurt agreed bitterly.

“I wonder how things might change if –“

The nurse knocked on the door, and ushered Adam into the room. He looked at Kurt, with his brows raised in inquiry.

“Hi, Adam. I’m fine,” he reassured him. “I just would rather have you help the vet, if he needs it, rather than the nurse.” He looked at her and smiled shyly. “No offense.”

“None taken. I think I’d make the same choice, if I were you,” she said with a cheeky grin, then closed the door.

Adam took Kurt’s hand and squeezed it, then stood against the wall next to the table.

“Just let me know what you need me to do.”

“I might not need help, but sometimes it’s easier for someone else to hold the hybrid in animal form, so I can use both hands for the examination.”

“That’s fine. Whatever you need, just let me know.”

“I’m going to record Kurt’s transformation, something I do with all my patients.”

He set up the cam-corder. “Whenever you’re ready, go ahead.”

Kurt concentrated, and in moments was in cat form. He scooted away from the edge of the table, closer to the center. It wasn’t that far to fall, but why take a chance?

 

 

Adam had seen Kurt transform a number of times now, but he still didn’t think he’d be able to adequately describe it.

The camera was turned off, and Dr. Hanover pulled on gloves. He petted Kurt, letting him get used to a stranger’s hands, and Kurt allowed it.

The exam was about what Adam expected; recording Kurt’s length and weight, and checking his mouth, ears, eyes, paws, claws, and tail. Whenever he could, when his hands wouldn’t be in the way, Adam petted a part of Kurt that wasn’t being examined, or just left his hand on him. It seemed to soothe him, as he was purring most of the time.

Adam was relieved when the vet inserted a thermometer in Kurt’s ear, rather than where he expected, and read his temperature. “105 degrees. Just a little higher than for a full cat, a lot higher than a human, but still normal for a hybrid.”

“When he’s in human form --” Adam hesitated. He continued to pet Kurt, who was purring. “Is it alright if I ask questions?”

“Of course.”

“It seems to me, when I hug or hold him, he’s a little warmer than one would expect. Is that normal?”

“Yes. His temperature as a human, because of his dual nature, is going to be right around 99.5 to 100 degrees, rather than the usual 98.6 that is the norm for humans.”

“So if he were feverish, he’d feel much hotter.”

“With his pale skin, I think you’ll be able to see it if his skin is flushed from fever. I think Kurt is articulate, and self-aware enough, that he’ll be able to tell you if he doesn’t feel well. One thing to keep in mind, if he seems to be sick as a cat, ask him to change to human form, if he can, and I think you’ll find it easier to care for him. You can always call me to ask for advice, if you think he’s sick, or if he gets injured. I’ve noticed, if a hybrid is injured in one form, it can help to switch to the other. There’s something about the change that seems to speed up the healing process. But again, you might find it easier to help him if he’s human. Please don’t hesitate to call me, if you feel you need to bring him in. I’d rather be able to tell you it’s a simple cold, or a sprained ankle or something, than have you wait too long, and have it become more complicated.”

“I’ll do that. Is there anything you found in his earlier examination that I should know about?”

“I was going to talk to you about that when we’re done here, but he seems pretty healthy. He’s a little on the thin side, but he weighs about two pounds more than he did when you brought him home, a little over a week ago, if your scale is accurate.”

“Two pounds in a week? Surely that’s not good for him. Maybe I’m feeding him too much, trying to keep the hypoglycemia under control.”

“No, in this case, it’s good. I take it you’re not feeding him junk food, so hopefully he’s building muscle.”

“That’s good. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt things. What’s next?”

Dr . Hanover turned to go through a drawer in the cabinet behind him. “I’ll need to take a very small amount of blood, just a few drops. It’s a little different process. Please hold him still. He won’t like seeing the lancet.”

Adam saw Kurt’s ears go back, and heard a low growl. He put a little more pressure on Kurt while petting him, and lengthened the strokes, trying to emphasize he should stay still.

“It’s okay, darling, the vet’s not going to hurt you. He just needs this one final blood test, and that’s it. You’ll be fine.” He held Kurt against his body, trying to keep him still.

Dr. Hanover spoke up. “Kurt, I’m sorry, this is a bit of a trade-off.”

Kurt looked up at the vet, and seemed to be paying attention.

“I was able to take your temperature by putting the thermometer in your ear. But I’m also going to need to test your blood, from your ear.”

Kurt growled again, quietly, but he didn’t sound like he was going to try to hurt the vet.

“Adam, hold him tightly, please.”

Dr. Hanover stroked the inside of Kurt’s left ear gently with his finger, and moved aside some of the fur growing there. He found a vein inside the ear, and used a lancet to open it, then pressed a strip of some kind of paper against it, to get several drops of blood. He set the paper aside, and handed Adam a tiny cotton ball.

“Please hold Kurt with one hand, and use the other to hold this against his ear. You don’t want to press too hard, but firm enough to stop the blood. It won’t bleed for long.”

Adam did as he was told. He could see and feel that Kurt was unhappy. His purring had turned to a more continuous growling sound, and his body was tense. He focused on what he was doing, rather than what the vet was doing with the blood test.

“You can pull the cotton ball away now, and we’ll see if the bleeding’s stopped. I don’t know how much it’s hurting him, and how much is just general unhappiness with needles of any kind.”

“I think I’d feel the same as he does, if you tried to take blood from my ear,” Adam suggested.

“If we need to test his blood sugar levels on a regular basis, and I don’t think we will, you might need to learn to do this at home.”

Kurt growled and snarled.

Adam continued to soothe and pet him, but suggested, “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

The waited a moment, and no more blood appeared.

“Alright, that’s done. Adam, please pick Kurt up and follow me. We’ll take him back to where he was resting earlier. He can run around a little if he wants, and rest when he’s ready, and have something to eat, while we talk.”

Kurt didn’t seem to mind being picked up and held, but Adam found himself whispering soothing nonsense to him anyway. He held him close to his chest, so Kurt could feel his heartbreat. In return, he could feel the beat of Kurt’s heart. It seemed rather fast to him, but since the vet hadn’t said anything, he supposed it was normal, considering Kurt was still a little bit agitated.

The room they were brought to was quiet, with low, soothing music playing through speakers in the ceiling. One wall of the room was glass, so someone could keep an eye on Kurt. There was nothing in the room to play with, but it was long enough that an animal could probably run back and forth a bit. There was a cot in one corner, with sheets and a blanket and a pillow. Near it was a pet bed, large enough for a good-sized dog. It was covered with a small sheet.

“You can set Kurt down on the pet bed.” The vet had closed the door behind them, so Kurt wasn’t going to run out of the room.

Adam knelt and set Kurt carefully on the padded bed.

The vet addressed Kurt again.

“You can rest here, or stretch out, run around, and get some exercise. Over here is a bowl of food and fresh water. There’s a clean litterbox in that far corner.”

Kurt looked at it disdainfully, and Adam had a feeling it wouldn’t be used.

“You don’t have to eat or drink if you don’t want to, but it’s there if you want it. It’s common for hybrids to be hungry and thirsty when they change, because you’re expending a lot of calories.”

Kurt lifted his shoulders in a sort of shrugging motion.

“It’s up to you. Adam and I are going to talk for a while in my office, and later on, Sara will bring you to the office, you’ll change back to human, and I’ll talk to both of you together, and answer any questions you might have, to the best of my ability. That will be the end of our visit today.”

Kurt looked up at Adam and meeped.

“What is it, darling? What do you need?”

Kurt repeated the sound, and lifted his paws up, batting them around the air.

“Ah, you wish you had Harriet here, I’m sure.”

Adam smiled, glad the vet had made the suggestion that he bring a familiar toy, just in case Kurt got upset. He took Harriet out of an inner pocket of his laptop bag. He held her up for Kurt to see, amused at the wide eyes and look of excitement on his face. Kurt waved his paws in a “Gimme!” gesture. Adam set Harriet down in front of him on the bed.

“Let’s not forget her when we leave, okay?”

Kurt shook his head, already protecting his baby with his paws.

Dr. Hanover was trying not to grin, but failing.

“Okay, let’s leave Kurt and his friend alone here, because we need to discuss some things, and I’m sure you’ve got some questions.”

 

 

Once they were both seated in the doctor’s office, Adam sat up straight. “Should I take notes or anything?”

Dr. Hanover shook his head. “I’ve been making some notes of things all along today, and I’ll be adding more as we talk. I’ll print out a copy of any relevant medical data for you to add to your file.

“There are a couple of things you need to know about, from today’s visit. For one, the simplest thing to fix, the main reason Kurt is having difficulty reading, even though he’s obviously very bright, is that he has poor near vision.”

“Ah! Why didn’t I think of that?” Adam fretted. “I wear contacts, and if I take them out I need glasses for reading.”

“Don’t feel it was something you should have realized. After all, in all this time, nobody else figured it out. His vision isn’t all that bad, about 20/60, but it’s going to be so much easier for him to do close work, once his vision has been corrected to 20/20. He’ll also find it easier to draw and sew.”

“I didn’t even realize… I’ve seen his drawings, and thought they were excellent. He did try to hem a pair of jeans, and I’ll admit I got bored watching him because it took so long. It never occurred to me, even though he held them pretty close, that he was having trouble seeing the stitches.”

The doctor shrugged. “Well, it’s something that can be fixed pretty quickly. We have an optical dispensary in the building, and if you use them, he’ll get the glasses in around a week or maybe 10 days at most.”

“Can’t we get them sooner than that?” Adam was feeling guilty. “I know, it’s been years, so another week or so shouldn’t make a difference. But I was just thinking, wouldn’t it be wonderful if he could see well while his father is here, and can maybe read to him? His dad is going to be here on Friday for a visit over the weekend,” he explained.

“Kurt told me. He’s very excited about that. I’m just a little concerned, because he’s gone through so many changes in such a short time, and it sounds like you have a lot planned for this week.”

“I know,” Adam agreed. “But after this appointment I’m going to take him home, we’ll have some lunch, and he can rest or nap as much as he wants. If he’s not too tired, we might go shopping later to get him a nice suit for Thursday night. It occurred to me, if it needs to be altered, they might need more than a few hours’ notice.”

“Where are you taking him? Kurt says he’s sure it’s someplace nice.”

Adam grinned. “It definitely is. I’m taking him to see Wicked at the Gershwin. He’s never been to a Broadway play, and I know he loves the music from it. I’ve seen it several times, and I thought it would be something he’d really enjoy.”

“Just be careful, in a big crowd like that, to keep him close to you. Not just on the leash, but maybe hold his hand, or link his arm through yours, so he can stay right with you. He’s still not used to being around that many people all at once. And if either of you needs to use the restroom, you should both go in there, so he’s not left alone.”

He nodded. “Thank you, yes, I was thinking about that. I’ll be careful.”

“To get back to the glasses, yes, there’s a store at the mall about half a mile from here, that promises to deliver glasses within an hour. Some of my patients have gone there, and been satisfied, but I should warn you it will be more expensive.”

Adam shrugged away that consideration. “In this case the convenience will be worth it.” He leaned forward a bit and captured the doctor’s gaze. “Now, you said the glasses would be the easiest thing. What else did you find?”

“Nothing else of a medical nature. But not surprisingly, he’s confused about his role in your life, and your role in his.”

“Ah, the owner and pet versus boyfriends issue?”

The doctor nodded.

“We’re still trying to work that out. It’s obviously confusing for me, too. It seems to me, most of the time when I see people in public with their pets, in human form, they have them on a leash, obviously, but they do treat them pretty much like a pet. They rarely seem to converse with them, or ask their opinion, it’s more just leading them. “Come here,” or “go there,” “stay close,” and “be quiet.” But that’s not what I want.”

“Let’s start there. What do you want from Kurt?”

Adam exhaled loudly and rolled his eyes, not caring that it made him seem a good 10 years younger. “I’ve been trying to figure that out since I first saw the ad for the pet store. I thought I wanted a companion, but a pet who could talk to me as well as just listen. I figured, I love cats, they’re fun to play with, when they’re affectionate they’re very sweet, and yet they’re more independent than a dog. The dogs I’ve seen usually want a lot of attention from their owner, and I figured it would be the same with hybrids. I had no idea how high maintenance Kurt was going to be!”

Dr. Hanover raised an eyebrow, and wordlessly asked him to elaborate.

Adam wasn’t sure he was expressing himself well. “I thought he’d be able to spend a lot more time on his own, and I didn’t realize how much time we’d be spending together. It’s fine, now that I’m getting used to it, but there are so many things I never really considered. Now it seems to me I should have done a lot more research ahead of time, tried to talk to other hybrid pet owners, so I’d have a more realistic idea what to expect. But I didn’t do that. I saw Kurt, and saw how they were treating him, and I wanted to stop it.

“It’s not just that I wanted to help him, but I liked his personality. He was feisty, stubborn, funny, manipulative, charming, and exasperating, and that was just in the pet store the first day I met him! Not to mention, he’s also very good-looking as a human. I know he doesn’t think so, because a bunch of idiots have spent way too much time trying to convince him he’s not, and he believed them. But it’s more than his looks, he’s just very endearing. I left him there in the store the first day, because I needed more time to think. But I realized I couldn’t just leave him there for God knows whom to adopt. Who knows what sort of home life he’d end up having? At least with me, I knew I’d take good care of him, or do my best to treat him well. I didn’t actually expect to fall in love with him.”

Dr. Hanover leaned forward in his chair. “Does Kurt know you’re in love with him?”

Adam shook his head and looked down at his hands. “Not yet. I haven’t found quite the right time to tell him, because it’s been hard for me to realize. I cared for him, and loved him, pretty early on, but this is new. I want so much for him to be happy, to reach his potential, to do whatever it is he wants to do with his life. And I’m starting to realize how limited his life really is going to be, and that frustrates me. I’ll admit, I don’t know a lot of hybrids, hardly any, but I think Kurt is special. He’s different. Maybe it’s because his parents, especially his father, raised him with a lot of freedom and allowed him to be as human as he wanted, but to me he’s a human first, and a cat second. I love his cat side, and don’t ever want to discourage him from living that part of his life. But I’ve fallen in love with his human side, and I can’t help wishing he were fully human, so he could really be my boyfriend, and I could treat him the way he should be treated, in public as well as private.”

He paused, and Dr. Hanover cleared his throat. He still had his own bottle of water on the desk.

“Would you like some water? This might take a while, and we need to talk with Kurt here as well, eventually.”

Adam accepted a bottle, and tried to think of how to explain their situation.

“I’m concerned that he doesn’t want to sleep in his own bed at night, unless I’m with him. I understand he’s spent the last five years or so in a cage, surrounded by other hybrids in nearby cages, but I would think he’d enjoy the novelty of being alone. But he sleeps better when he’s in my bed, or on it as a cat. And frankly, I sleep better when he’s with me, too. Otherwise I wake up and worry about him.”

“Then why not just let him sleep with you?”

Adam knew the question was a reasonable one.

“Because I’m afraid if he does, I’ll end up taking advantage of him. I’m not sure he’s really ready for sex yet. He’s 18, but a very young 18 in some ways.”

“I asked Kurt if he wanted me to explain to you the difference between an 18-year-old human and an 18-year-old hybrid, and he said yes.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Hybrids mature faster than humans, because, as you know, they have a shorter lifespan. They’re usually trained to be sexual companions, at about age 13. That might seem appalling if you’re thinking in human terms, where the average human at that age might be starting to physically mature, but won’t have the intellectual maturity or judgment to make that kind of decision. But Kurt, at 18, almost 19, is more like 21 or 22 in terms of physical development. He really does know what he wants, even if he hasn’t had the training. He’s been frustrated for years, and thinking no one would want him. Now you’ve adopted him, he’s attracted to you, and he’s in love with you. That’s the way it sometimes works with hybrids. Some aren’t given enough time with their owner before the sexual part of the relationship starts, and they might never develop the feelings they normally would have had for that person. But if they can spend enough time with them while human, in the first few days or weeks, they often fall in love as a human, as well as their animal self bonding with their owner.

“In your case, you’ve been waiting to have sex with Kurt until you were ready, as well as waiting for him to be ready. Any time we, as humans, have sex with someone, there’s always the possibility of regrets, on one side or the other, or anger, or hurt feelings, misunderstandings, any number of things. That’s a risk we take. With Kurt, as a hybrid, he has no other options but you, unless you choose to breed him.”

“Never,” Adam answered flatly.

“Alright. So you are the only person he might have a sexual relationship with, and you’re denying both of you this experience, because you want to do the right thing. I thought you should know, Kurt is capable of making his own decisions about this, though it may or may not work out for the two of you in the long run. I’m not saying you should rush into it before you’re ready, but if you’re waiting for Kurt to really know his mind on the subject, he already does.”

“I see.” Adam realized he had a lot to think about after this visit. “Thank you for clarifying that. I do love Kurt, and I do want to be his lover, as well as his boyfriend. I just didn’t want to take advantage of him, in case he really wasn’t ready or wasn’t attracted to me, but felt obligated to say he was.”

“Ah. I think if you’ll pay close attention to his words, expressions, and actions, you’ll be able to determine how genuine he is about his feelings for you. You’re not the type of owner who mostly wants their pet to be an animal until the owner wants to have sex with their human side. Some don’t allow them to be human very much of the time outside of sexual situations. Others are just the opposite, wanting them to be human almost all the time, but still treating them like an animal, or less than a full human. In those cases, it can be tragic, if the pet does somehow bond with the owner, or if they don’t, but are forced into a relationship they’re not emotionally prepared to have.”

Adam wanted to clarify this. “But you’re saying Kurt’s not like that. He knows what he wants, he’s bonded with me, he does love me, and I’m the only one holding us back.”

“I did talk to him about the need for him to respect your feelings, the same way you’re respecting his.”

“Thank you, but I never really thought of it that way, that he was pressuring me.” Adam sipped some water as he thought. “I do want to talk to you about his anxiety issues, because it may be related to some of his confusion about where he fits into my life, or society as a whole.”

“Yes, please tell me more about the anxiety symptoms, and when he seems to experience them, so we can get to the root cause.”

“I can tell he’s getting anxious when he starts stuttering, breathing too fast, can’t think of the words he wants, or when I see outright panic on his face. If we’re around other people, he responds more like he did in the very beginning, not wanting to look me in the eye, and he might just say, “Yes, Adam,” when he would normally ask questions. He gets more submissive, I guess is what I’m getting at.”

“That’s not surprising, since that’s practically been beaten into him at the pet store,” Dr. Hanover commented. “I read in the file that Kurt is more independent, at least in cat form, and sometimes in human form, than most hybrids. They tend to be submissive by nature. Maybe Kurt was able to overcome that, because of the way his parents brought him up. It sounds like they both treated him with respect, and allowed him to be himself, rather than conforming to what society might expect of a hybrid.”

“Or of a young boy, for that matter,” Adam interjected. “He may have had a much more difficult time growing up if his parents had been anything near as rigid as mine. I’m very glad his parents allowed him as much freedom as they did, even if it made it more difficult for him to conform with what the pet store wanted from him, or a customer might want.

“I like the fact that he’s independent. His cat attitude – catitude, if you will – is fun, and feisty. He knows what he wants, and he generally knows how to get it. If I want to keep him from running roughshod all over me, I need to be more stubborn than he is, which can be difficult.”

“Can you give me an example?”

“Alright. For instance, last night, I received an ottoman I’d ordered through the mail. It’s sort of a pet bed, with a round hole to get into it, as well as the top part of the box that comes off. There’s a soft pillow inside. I wasn’t sure Kurt would actually use it, but since I needed a footstool of some kind for my loveseat in the TV room, I got that one. I thought about how to get him to use it. I debated about hiding Harriet inside it, but thought he’d likely panic and get really angry with me. I didn’t want to play that kind of trick on him.

“As I suspected, he found the large cardboard shipping box more fascinating than the ottoman, and stayed in there for quite a while. Eventually, while he was out of the room, I turned the ottoman around so he could see the hole in it where he could fit inside. I put some treats in there to tempt him. He did find them, of course, and stayed in there for a while, and I guess took a nap, because I could hear him snoring.” Adam grinned at the memory. “I read for a while, but when he woke up and I guess wanted to cuddle, I pretended to ignore him, to see what he would do. I wanted to see how far he would go in trying to get my attention and try to manipulate me into doing what he wanted.”

“Ah.”

Adam wasn’t sure how to interpret the change in the vet’s expression, but he seemed somewhat amused.

“I’m sorry, go ahead.”

“First he tried meowing at me, and I pretended I couldn’t figure out what he wanted. He jumped up on my legs and stuck his face over the edge of the book. It was absolutely adorable, this pleading face staring at me over the book. It took considerable acting skill on my part to keep from laughing, but I pretended to ignore him. He started batting the book around, and I scolded him for that. He tried talking to me again, using a couple of different, I guess you’d call them tones of voice. It was kind of a battle, to see which of us would get what we wanted.

“Then he crawled under my arm and onto my lap, and mostly blocked my view of the book. So I picked it up and rested it on his back. He was incensed.”

“I’ll bet.” The vet seemed to be enjoying the story.

“I wanted to put the book down and just cuddle him a while and let him sleep in my lap, but sometimes I give in too easily. I told him once he’s got me pussy-whipped.”

Dr. Hanover laughed. “Not quite the usual meaning, but I see your point.”

“So Kurt was getting very frustrated that I was ignoring him, but he finally gave up and just took a nap on my lap. So I won that round, but it was kind of a hollow victory, because I felt like we both lost a little on that one.”

The vet shrugged. “Well, live and learn. I would suggest that next time, you do give in and just hug him and give him the affection he wants. It’s not just that he wants it, he needs it. As both a cat and a human, he needs to know you love him, and that physical reassurance can mean more than words. The hybrids that don’t get enough love and affection from their owner – I’m not talking about sex here, just the need for simple human contact – those are the ones that have the hardest time adjusting.

“As I was telling Kurt, many of the hybrids that die too young are actually suicides, I believe, though no one really investigates those deaths too closely. Even the ones, like my brother, Harold, who get a lot of love and attention from loving parents, can still get despondent over the thought of perhaps never getting anything but affectionate touches, for the rest of their life.

“In this case, Kurt knows you love him, though I suggest you tell him soon that you’re in love with him. I think he’ll be just fine. But I do think both of you should come in to see me, either on a regular basis, maybe once a week or once every two weeks, or an as-needed basis, to help you work out your relationship issues.”

“Hm. Do you do a lot of this sort of couples counseling?” Adam asked. He hadn’t read about it in any of his research.

“Not a lot. Most owners don’t care enough to want to go through with it, because frankly, it’s more money than they want to spend. But I believe my patients who do go through with it, find it easier to navigate the more difficult aspects of their relationship. Kurt did say he thought it might help if you both came to talk to me sometimes.”

Adam wondered if Jerry and Donna, or Daniel and Carl, had taken advantage of that sort of counseling, or if they’d needed it.

“It seems like a good idea to me, and if Kurt thinks it will help, then certainly, we’ll give it a try. Maybe we can see you next week? There’s been so much going on with us in just one week, we should probably try to talk things out with you sooner, rather than later.”

“You can schedule your first appointment with Sara before you leave,” the vet suggested. “In the meantime, is Kurt’s independent, feisty personality as a cat, a bit more what you would like him to be as a human?”

“Yes, more so than scared and nervous about doing something wrong. I don’t want him to change his personality, I just want him to have more self-esteem, for his own sake. I’ve tried to let him know I’m not going to punish him for some silly little thing. If he does something deliberately, to be defiant or destructive or something, there will be consequences. I don’t know what yet, because it hasn’t come up. But I’m not going to get upset if he speaks his mind, or changes his mind about something.”

“You should probably think ahead of time about how you want to handle any transgressions, rather than perhaps do something rash in the heat of the moment. I strongly recommend against any sort of corporal punishment, either as a cat or a human.”

“Right, no, I wouldn’t do anything like hit him. I was thinking more like, send him to his room to think about what he did wrong, or as a cat, take away his toys for a little while. Let him know he can have them back later, but give him fewer distractions so he might actually have to consider what he did that was wrong.”

“The first, sending him to his room to have some alone time, is probably a good idea. But I wouldn’t suggest taking his cat toys away from him, especially if you’ve given them to him as comfort objects. I would try something like, if he deliberately makes a mess as a cat, have him clean it up as a human. Another thing you might try, if you think he’s just acting out because he’s frustrated about something, maybe suggest he change to a cat so he can run around, or work out his aggression on an appropriate toy, or scratching post. If he does something as a cat, try to explain that he’s disappointed you, and why, and you can talk about it further when he’s human again.”

Adam nodded, grateful for the suggestions. “I ordered one of the cat condo/tree things, that has a scratching post on it. I was thinking, if I get rid of the current furniture in his room, replace his bed with one of those loft beds, he’ll have a place to sleep as a human, and one more appropriate for a cat. There would be drawers for his clothes and other belongings, maybe a desk to work at. But everything would be in one place, in one corner of the room. He could have the condo thing in another corner, and maybe a place for his toys. Mainly I’m thinking of leaving most of the room open and cleared of furniture so he has plenty of space to run around and play, without worrying about bumping into anything that could hurt him.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea. I wish more of my patient’s owners gave as much thought as you have to their pet’s well-being, physical and emotional. I really do suggest you let him win some of the battles of wills when he’s a cat, though, to help him realize it’s okay to be stubborn at times. Pick your battles. I don’t mean let him get away with something you really disapprove of, but if he wants attention, don’t withhold it. That could hurt him more than you realize.”

Adam sighed. “Yes, I’ve done that too much, partly to try to protect both him and myself from becoming too attached, when I wasn’t sure it was appropriate. One time he did practically throw himself at me, and begged me to hug him. He said even as a human, he needs that physical contact. He was depressed at the time, and I should have given in to my instincts to hug him, rather than trying to, well, be British, and reserved, the way I was brought up. But since my parents essentially rejected me for not fitting in with their expectations, why should I live my life as though they’re going to eventually judge me for it?”

He wondered why he hadn’t thought of this before now. So much of his personality had been shaped when he was younger, but he didn’t have to let it control his current or future life.

“I’ll try to be more openly affectionate with Kurt, as a cat and human. I’m less worried, now that he’s made it clear that he has no sexual feelings for me as a cat, so I’m a little more relaxed about letting him crawl all over me in his cat state.”

Dr. Hanover smiled at the thought. “Yes, that would make it easier. I think that’s something that confuses a lot of owners, and I’m sure causes a lot of problems. I’m glad you’ve established that early on.”

“Sometimes he wants something he shouldn’t have, like if he’s a cat, and I’ve given him his cat food, but I’m having say, eggs and bacon for breakfast, and he wants some. I wasn’t sure eggs were good for him, but I read later they won’t hurt him. But I didn’t totally ignore him, I did talk to him, and told him he could always change, and fix some for himself, because he knows he shouldn’t have people food when he’s a cat. He got bored and ran out to play somewhere else. But it does seem to help him if I at least talk to him, and acknowledge that I know he’s there.” He sighed. “I hope I haven’t hurt him by ignoring him when he wanted my attention. I really don’t know what all is going on in his mind when he’s a cat. I just feel like if I give in too much, he’ll never respect my authority.”

“Ah, that’s another issue. Your authority as his owner, when he’s a cat?”

Adam thought about it. “Er, yes. To teach him he’s the cat, and I’m the human, and I need to make the decisions.”

“Do you really need to? I’m not suggesting you let him, as you say, run roughshod over you, but it could be very confusing to him that you want to exert your authority over him when he’s a cat, and when you’re out in public together, but at other times, when he’s human and you’re at home, you want him to be an equal.”

“Oh, dear. I really hadn’t thought about it that way.” Adam put his head in his hands for a moment, then looked up. “I guess it’s a good thing we’re going to have you to help us work these things out. It seems like we do need a mediator.”

“You two really are doing quite well, but yes, particularly in this case, with you not having much experience with hybrids, and him being so different, I think it will really help.”

Dr. Hanover made some notes. “I wanted to suggest you might want to establish some routines, to help him feel more secure. I need to ask you, do you work outside the home during the day, or work from home?”

Adam answered a trifle guiltily, “I, um, I mostly write, from home. I haven’t been published yet. I do try to get work in musical theater, but as you can imagine, those jobs don’t come easily. So my time is essentially my own. I have a trust fund, from my parents, sort of a farewell and good luck from them, so I can support myself and Kurt without having to get an outside job.”

The doctor took more notes, and Adam suspected he might need to elaborate on his own relationship with his parents at some point in the future.

“I suggest you try to create some routine for the two of you. You don’t have to plan everything out for every day, but if Kurt knew there were certain specific things to look forward to, or to do at certain times, it might help.”

“Well, I do try to brush him, in his cat form, every other evening, before bed, to keep him from getting hairballs. We both enjoy that.”

“That’s a good start. Baths are also a good idea every now and then. Cats are pretty much self-cleaning, and I’m sure he showers or bathes regularly as a human.”

“That’s something I never have to remind him to do. I was surprised, as a cat hybrid, how much his human side loves to shower.”

“Good. Maybe once a month, give him a bath as a cat. Let him know it’s not any kind of punishment, but for the health of his skin and fur. You might also try, on the days you don’t brush him, massaging him. You can use your hands as well as a cat massaging device, a type of brush. It feels good on their skin, it stimulates the oil glands, and it’s even good for their fur. It can help with circulation and stiff joints. It’s also a good way for cat and owner to bond more.”

“What will they think of next? Sure, we’ll try that. I suppose any pet store would have those brushes?”

“They should, but you might want to call to be sure, or you can order one online.”

“The gym we went to yesterday, they have classes and exercises for humans, and hybrids in both human and animal form. We were told there are even ways for a human to exercise with a cat or small dog, that are fun for the owner and pet.”

“I’m glad you’re doing things like that. It’s good for you both. Now, is there anything else, or should we bring Kurt in here? I’d like to have him change in here, then talk to both of you together for a bit before we’re done.”

“No, I can’t think of anything else. Let’s bring him in.”


	38. Chapter 38

Kurt had played with Harriet, run around the room a few dozen times, eaten some of the food, had some of the water, and taken a nap. Now he was bored again. He wanted to see Adam. He had no way of knowing how long it had been since he’d seen his human, but it seemed like hours. What if Adam had forgotten about him, and gone home already? What if the vet forgot, too, and they just left him here? He started making unhappy sounds low in his throat. Where did he go to complain about this? He left Harriet in the bed, and ran towards the big window. Somebody must be out there, someone who could bring Adam to him, or tell him what was going on.

He stood up on his hind legs and started hitting the glass with his paws, and yowled. He didn’t want to use his claws and maybe scratch the glass; that would definitely get him in trouble.

The nurse he’d seen before came to the other side of the window, then opened the door. He ran over to her, demanding she do something about this situation.

“What’s the matter, Kurt? Are you sick?”

“Adam Adam Adam!” he tried to say, but knew she wouldn’t be able to understand him.

“I was just coming to get you. Dr. Hanover wants to see you again.”

Oh. Well, it was about time.

“Here, let me pick you up, and I’ll take you to him.”

He wasn’t ready quite yet. He ran over to the bed, ignoring her questions, and grabbed Harriet’s tail in his mouth, so he could carry her. The nurse laughed, but picked them both up. Kurt allowed her to touch Harriet, as she just carefully balanced the mouse between Kurt and her arm, so she wouldn’t fall.

Kurt ignored the indignity of being carried around as though he were a stuffed animal.

Sara shifted him in her arms so she could knock, then she opened the office door.

“Here he is. I think he was getting anxious. He was making funny growling noises, then ran up to the window and started hitting it. Not scratching it, just hitting it with his paws, I guess to get my attention.” She smiled, as though she thought it was charming. “Then he ran back to get his little toy mouse.”

Kurt still had Harriet’s tail in his mouth, or he would have bared his teeth at her. Harriet was not a toy mouse! Well, maybe she was, but she was more than that, too. She was his friend.

Adam stayed seated, but held his arms open, and she transferred Kurt over to him. He settled Kurt on his lap and held him there with one arm, while he gently pulled Harriet’s tail from his mouth.

“Let’s put Harriet away for now, shall we? I’ll keep her safe in my bag, where I had her before,” he promised.

Since it was Adam, he allowed it.

He looked up and saw the nurse was gone, and the vet was just watching them calmly. He wondered if anything ever upset him, then he remembered the story about his brother, and realized the vet maybe had to learn to stay calm and relaxed all the time, in order to do his job.

“Are you ready to change back to human, Kurt?” the vet asked.

Well, no, he really wasn’t quite ready yet, but he knew they were all supposed to talk, and he didn’t want to take up any extra time. He changed, and ended up sitting on Adam’s lap. He considered just staying there, but Adam hugged him briefly, then gently pushed him away with light pressure on his back, so he sat on the other chair.

“How are you doing?” Adam asked quietly.

“I’m fine. I just woke up and got worried ‘cause I didn’t know how long it had been since I saw you, and I thought – Never mind.”

“No, love, I want to know.”

Adam took his hand, his thumb rubbing over Kurt’s knuckles.

Kurt automatically relaxed. “I wondered if maybe you’d gone home without me, like forgotten about me,” he admitted, realizing as he said it how ridiculous and actually insulting it was. “I’m sorry for even thinking that.”

Adam squeezed his hand. “Oh, darling, I would never do that. But now that we’re all here, Dr. Hanover can talk to us, then we can go home for a bit. Then maybe later we’ll go shopping for your new clothes, if you’re up to it?”

“I will be! I just need maybe another nap at home and I’ll be fine,” he insisted. He tried to ignore the fact that the vet was in the room and probably heard every word they said.

“We’ll talk about it later.”

Adam continued to hold his hand as he looked up at the vet.

“I’m sorry. What did you want to talk to us about?”

 

 

Gabriel had been a hybrid doctor/veterinarian/psychiatrist for probably longer than Adam had been alive, let alone Kurt. He’d seen countless hybrids and their owners, but he’d never seen anything quite like the bond these two had. With every new patient, he went through the same tests, though the discussions were usually not as long or detailed as with Kurt and Adam. Some hybrids really couldn’t express themselves very well, and others were hesitant to speak up at all, with or without their owners in the room. He’d seen some owners who clearly cared about their pets, and even some who loved them, and wanted what was best for them. Some did consider their pet to also be their boyfriend or girlfriend, though it was rare that someone admitted something like that to him.

Kurt and Adam, however, were quite different from any other pair he’d seen. He supposed part of it was because Kurt wasn’t quite a typical hybrid, and Adam wasn’t a typical owner. He hadn’t grown up with a family pet, let alone a hybrid pet, or apparently known anyone who had a hybrid, though it seemed as though his family must be quite wealthy. If he understood correctly, from Adam’s accent, he had perhaps come from England, and hybrids didn’t seem to be quite as common there. There was still so much both Kurt and Adam needed to learn about the other, but there was only so much he could tell them. Most of it would have to be learned through observation, trial and error, and experience.

Kurt did seem very dependent on Adam, seeking his attention and approval, but that was fairly typical. What was unusual was that Adam was sensitive to it, and tried to accommodate him. Still, theirs wasn’t quite the relationship Adam had been looking for, or Kurt had been expecting. How good a chance did they have of working things out, so they were both content and healthy? He was relieved they’d come to him, rather than any of his colleagues, because he felt he would really be able to help them. Some of his colleagues cared, maybe as much as he did, about their patients’ well-being, but he wasn’t sure how many were equipped to deal with the human owner, as well as their hybrid patient.

He could understand Adam’s concern about Kurt’s maturity level, given his treatment of his toy mouse. Kurt knew it was only a toy, but he was very protective of it, and obviously it wasn’t because he thought someone would take it away from him. Perhaps Kurt had a very nurturing nature, and was taking care of his own “pet” much as he himself would like to be treated?

He was glad he’d cleared his schedule for that morning, because he might end up taking notes and making observations until his lunch break. Even then, he suspected he’d eat his lunch at his desk and keep on working. Sara didn’t approve of him not taking full lunch breaks, but sometimes he needed to complete his thoughts before he allowed himself to take a break.

Hm, Kurt still had abandonment issues, even though Adam clearly cared deeply about him, and wasn’t about to forget him, and just leave him somewhere. He made a note to ask Kurt later, during the counseling, about those specific fears.

Adam’s question let him know they were ready to discuss things.

“Before I forget, Kurt asked to see the video I filmed of him changing. I’d like to watch it with you, and ask you both what you saw.”

He had a small projector for his videocamera, and aimed the projection at a blank spot on the wall, to his left and Adam’s right.

They all watched the video carefully. He ran it several times, and backwards as well as forwards.

“Adam, please describe what you saw. I’m curious.”

Adam shook his head. “I’m really not sure. It’s the same every time he changes, I’m pretty sure, but I don’t know what’s happening. It’s almost like the air around him blurs or something. One second he’s a human, the next he’s a cat. Or vice versa.”

“That’s what I think I saw as well, a disturbance in the air around him, and a sudden change that’s so fast you can’t really see it happening. Kurt, can you describe what it looked like to you?”

“I guess the same thing. The actual transformation is blurry.”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” Adam broke in. “When Kurt just changed now, in front of us, on my lap in fact, I tried to watch what happened, and it wasn’t exactly blurry, but like – I dunno, like my mind just couldn’t process it, so there was this sort of skip. One second he’s a cat, then I can’t feel him on my lap, then he’s there again, but human.”

“Hm. Kurt and I were discussing earlier how it seems almost more like magic than science. What’s your take on it?” He watched Adam’s reaction carefully.

“I’m no scientist, and I read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy, but magic? I have a hard time believing that’s real. I tend to believe what I see and hear, but in this case, I’m not sure what it is I’m seeing. And what’s with his collar shrinking or stretching, and his clothes, exactly the same as they were before?”

“Exactly!” Gabriel exclaimed, showing more enthusiasm than he normally did in front of patients. “Those are the sorts of things that science has been able to explain, nor cared to. If there’s ever been any research done on it, I haven’t heard about it.”

“And they still don’t know where hybrids first came from, or how long they’ve been here?” Adam asked. He squeezed Kurt’s hand, but whether to comfort Kurt or himself, it was hard to say.

He shook his head. “No. You would think at some point a human mated with a cat, or a human with a dog, but it’s not possible to impregnate cross-species like that. Well, there are some animal hybrids like the liger, a cross between a lion and tiger, and the cama, a cross between a camel and a llama, and some others. But humans and animals shouldn’t be able to produce offspring, and if they did, they wouldn’t be able to just, well, magically change from one form to the other.”

“Do you have a theory to explain it, then?” Adam asked.

Kurt looked troubled, so he tried to be careful in his phrasing.

“I really don’t know, but my guess is, since there are so many – cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, and different breeds of them, too – it certainly wasn’t accidental. My guess would be that they came from somewhere else where this is possible, either through science, or some method we don’t understand.”

“In other words, magic,” Kurt sighed.

“What do you mean,” Adam scoffed, “like science fiction? Time travellers from the future, where this is possible? Or visitors from another planet, where maybe this is the normal biology? I can’t believe either of these scenarios.”

Gabriel shrugged. “I wish I had a better idea. I can’t imagine why there hasn’t been more scientific investigation into it. It’s obvious people are fascinated by hybrids. But what makes people think they’re – excuse me, Kurt, why would anyone think you are inferior to a pure human? It’s not logical to me.” He had another idea. “Did your mother ever tell you anything about the origin of hybrids?”

Kurt shook his head. “But I was only six when she died, so if she knew anything, maybe she was planning on telling me later. Maybe she told my dad something. But I’m not sure if she knew anything about it, either.”

“I do think it’s odd that there hasn’t been more inquiry into the subject,” he sighed. “But maybe we’re not meant to know.”

Adam said, “Hopefully one or the other of us will remember to ask Burt when he’s here, if your mother ever said anything about it.”

Wait, it couldn’t be…

“Burt Hummel? Is your father Congressman Hummel?”

“Congressman?” Kurt asked, wrinkling his nose in confusion. “No, I don’t think so. He’s a mechanic, in Ohio,” Kurt explained.

“There’s a Congressman Burt Hummel, from Ohio, who’s a mechanic by trade. He’s very interested in hybrid rights, which is starting to become more of an issue lately.”

“Huh. You’d think he would have mentioned that,” Adam muttered, looking slightly annoyed. “Well, he’ll be here on Friday, but it could well be him. It would be awfully coincidental otherwise.”

“I’d really like to talk to him, if he’s got a few minutes.”

Adam blinked, then grinned. “Well, you know, we don’t have any specific plans. I was thinking of inviting a few people over for dinner and drinks, that I think Burt might want to know.”

“You were?” Kurt asked. Apparently it was the first he’d heard about it.

“Yes. I was thinking we should invite Lily, and Nancy, maybe Jessica and Tessa, and possibly Jerry and Donna, and Daniel and Carl. If you’d like to come as well, Doctor, it would help balance things out, you know, female to male guests.”

“Wait a minute,” Kurt protested, sounding very annoyed. “You said Dad didn’t want to invite Carole, his wife, because he thought it might be too many people, or too much going on at once.”

Adam sighed. “I’m sorry, darling, I should have mentioned it to you. I haven’t actually invited anyone yet, but maybe next time he visits we can do something like that.”

Gabriel listened to all of this with wide eyes.

Adam appeared to change tactics. “Well, perhaps you can come to lunch some day while Burt is here, just the four of us, and you might have more chance to talk.” He turned to Kurt. “Is that okay with you?”

Kurt nodded. “Sure, I think I can handle that. It would be nice for Dad to meet everybody, but I think it might be too soon to spring so many people on him.”

“I’m sure you’re right.”

He turned back. “Well, what do you think, Doctor? Would you be interested?”

It was very unusual, and he normally would politely refuse to socialize with a patient or his family. But if Kurt’s father really was the Congressman Hummel…how could he possibly refuse the opportunity to talk to him?

“I’ll have to check my schedule, but I’d like to do something like that, yes.”

Adam shrugged. “It might be better to come over for dinner, or dessert, sometime after work, so you don’t have to worry about getting back here. I’ve got your work number.”

“Let me give you my private number as well.” Gabriel wrote his cell phone number on a card and gave it to Adam. He looked at Kurt and smiled. “I don’t mean to intrude on your time with your father, but I’m very interested in the subject of hybrid rights.”

“I have a feeling Dad would like to talk to you, too. It’s okay with me.”

Dr. Hanover cleared his throat. “As much as I appreciate this, we still have some things to discuss.”

They both turned to him and looked attentive.

“Kurt’s overall health is very good, especially considering how anxious and depressed he was a little over a week ago. It would be helpful if he could sleep through the night, though that’s too much to expect in his cat form. Adam, when Kurt wakes up in the middle of the night, as a cat, does it disturb your sleep?”

Adam squirmed as though he’d rather avoid that question. Interesting.

“Yes, though I don’t think he means to.” He looked speculatively at Kurt, who blushed.

“Sorry. Sometimes I do mean to, other times I don’t. I just get bored easily when I can’t sleep.”

“I think I have a suggestion,” Gabriel interrupted. “When you can’t sleep, and you’re restless, if you have a place to go and just run around or play, without making a lot of noise, would that work?”

Kurt looked up at the ceiling, and appeared to be deep in thought. “Yeah, I think so. I think that’s one reason why Adam wants to get me a loft bed, so I have someplace else to go, and so there will be more space in my room to run around.”

“I wouldn’t mind you getting up and finding something else to do,” Adam said, “then coming back later, but I never knew I was such a light sleeper. It seems like you can hardly get on the bed, or off it, without me being aware of it. And it doesn’t help if you climb around all over me, trying to find the perfect spot to sleep.”

Kurt’s face flushed a dark red, and he looked genuinely remorseful.

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m trying to figure out if you’re awake, or if not, wake you up, so you’ll play with me, or cuddle me, or something. But I need to remember that you’re human, so you need like 8 hours of sleep, preferably all at once.”

“It would be better for Adam’s health, yes,” Gabriel interjected, trying to hide a smile. “And for yours, too, when you’re human. You might try wearing yourself out, when you plan on sleeping as a cat, by playing or running around as much as you can just before bed. That way, when you wake up, you might not be quite as wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, so to speak, and can maybe get back to sleep more easily.”

They both nodded.

Adam spoke up. “It might help, if we start going to the gym maybe two or three times a week. We can do that during the day, or the evening, and then we’ll both be pretty exhausted when we get back.”

“Speak for yourself,” Kurt muttered, then looked shocked, holding his hand up to his mouth as though to prevent anything else coming out.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized quickly, “I didn’t mean to say that.”

“What?” Adam looked genuinely puzzled. “You didn’t say anything wrong.” He squeezed Kurt’s hand in reassurance.

“But I implied –” Kurt hesitated.

“You implied what? That you’re in better physical condition than me, and it would take a lot more to wear you out than it would me?”

Kurt nodded his head rapidly, his eyes wide, still looking scared.

“So what? I’m sure it’s true.”

“But I didn’t mean to insult you. And you’re not in bad shape, you look great, you’re just not used to exercising as much as I do.”

Adam shrugged. “I didn’t take it as an insult, so forget it. And even if you did manage to hurt my feelings, it’s not the end of the world. I’m not going to get angry with you. At the most I’ll get snarky right back at you, the way I do when you’re a cat and you talk back to me.”

“How do you know what I’m saying? I mean, you’re right, sometimes I do sort of swear at you when I’m a cat, but mainly because I figure you won’t know what I’m saying.” Kurt looked worried again, but Gabriel didn’t think he needed to step in.

“Sometimes the expression on your face is enough to clue me in, or the tone of your voice, even as a cat. Don’t worry about it, darling, it amuses me more than upsets me. I kind of wish you could be that comfortable talking back to me as a human. Not all the time, I mean, but like now, rather than you getting worried, I hope someday you’ll get used to it, and realize I’m not going to hurt you for speaking your mind. If you really hurt my feelings, I’ll let you know, and you can apologize, but I’m pretty thick-skinned when it comes to sarcasm.”

Kurt let out a deep breath. “Oh, that’s a relief! I’ll try to remember.”

Gabriel had been tempted to take notes, but didn’t want to draw attention to himself. They needed to work things out. But it was fascinating to see how they talked to one another, how patient and understanding Adam was. He really seemed to want to build up Kurt’s self-esteem, and good luck to him on that. No matter how self-confident he may have been growing up, he’d spent over five years being verbally and emotionally beaten down, told he wasn’t good enough, wasn’t acceptable even as a hybrid, he should be neither seen nor heard…

He cleared his throat again. “Kurt, about the singing. I know you didn’t get a lot of opportunities to sing at the pet store. What about at home, now?”

Kurt looked startled. “I guess I really haven’t been doing a lot of singing.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not sure. I guess because I’ve been happy, most of the time. A lot of the time, at New Directions, I was trying to express myself, my feelings, especially when I was upset, and it hurt even more that they didn’t want to let me. But I guess because Adam lets me feel my feelings, I don’t need to sing about them as much. Does that make sense?” he asked Adam.

“I guess so. I remember I told you, before I adopted you, I’d let you sing as much as you wanted. I don’t think I’ve been singing quite as much as I used to, either. Maybe it’s because we’re talking so much to each other, that we don’t need to sing as much to get those feelings out, like you were saying.”

“I have a suggestion.” Gabriel hoped he was interpreting things the right way. “Maybe you should both try singing more often, either if you have trouble expressing your feelings, or just as a way for Kurt to work some energy off at night. I’m not suggesting you sing in the middle of the night if you can’t sleep,” he hastened to add, “but it might be something else that could help tire you out, and maybe make you feel good at the same time.”

He realized he may have made an inadvertent, inappropriate joke when Kurt grinned at him and started to say something, then bit his lip and shook his head.

Adam seemed to get it, too, because he hastily said, “That seems like a good idea, since it’s a form of communication we’re both used to using on our own, to try to sing to each other, or just as another form of exercise. For our vocal chords,” he emphasized.

Time to get things back on track. “Adam, I’m going to send some notes I’ve taken to your e-mail. Is there anything else either of you wanted to discuss?”

“What about Kurt’s hypoglycemia?”

“I’ll know more when I’ve had a chance to get the blood test results, but he seems to be doing fine for now.”

Adam nodded sharply. “Good. That’s what I wanted to hear. I did have another question, though, that may or may not be related to that. I know Kurt needs to sleep a lot when he’s in cat form, but when he’s human and tired, he gets really sleepy very quickly, and it can be hard to get him going again long enough to get him to bed, or a sofa. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s like narcolepsy, but it’s a little alarming.”

“Sorry,” Kurt muttered, even as he yawned.

“It’s normal, for a hybrid cat,” Dr. Hanover explained. “As a cat, it’s much easier for him to just stop whatever he’s doing and just lie down and nap, even in a position or on a surface that seems uncomfortable by human standards. As a human, it’s like his energy just depletes very suddenly. I wouldn’t recommend trying to use caffeine or sugar to boost his energy, just try to get him to someplace he can lay down safely. If he’s changed recently, that’s more likely to happen, so you might try to plan around it.

“Kurt, you might want to take a nap as soon as you get home, because it’s been a busy day, and you’ve already changed a couple of times.”

Kurt nodded his acceptance.

“I think that’s all the questions I have,” Adam said. He looked fondly at Kurt. “What about you, love? Do you have any questions, or anything to discuss?”

“Probably,” he answered candidly. “But I’m getting tired, and it’s harder to think when I’m tired.”

It seemed like a good time to send them home.

“If you have more questions later, either of you, let me know. You can always send me an e-mail. Don’t forget to stop and talk to Sara about an appointment next week, if you want to schedule a counseling session.”

“Definitely. Thank you, Dr. Hanover, for all your help. I really appreciate all the time you’ve taken with Kurt, and with me.” Adam shook his hand firmly.

To his surprise, when Kurt stood up, he also shook his hand, and said, “Thanks, doctor, for trying to help us, and all the other hybrids.”

“You’re very welcome. I’ll see you next week.”

“As soon as I know more about our plans when Burt is here, I’ll send you an e-mail so you two can meet sometime,” Adam promised.

He watched them leave, and sighed as he looked at his many pages of notes. Normally, he might have Sara transcribe them for him, but he decided to do it himself, in the spare time he didn’t really have. He’d been planning on working through lunch anyway, and he really didn’t want to leave out anything important. He was very glad Kurt and Adam had come to him rather than another vet; he knew he was probably in a better position to help them than most would be, and vice versa.

Sara came in later to let him know she was going to lunch, and he was amazed how quickly time had passed.

“I’m going to stay here. I brought some lunch from home, but I want to go through these notes again while everything is fresh in my mind.”

He had a sudden empathy for Adam, just starting to realize what he’d meant when he said he’d had no idea how complicated his life would get once Kurt came into it.

 

 

Adam put Kurt’s collar and leash back on before they went out to the car. “Do you want something to eat now, or should we have a late lunch, if you want to take a nap now?”

Kurt shook his head. “I’m not hungry. I’ve got so much on my mind, but I want to think about it later. I want to sleep now.”

“That’s fine, I can wait. Sometime this afternoon, if you’re feeling up to it, we’ll go to the mall and get your glasses. We’ll give them your prescription, you can pick out some frames, then we’ll find you a nice suit for Thursday night. It might need to be altered, so once we can get them started on that, we’ll go pick up your glasses. They should be ready by then. Sound good?”

Kurt nodded sleepily, resting his head on Adam’s shoulder as they drove. “Uh-huh. If I remember all that.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll remind you. We’re going to be home soon, then you can get comfortable and sleep.”

“Will you take a nap with me?”

Adam made the mistake of looking down at Kurt’s face, and sighed. How could he say no? “If you want me to, I will.”

Kurt yawned. “Yeah, I do. Hey, I was just thinking, wasn’t Nancy supposed to come over yesterday to clean up after the party?”

“Yes, but she couldn’t make it. She sent me a text that she had a car problem, and had to take it in to get it fixed yesterday, but it should be ready today. She’s going to come by around 4:00 this afternoon. So I wanted to be back in time for that. We don’t want to forget to give her the gift certificate to the gym, do we?”

“Nope.” Kurt yawned again, as Adam pulled into their spot in the garage. “I hope it really is her sister at the gym. Hey, can you set an alarm for a couple hours from now? Maybe we can get something to eat at the mall, then do the other stuff.”

“We can do that. Okay. I think we’ll be more comfortable on my bed, or your bed, than the couch. That’s fine for cuddling when you’re a cat, but I’d rather not worry about either of us falling off it.”

Adam helped Kurt to the elevator. They had to stop a couple of times for others who were getting on or off the elevator, but the other people either nodded politely, or ignored them, perhaps lost in their own thoughts.

By the time they got to their own apartment, Kurt was practically asleep on his feet.

“You want me to carry you,” Adam asked solicitously, “or can you make it to my bedroom? My bed’s a little bit closer.”

“I’ll be fine.” Kurt stumbled a little bit, but they got his leash, and their jackets and shoes off and put away in the closet, before getting to the bedroom. Adam helped Kurt get settled on the bed, then set the clock for two hours later, and joined him. He really hadn’t intended to take a nap, but he must have been more tired than he realized, because he could barely keep his own eyes open. He gave up trying, and listened to the soothing sound of Kurt’s quiet snoring. He wondered if anyone else had ever found it to be an effective sleep aid, then he stopped caring as he drifted off.


	39. Chapter 39

The alarm was obnoxiously loud when it rang, startling them both. Adam found that he and Kurt had gotten tangled up while they slept, and he had to reach over his sleep-mussed boyfriend to turn the alarm off.

“I hate early mornings,” Kurt complained, not opening his eyes.

“So do I, but right now, it’s 1:30 in the afternoon. Let’s get ourselves to the mall and grab some lunch, shall we?”

Kurt grumbled a bit, but most of it was too low for Adam to hear it, so he chose to ignore it.

In 15 minutes they were both ready to walk out the door, though Kurt had to remind Adam about the leash.

“I hate this leash,” Adam muttered as he fastened it to the collar, and slipped the loop on the other end over his wrist. They walked to the elevator, and took it to the garage.

“Why do you hate it so much?” Kurt asked curiously.

“Because it makes me feel like I’m walking a dog…well, in this case a cat, two paces behind me, rather than walking with my boyfriend at my side.”

Kurt shrugged. “That’s just the way it is. Maybe in a few years you’ll be able to let me go out with you, or even on my own without a leash, but if you get caught in the first couple of years, you could be in big trouble. And they might think I’m a runaway.”

“How stupid! All they have to do is call the number on your collar and ask to speak to me. I’ll set them straight.”

The thought made Kurt smile, and he took Adam’s hand briefly before letting it go again. “I wish it was that simple.”

“It really doesn’t bother you?” Adam asked.

“No. It makes me feel secure. It lets everyone know I belong to you, and they can’t try to take me away from you. Otherwise, it’s kind of like you’re ashamed of me.” His voice was low and tentative.

“Kurt, you know I’m not! That’s just it, I want you to feel like my equal, like you can walk beside me without this leash between us.”

Adam opened the car door for Kurt and let him slide in, and handed him the other end of the leash.

He got in the car and made sure Kurt’s seat belt was fastened, while Kurt tried to explain. “But I can’t,” he said. “I can’t walk next to you like a regular human, because I’m not. I’ll never be your equal, because I’m not fully human. At least this way it shows you care, and you want to keep me with you, and you’re not ashamed to be seen in public with me.”

Adam had never thought about it quite that way before.

“I’m sorry if I ever made you doubt my feelings, by not wanting you to wear the leash. Now that I understand, I’ll try to adapt my feelings to the reality of the situation.”

Kurt shrugged. “It’s the easiest way to get along in this world,” he agreed. “At least, that’s what I’ve found.”

Adam bit his lip, hard. He didn’t know what he could say that would make Kurt feel better. Of course he’d had to constantly deal with feelings that conflicted with the ugly realities of his life, and he’d coped far better than Adam thought he would in the same circumstances.

“I want you to know, Kurt, I admire you so much for the way you’ve handled all of this, everything in your life. You’re a very good person, a kind person, and with the things that have happened the last few years, I would understand if you were angry and bitter and resentful. But you’re not, at least, not most of the time.”

Kurt sighed. “Believe me, I’ve felt those things, but it doesn’t do any good to express them, and it’s hard not to express them when I feel them. So it seemed easier to suppress them, instead, and just try to be happy that things weren’t worse.”

Adam wanted to hug him, but since he was driving, it was very impractical. “I want you to know you can always express your feelings around me. Maybe not quite so much when we’re in public, because things are so bloody complicated, but certainly when we’re at home.”

Kurt nodded. “That’s another thing I’ve adapted to, though it’s been a while. When I was growing up, I could act one way at home, pretty much be myself, but whenever I went to school, or anywhere outside of home, I had to sort of suppress my personality. I learned the hard way I shouldn’t speak up, ask questions, or in any way rock the boat. It not only upset the teachers, for instance, but the other students. 

“Dad finally told me that he thought maybe he and Mom had raised me differently than how other hybrids were raised. They tried to treat me as much like a regular kid as they could, at least when I was human, so it was hard to understand that when I went to school, nobody saw me as a regular person. Everyone, including the other hybrids, saw me as a cat who could turn into a kid, not a kid who could turn into a cat.”

“Ah. Yes, that does seem to be the way most people look at it. But it makes far more sense to me that in some way, humans learned how to change into animal form. Really, how could an animal, as we know them, develop the means to effect this transformation? Even if it were some kind of magic spell or something, how would they learn it, or carry it out? I know a lot of animals are very intelligent, or more so than we might think, but it makes far more sense to me that whoever you descended from was at one point fully human.”

“Or maybe a race very similar to humans,” Kurt mused. “I really don’t know, but I feel human when I’m human. I mean, as much as I can figure out how a human must feel. But there are still some cat traits, some instincts, and the agility, that might be some kind of carryover from the animal part of my mind. And when I’m a cat, I feel like a cat, I think. I know, I can actually remember, that I’m not always a cat, that I’m sometimes a human, I know what it means to be a hybrid. But I enjoy being a cat. If I had a choice, I don’t think I could give that up. But I wouldn’t want to give up being human, either.”

Adam was trying to focus on his driving, but Kurt’s words were definitely giving him food for thought. He didn’t think he would very easily be able to give up Kurt-the-cat, though if he had to make a choice, he would keep Kurt-the-human. But luckily, they were a package deal, so he wouldn’t have to give up either.

“I think this is all fascinating, Kurt, and I think Dr. Hanover would think so, too. Tell you what, we’re almost at the mall, but maybe when you get home, we can talk about this some more, and if you don’t mind, I’ll use a tape recorder and then transcribe it for the doctor.”

“Vet,” Kurt corrected absently, then winced. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I think of him as a doctor, because he’s treating the human side of you, too, and I’m more used to using that word. You’re more used to using vet. As long as we both know who we’re talking about, it really doesn’t matter.” Adam finally found a parking spot and pulled into it.

“Okay,” Kurt agreed with a sigh. “But please, if you talk to anybody else, try to remember to call him a vet. It could cause a lot of problems if people think you took me to a real doctor.”

“A real doctor?”

“I mean a people doctor. A doctor for humans.”

“What happens if there’s an accident? Would you be taken to the Emergency Room at the nearest hospital, or would they have to find the nearest hybrid vet?”

“There are supposed to be hybrid vets at every hospital, available to work in the Emergency Room. At worst, I might have to wait there until they could find a hybrid vet who was available, if the one they had was busy with another emergency.”

“I see. That’s good to know.” Adam shook his head. “Still so much I don’t know. But Dr. Hanover gave me a list of resources that should be helpful, so I’ll do more research soon. But for now, let’s get something to eat. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

He got out of the car, and went around it to open the door for Kurt. He helped him out, then took the other end of the leash. Kurt fell into place two steps behind him.

“Where are we going to eat? That same restaurant we went to before?”

“No, I thought I’d take us there tomorrow, with Lily, if that’s okay with you. Unless she has some place else in mind.”

Kurt shrugged. “That’s fine with me. But what about today? Are we going to the food court?”

“Yes. Do you have any idea what kind of food you may want? There are a lot of choices, and each place has its own menu, so –“

“Can I just get a burger and a salad?”

“Right, Burger King it is, then.”

“Did you want something else?” Kurt asked hesitantly. “We can get something different for you, right?”

“No, that’s fine. I’ll get a chicken sandwich and a salad.”

“Ooh, a chicken sandwich sounds good, actually. If that’s okay.”

“Sure it is.” Adam wondered about Kurt’s sudden reticence, but realized they were once again in a crowd, negotiating their way through the mall, and Kurt was supposed to act subservient and pet-like. Adam tried not to show his annoyance. Not at Kurt, but at a society as a whole, that seemed to think it was fine to treat Kurt like a pet. Never mind that he actually was a pet, it still irked him when other people treated him that way.

Adam kept his voice low, so only Kurt could hear him. “You can have whatever you want. If you want to read the menu – or if you want me to read it to you if you can’t read it – that’s fine. They have a couple different types of chicken sandwiches.”

Kurt looked at the people near them nervously. “When Dad used to take me to Burger King, I’d just get the, I dunno, regular chicken sandwich. The one that’s just lettuce and mayonnaise on it, I think.”

“No problem. In fact, I think they still have a special where you can get two for the price of one. Do you want fries?”

Kurt nodded. “Please. And a diet Coke?”

“Sure.”

They had reached the food court, and the Burger King was one of the first stalls they saw. There were only a couple of people ahead of them in line. Instead of looking at the menu, or the colorful displays advertising new items, Kurt kept his eyes down. Maybe so he wouldn’t accidentally give offense with unwanted eye contact? Adam suddenly wanted to throttle somebody, whoever it was that thought hybrids should be trained this way. He knew it wasn’t Will Schuester who was responsible for mandatory hybrid training, but he was willing to bet he was the one who had trained Kurt, and the others at New Directions. He decided it was good for all of them that the man wasn’t anywhere in the vicinity.

When they got to the counter, Adam ordered a chicken sandwich, and when he was asked if he wanted the second one for free, said yes. He asked for two regular size fries, and two regular size Diet Cokes. They waited over to the side of the counter until their order was called. Adam was somewhat tense, just waiting for someone to say something. Nobody challenged them, and he did see some other hybrids with their owners in the food court, so he relaxed a bit. 

He’d thought it might be a bit difficult or awkward carrying the tray while holding the leash, but he just kept it looped over his wrist. Kurt was very aware how far the leash stretched, and did his best to stay out of the way of Adam and other people, while not letting himself get too far away. They made it to a table without incident, and Adam let out a sigh. He’d been afraid someone would try to trip one of them, or in some way interfere with the leash, but since no-one had, he thought his fear was perhaps unfounded. Then he remembered why he’d thought of that. There was a running gag on a popular sitcom, where one character’s hybrid was always tripping over his leash, and on the few occasions he managed to avoid tripping himself, someone would always come along and accommodate him. Adam felt his skin flush as he recalled laughing at the gag in the past.

And of course, it wasn’t even an actual hybrid playing the part, it was a human actor, and a trained dog for the animal scenes. And some deliberately clumsy special effects, that either called for the hybrid to be standing behind something tall when he “changed” or crouching down behind a sofa or something. He’d never seen any TV show or movie that even attempted to approximate how a hybrid changed, there’d just be sparkly lights, or fog, or some cheap effect. In the case of SuperPup, who thought himself some kind of superhero, but always managed to just get in trouble for running away from his owner, he always somehow found one of those old-fashioned phone booths to change in.

He sighed heavily, suddenly ashamed of his childhood TV habits.

“Adam? What’s the matter? You’re not eating,” Kurt quietly observed.

Adam looked at his companion and smiled, then saw Kurt wasn’t eating either. “Sorry, just distracted by my thoughts. Go ahead and eat.”

Kurt lowered his voice still further. “I’m supposed to wait for you.”

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Adam muttered, then tried to relax, for Kurt’s sake. “Sorry.” He took a bite of his sandwich, though he didn’t have much appetite anymore. He forced himself to continue eating, because he knew if Kurt got upset, he’d stop eating. He really wanted Kurt to be happy and relaxed, not worried every time he was in public, so he supposed he should try to set a good example. For every jerk out there, he was sure there were a lot more who were either nice, or at least didn’t express their bigotry in public.

They ate fairly quickly, mindful of their other errands and wanting to meet Nancy at 4:00.

They found the “Glasses In One Hour or Less!” place pretty quickly by looking at the mall directory located outside the food court. Adam had put Kurt’s written prescription in his wallet so he wouldn’t forget it. There were a couple of other customers looking at frames, so they were waited on quickly.

“Hello,” Adam said briskly, “I’m here to get some prescription reading glasses for my – pet. It’s apparently a fairly simple prescription.”

The man looked at the prescription, hesitated a moment, then said quietly, “We can make them here, certainly, but it would be pretty expensive. You can get reading glasses already made to this prescription, at the drug store a few doors down.”

Adam had tried similar glasses before, as his reading prescription was fairly common, too, but didn’t like them. The visual field was too narrow, for one.

“Thank you, but I’d rather make sure they’re done correctly. I’ve used that type myself, and they weren’t very good.”

“Sure. These will be safer, too.”

“What do you mean?”

Kurt still wasn’t looking up from the floor.

“Well, all hybrids, like children, and people with vision in only one eye, are supposed to have polycarbonate lenses, that are impact-resistent, but they’re not shatterproof. They’re not that much more expensive than the glass, but a little bit. But they’re better than the plastic they use to make the pre-made reading glasses.”

“So that’s the safest type of lens material, the polycarbonate?” Adam wanted to get whatever would be best for Kurt.

“Well, there’s Trivex, a newer material. They’re as safe as polycarbonate, but also are lighter in weight and have fewer abnormalities, so vision is a bit clearer.”

“Fine, we’ll take that kind.”

“Let’s look at frames, shall we?”

The salesman tried to steer them toward the budget frames. Adam wanted to believe it was because he was honestly trying to save them some money, not implying that nobody wanted to spend any extra money on their pet than they had to. He knew people who spent ridiculous amounts of money on accessories for their pure dogs or cats.

Adam headed towards the designer frames, gently moving Kurt along with him, with a hand at his back, rather than tugging on the leash.

Kurt whispered to him that he would be fine with the other frames, it really didn’t matter what they looked like, since he’d mostly be wearing them at home anyway.

“Let’s see what they have.”

They’d already all agreed that the rectangular shape would work well and look good on him. They looked at metal as well as plastic frames. Adam thought the plastic would be less likely to get out of shape if they were dropped, and he wanted some that they could easily find again when Kurt took them off.

Adam decided to pay more attention to Kurt than the frames, and see which ones he gravitated towards. He’d been assured it was fine to touch the frames, and to try on whichever ones he wanted. Adam noticed that Kurt liked the brightly colored frames, naturally. Adam wanted to indulge him, but considering he would occasionally be wearing the glasses in public, reading from a menu or the program of a Broadway show, he thought something a bit more subtle might be in order.

Then he saw what seemed like an excellent solution.

“What about these?” He held up a pair of Dolce & Gabbana plastic frames. They were rectangular, but slightly deeper than the others they’d been looking at, which would give him a somewhat larger field of vision. He wouldn’t need to move his head quite so much while reading, which Adam had found to be annoying when he’d tried to use the cheap drug store reading glasses. They were also a very deep, dark blue, so dark that at a glance or from a distance they would look black. But up close, more color was visible, and he guessed in sunlight it would be even more obvious. Not that Kurt was likely to be reading in bright sunlight, but you never knew.

Kurt was looking carefully at the frames, and smiling. “I like these!”

“Try them on,” the salesman encouraged.

Kurt stood in front of the closest mirror and put the glasses on. Adam thought they looked very good.

“Do they fit well?” He knew they could be adjusted if necessary, but it would be easier if the fit was pretty good to begin with.

“Uh-huh. Yes,” Kurt added.

The salesman agreed they should work fine. Then Adam looked at the price tag, and tried not to wince. Well, $255 was more than he would spend on frames for himself, just for reading glasses, but he wanted Kurt to feel good about wearing them, and not try to find excuses to “forget” to wear them or bring them along. Adam was used to wearing his contacts when he went out. He mainly used his glasses as backup for when the contacts irritated his eyes. They would both have to remember to not leave Kurt’s glasses on a table or something when they were out.

A little while later, they were free to shop while the glasses were being made. They’d been assured it would be very close to an hour. Next on the list was finding an appropriate suit.


	40. Chapter 40

Adam already knew where he wanted to look for suits. It was a very high-end shop, but they did excellent tailoring work, and on short notice, if necessary.

They browsed for a few minutes while the sales clerk waited on another customer. He was a young man, around Adam’s age, and he had to be recently hired, because Adam had never seen him before.

“Hello, and welcome. May I help you find something?” He didn’t seem at all flustered by Kurt’s presence, which made Adam much more relaxed.

“Thank you, but I was wondering if Hugo is in today. He usually assists me.”

“Ah, yes, sir, I think he’s in his office. If I may tell him your name?”

“Adam Crawford. Please let him know I’m here to find a suit for my pet, Kurt, and possibly one for myself as well. We’ll need the one for Kurt by Thursday afternoon, I’m afraid.”

The salesman raised one eyebrow at the short notice, but nodded. “If you’d like to have a seat?” He indicated some comfortable looking chairs near the dressing room. “May I bring you some coffee or tea?”

“Yes, please, we’ll both have tea. Just a little bit of cream in mine, and cream and two lumps of sugar in Kurt’s.”

Kurt didn’t seem upset that he’d ordered for him, but it was hard to tell, because he was looking down at the floor.

They saw the sales assistant enter a door towards the back, that said “Manager.” He asked Adam about it. “Is he going to tell him there’s a hybrid in the store and have him throw us out?”

Adam almost laughed, but Kurt was serious.

“No, no, it’s fine. I prefer dealing with the manager rather than the sales staff, if possible. It often saves time in the end. And in this case, Hugo has waited on me in the past.”

Kurt looked at him with wide eyes. “But I still don’t understand! Why are they giving us tea? Especially me? And why are we sitting here instead of looking around?”

“Because, my darling, this is not Walmart or even a typical department store. I’ll tell Hugo what we want, and he’ll be able to find it much more quickly than if we were to wander around ourselves. The tea is just a polite little custom. By asking for some for you as well, I’m also letting him know you’re important to me, and you’re not to be ignored.”

The young man returned with two cups of tea in fine china cups on saucers. “If there’s anything else you need, please let me know. My name is Ted.”

“Thank you, Ted.” Adam nodded graciously, and transferred Kurt’s leash to his other hand so he could drink his tea with less chance of spilling it. He was pleased to note that, as always, Kurt’s table manners were excellent.

They had barely had a couple of sips of tea when Hugo, the store’s manager, approached. He was getting on in years, and his gray hair had turned to white since Adam had known him. Adam set the tea cup down and stood, so Kurt did the same. Adam shook his hand.

“Hello, Hugo, how are you?”

“Just fine, Adam. And this is, Kurt, I believe?”

“Yes. Kurt, this is Hugo Denholm. He’s the Manager here.”

Hugo held out his hand, so Kurt shook it, and looked up at him. He smiled back at Kurt, who seemed relieved.

“Ted told me that you’re looking for a suit for Kurt?”

“Yes, a black suit.”

“May I ask the occasion, so I can judge the formality?”

“It’s a surprise.” Adam put his hands over Kurt’s ears, which made him squawk in indignation, and whispered, “Broadway play. First time.”

He removed his hands. Kurt looked annoyed, but merely ran a hand over his very slightly mussed hair.

“Let’s see, perhaps this line of Armani…or the Versace over here is another good choice. It could be worn to a number of different occasions.”

“Do you like any of these, Kurt?” Adam asked. He was worried he might get overwhelmed by the number of choices.

However, Kurt was looking in a different direction than Hugo was pointing.

“What about these?”

“That’s the Z Zegna line, very good quality,” Hugo told them.

The suits came in black, gray, blue, and beige.

“Ooh, I like this one.” He checked to make sure it was the right size.

Adam was about to protest that black was more practical, until Kurt held it up to him. It was a gorgeous suit, dark blue, but not as dark as navy. It had a notch lapel collar and two buttons. It brought out Kurt’s eyes, and even his glasses would go well with it.

He handed Kurt two more suits in the same size, both black. “Why don’t you try them all on? Try one of the black ones, then come out and show us. Try the blue one last.”

Hugo handed him a white dress shirt to try with the pants and jacket.

Kurt nodded, and Adam unclipped his leash, and put it in his pocket. Kurt went into one of the dressing rooms, and pulled the curtain all the way shut.

“Let me know if you need any help,” Adam called.

He turned to Hugo. “I’ll probably get him one of the black suits, as well as the blue one. It doesn’t hurt to have two suits that fit.”

Hugo agreed, naturally.

Now Adam was thinking that perhaps he should try something with a little color to it, for himself. He saw an interesting burgundy suit he thought he might try on.

Kurt came out a few minutes later, fiddling with the collar of the shirt. He gave up attempting to button the top two buttons. He had everything else fastened correctly.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think this will fasten right, because of my collar. I tried to get it to go over it, then under it…it just won’t quite fit.”

He looked distraught, and Adam would have loved to tell him he didn’t have to wear it, but they both knew better.

“If you’ll allow me to examine your collar, please?” Hugo asked.

Kurt looked at Adam, who nodded. “Yes, sure.”

Hugo was very gentle, but it looked to Adam like he was trying to determine the fit and style of the leather collar.

“It’s a bit complicated,” Hugo finally said, “because you really should be wearing the collar in plain view, over your clothes. It makes it a bit difficult to wear a tie, though maybe a bow tie would work. I’ll look for a shirt with a different kind of collar, but I’m sure we can make alterations, if necessary. Unless you already have a white button-down shirt at home?”

Kurt and Adam both answered in the negative.

“Let me look for a different style. Please, continue to wear that one for now, while you try on the other suits.”

“What do you think of this one?” Kurt asked, turning around for Adam to see his outfit from all sides.

“Smashing! It fits very well, so I think just hemming the pants, and maybe taking up the sleeves just a bit should do it. But Hugo will know what to do. Do you want to try on the other one? I found one I want to try.”

“Sure.”

 

 

They were both in the dressing room when Ted announced he was taking his break, and would be back soon. Of course, he was gone less than a minute before the phone rang. It stopped quickly enough, so Kurt figured Hugo had answered it.

Kurt finished dressing first, and stepped out of the dressing room. He saw a tall man, about Adam’s age, who hadn’t been in the store a moment before.

“Um…” He looked around for Hugo, but didn’t see him.

“Well, hello there. I didn’t know they allowed hybrids in here, especially ones off their leash. Where’s your master, or are you alone?”

Kurt remembered Adam didn’t want him talking to strangers, so he didn’t say anything.

“What’s the matter, cat got your tongue?” He apparently thought that was hilarious, considering the way he was snickering.

Kurt cleared his throat and raised his voice. “My owner is in the dressing room.”

Adam came out, shirt mostly buttoned and pants zipped. He glared at the newcomer.

“Oh, for God’s sake, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Well, I thought I was going shopping for some new shirts, but maybe I’ll go somewhere else, where they don’t let just anyone in.”

It was obvious Adam knew this man.

“Well, aren’t you going to introduce me to your hybrid? And why the hell are you bothering to dress him up? If he were mine, I think I’d just keep him naked all the time.”

Kurt felt his skin flush, half from embarrassment and half from anger.

“What’s the matter with you? Didn’t your mother teach you any manners?” Adam asked.

“So, this is your pet?” he asked Adam. The man then turned his unwelcome attention on Kurt. “At first I thought you must be a girl hybrid, because the last time I saw him, Adam was buying this pet toy, the most godawful, bright pink monstrosity of a – I think it was supposed to be a mouse.”

“Don’t talk that way about Harriet!” Kurt growled.

“Ooh, the kitten has claws! Better be careful, or someone will clip them for you.”

Adam put his hand on Kurt’s shoulder and squeezed once in warning, then kept it there.

Kurt realized who this must be, because Adam had mentioned meeting someone at the store where he bought Harriet.

He didn’t realize he was speaking aloud until the words were already out. “He really does look like a meerkat!”

Adam laughed, but also said, “Shhhh, later.” He spoke to the intruder again. “Well, Sebastian, it’s tragic to see you, as always, but we have things to do, so –“

“Oh, but there are so many things I need to tell your little pet about you.”

Just then, Hugo came back with some shirts. He was excruciatingly polite, but firm, when he said, “Is there a problem here?”

“Not really,” drawled Sebastian, “I’m just surprised that what I had thought was a classy establishment allowed animals.”

“Yes, sir, hybrids are allowed to shop here.”

“Well, they shouldn’t be. People pay good money for your clothes, and they won’t want to know they’ve been tried on by a hybrid.”

Adam stopped Kurt from instinctively wanting to remove the jacket.

Hugo continued to be very polite, though Kurt saw a hardness creep into his eyes. “Hybrids in human form are no different from humans, and their owners’ money is just as good as everyone else’s.”

“Are you sure of that?” Sebastian baited. “Even if it drives away customers who would otherwise be spending a lot of money here?”

“Yes, sir, even in that case.”

“I’d like to speak to the manager, please.”

“I am the manager.”

Now Sebastian looked just the slightest bit uncertain. “That’s right. Henry, is it?”

“It’s Hugo. Now, perhaps you’d prefer to shop elsewhere.”

“But I’ve been a good customer for years!”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Smythe, and so has Mr. Crawford.”

Then they were all reminded of the fact that Mr. Horace Smythe, Sebastian’s father, had been buying from the store for decades. “But he won’t be any longer, I’m sure, when I tell him he may find fleas or lice or God knows what else here!”

Sebastian’s raised voice did no good, as there were no other customers in the store at the time.

“Only if you’ve brought them in with you,” countered Hugo.

“That’s slander! I’ll sue! My father is the Lieutenant Governor.”

“Yes, sir. I played golf with him last Wednesday.”

Sebastian just gawked at him.

“Thank you for stopping by, Mr. Smythe, and good day.”

Instead of responding with another insult, Sebastian turned on his heel and flounced out of the store. Kurt couldn’t suppress his laughter any longer, but nobody tried to shut him up.

“I’m sorry about that, I didn’t mean for you to lose a customer,” Adam apologized.

“There’s no need to apologize. I don’t need customers like him. And it’s possible his father will be appalled to learn how rude his son is in public. It’s a bad reflection on his upbringing, I’m afraid.”

“Are you sure it’s alright?”

“Positive.” Hugo hesitated, then confided. “My son is a hybrid. And his mother as well, obviously.”

“Oh!” Now Kurt felt like he had a much better idea what was going on.

“I would never allow anyone to talk that way to my son, so why would I let him talk to someone else like that?”

Adam asked, “Hugo, tell me, is your son still living with you?”

“No, not for many years. I wish I knew he was safe, with someone like you, instead of someone like that.“

Kurt didn’t like to see this kind man so upset, though he could certainly understand.

“I certainly hope he found a good owner,” Adam ventured. “But so far, the people I’ve actually met, who own hybrids, seem like genuinely good people. There are a few, like Sebastian, who give them all a bad name, but they’re certainly not all like him. I was going to recommend a fantastic doctor – er, vet, that we just saw this morning.”

“That wouldn’t be Dr. Hanover, would it?” Hugo smiled.

Kurt wondered how he knew.

“Yes.”

“He’s the only vet I’ve ever met whom I would consider fantastic. Now, please, gentlemen, let’s forget this unpleasant scene.”

Adam realized he wasn’t fully dressed, and retreated back into the dressing room. Kurt stood in front of the three-way mirror, trying to see as much as he could. He didn’t like the suit, but couldn’t yet pin down what was annoying about it.

“If I may make a suggestion?” Hugo asked.

Kurt wondered if he should talk to the man, then decided it was okay. He’d say as little as possible, and Adam could tell him to stop if he shouldn’t say anything.

“Sure.”

“This suit doesn’t flatter you the way the other one did. The jacket it too long, for one thing. It’s the correct size for you, but not the right style.”

Adam walked out of the dressing room again, and Kurt stared in appreciation. Not only did Adam look amazing in a suit, but that color looked fantastic on him. “Adam, you look incredible!” Then he put his hand up to his mouth, wondering if he should say anything or not.

But Adam smiled at him and said, “Thank you,” and then asked Hugo for his opinion on the fit. After some discussion and Kurt’s agreement with Hugo’s assessment, Adam urged him to try on the blue suit.

He hung up the second suit carefully, though he put it on a different hook than the first one, which he agreed had fit him much better. He tried on the shirts Hugo had given him, and liked the last one best. It had a rounded collar, and his own collar could rest against it and look a bit more like a fashion accessory than the claim of ownership it actually was. As proud as he was to be owned by Adam, it was still important to look good, and not stand out too much in a crowd. He found the pants fit quite well, and he didn’t think the jacket would need any adjusting at all. He couldn’t help but try to fix his hair again. He hoped Adam would buy him some kind of hairspray or gel to keep his hair in place.

When he stepped out of the dressing room, Ted had returned from his break, having missed all the excitement.

“I love that color on you!” Adam decided. “That’s a keeper.”

“Very good,” Hugo said. “I think we can get away with just hemming the pants, and not by much. We can certainly have these ready by Thursday.”

Kurt noticed there were pins in Adam’s suit, on the legs and arms, so presumably he was getting alterations as well. “And we’ll take the first black suit for Kurt, so he’ll have a choice. There might be other occasions that come up when the blue might not work as well, though it will be perfect for Thursday.”

“I should be able to have the black suit ready as well, and possibly the burgundy, by Thursday afternoon. Will that work?”

“It should," Adam agreed. "We’ll be here at the mall anyway with a friend, running some more errands.”

Kurt allowed Hugo to take his measurements.

“Um, I was just thinking, Adam,” he said hesitantly, “which shoes should I wear with these blue pants? The black dress shoes I have should be fine for the black suit. But it could change the hemline, depending on the height of the heel.”

“Well, you could wear the black ones, but I’m not sure… Hugo, you sell shoes here, don’t you?”

“Yes. We don’t have a large selection, but some. Let me show you.”

In minutes, Kurt had found what he was sure were the perfect shoes. Adam wasn’t convinced.

“Blue suede shoes? They look nice, Kurt, but I’m not sure…and you're not Elvis.”

"Who?" Kurt looked up, a puzzled frown on his face." "Never mind," Adam sighed. "I'm just not sure those are what you really want." He realized as soon as the words were out, that it was the wrong thing to say. “But they’re almost exactly the same shade as the pants!” Kurt explained.

Hugo brought the pants over, and they could see they were almost a perfect match. Now that he saw them with the suit, the shoes looked quite classy, rather than gaudy.

“Let me see if I have these in your size, and you can at least try them on,” Hugo suggested.

“Okay,” Adam agreed. “I have some brown dress shoes at home, do you think they’ll go with the burgundy?”

“Possibly,” Hugo guessed.

“Yes,” Kurt said, having seen the shoes in question. “They have a one-inch heel,” he informed Hugo.

“Very good.”

Kurt tried on the suit one more time, with the shoes, and ignored the fact that his white socks didn’t go with the outfit. He made some suggestions about the length of the hem on his suit, and Hugo was slightly surprised. “You have a very good instinct for fashion.”

“I’ve always been interested in it,” Kurt replied. “My parents let me watch all the model and designer reality shows, and I picked up a lot that way, and I read Vogue…or rather, mostly looked at the pictures.”

Adam spoke up. “By the way, I have some cufflinks Kurt can borrow, and it looks like he won’t need a tie, because the collar actually looks good in place of one. But there’s still something missing, I’m not sure what.”

“Maybe a pocket square?” Kurt suggested. “Do you have any here?”

Hugo showed them the selection, and Kurt found one that was navy blue with subtle stripes of silver and gold. When he had shaped it correctly and added it to the front pocket of his jacket, they all agreed that was the finishing touch.

Kurt changed back to his own clothes, while Adam paid for everything. Kurt was dying to know how much things cost, but also terrified. He decided if Adam wanted him to know, he’d tell him.

They left the store and headed back to the optical store. Kurt’s glasses were ready, so once they’d been correctly adjusted to fit him, and he’d been given a case to keep them in, they were just about ready to go home.

“You need one more thing,” Adam suggested. "I carry my laptop a lot of places, so I’m used to slipping a few things in the bag. But it seems to me, you need something you can carry your glasses in, and possibly Harriet, if you want to have her with you while you’re out. And I know you’d like to have a comb and mirror, and I don’t know what else you might need. But I was thinking we could maybe find something, a backpack or bag or some kind of satchel that you can bring with you.”

“I’d like that.” Kurt used to have a messenger bag he carried things around in. He’d ignored that the other boys called it a purse. As his father used to say, they were idiots. Well, he called them worse than that, but “idiot” was the most common word Kurt heard, from his father, about people who upset him.

They found a store that carried designer handbags, and they had a few items for men, too. Kurt fell in love with a blue and gray messenger bag by Marc Jacobs, with two pockets in the front, and buckled straps to hold them and the main compartment closed. He could wear it over one shoulder, against one hip, and it would leave his hands free.

Then he saw the price, and was about to protest.

“We’ll take it.” Adam handed his credit card to the girl behind the counter. Kurt didn’t want to think about how much use the card had gotten since yesterday, between the gym, doctor visit, the glasses, the clothes and now the bag. Either it had a high limit, or maybe Adam had more than one.

They left the store and headed to the parking lot. Adam looked at his watch. “Depending on traffic, we should get there ahead of Nancy. Maybe not by much, but if we’re cutting it too close, I’ll call her and tell her we’ll be there shortly.”

“Thank you so much for the clothes, Adam. And the glasses, and bag, and everything. I’m still dying to know where we’re going, but at least I know I’ll be dressed well.”

“You’re welcome. I’m so sorry we saw Sebastard, but –“

Kurt giggled. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh, I guess.”

“No, it’s fine, he’s quite annoying. And believe me, you are not the first to tell him to his face that he looks like a meerkat.”

“I know I should have kept my mouth shut, but he was insulting Harriet!”

Adam seemed to be biting the inside of his cheek, then he said, “And she wasn’t even here to defend herself, so it was nice of you to stand up for her.”

“You still have her in your computer bag, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do. As soon as we get home, I’ll take her out and you can put her in your room, or wherever you want.”

They were quiet on the way home. Adam took Kurt to the front desk to introduce him to the staff, and let them know he was a resident of the building. He was told three packages had been delivered. The security guard asked if Adam wanted help with them, but he thought he could manage. Until he saw the size of the boxes. Two were the same size, quite large. The third was about the size of a shoebox, though Adam knew the object it contained was quite a bit smaller. He looked again at the large, heavy boxes.

“Ah, maybe we could use some help after all.”

Between the three of them, they managed to get the boxes in the elevator. Adam tried to maneuver them so Kurt couldn’t see the printing or illustration on the boxes. The security guard agreed to go with them up to the penthouse floor, and help them get the boxes inside. Adam was sure he and Kurt could manage on their own, to open the boxes and move the pieces into Kurt’s bedroom.

As they were on their way up, Kurt noticed something odd, but very pleasant. He sniffed the small package he was holding.

“It smells like catnip!”

“Imagine that,” Adam murmured. “The big boxes are for you, too.”

“Really? What are they?”

“It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I told you, would it?”

The security guard was grinning, but he wasn’t about to spoil the surprise. He’d already seen the picture, and couldn’t wait to tell his wife about it when he got home. He just hoped she didn’t expect one for their cat, as well…it would take up most of their living room.


	41. Chapter 41

Adam tipped the security guard and thanked him for his trouble.

The man thanked him, then asked, “Is there any possibility, when it’s all put together, I can get a picture to show my wife? She might get a real kick out of it.”

“I’m sure I’ll be getting some pictures, before and while it’s being used. Give me your e-mail address, and I’ll get some to you.”

When the guard was gone again, he could see Kurt was trying very hard to control his impatience, but it wasn’t working. He gave in, naturally.

“Come on, let’s get these inside.”

As soon as they were over the threshold, Kurt asked, “Can we open them now?”

“In a minute,” Adam protested. “I need to use the bathroom. Let me get Harriet out of my bag before I forget, and you can put her and your glasses away. You might want to think of a good spot where you’ll always be able to find them, and leave them there when you take them off.”

“Okay, and I think it’ll be a good idea to not wear my glasses when I change to a cat. I don’t know if they’d go wherever it is my clothes go when I change, or if they’ll shrink like the collar, or if they’ll just fall on the floor.”

“None of those seems like a good option. Here’s Harriet.”

Kurt took the mouse from Adam and petted her, straightening out her fur. He took her and the glasses back to his room.

“Let’s see, let’s put you next to – Bernard. Bearnard? No, Bernard. Harriet, meet Bernard the Bear. Bernie, meet Harriet.” The bear was leaning against a pillow, so he put Harriet on the pillow near his face, so they could talk if they wanted to. He shook his head, knowing it was a ridiculous thought. They were both just stuffed toys, and he knew Harriet wasn’t even meant to be a cuddly toy like Bernie, but one he was meant to bite and chew on and throw around. But she was too pretty to hurt like that, so he was always careful with her.

He decided to put the glasses on his dresser, for now.

He went out to the living room a little while later, and found Adam with the scissors and both boxes.

“Good, you’re here. Did you get Harriet settled?”

“Yep. I introduced her to Bernard, so they’re hanging out together.”

“Bernard?”

“The bear.”

“Ah.” Adam grinned. “Bernard, not Bearnard?”

“I thought about that, but it’s kind of hard to say. And I think he prefers Bernie, but Bearnie just doesn’t work.”

He loved it when Adam laughed, and he wanted to find more ways to make it happen.

The phone rang, and Adam talked briefly to Nancy.

“I’ll be back in a minute, Kurt, to let Nancy in. If you can wait till I get back and we get her sorted out, we can open them together. I want to see the look on your face when you see what’s in the boxes.”

“Better get your camera ready, then, I’m sure both Dad and Lily will want to see it too.”

Kurt had thought he was being sarcastic, but Adam said, “Planned on it. Be back in a minute.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, but he didn’t mind the pictures that much. It was just one more way that Adam was showing him he liked him, and actually wanted to see pictures of him. Of course, most of the pictures were of him as a cat, but he didn’t take that personally. In his opinion, cats were generally cuter than humans.

He gasped as he remembered he should be at his post, by the door, waiting for Adam. If he wasn’t there, Adam might not come back. Well, he knew now that Adam would be back as soon as he could, with Nancy in tow. Whether or not Kurt was sitting in the chair by the door, Adam would show up. Right? But still, why take a chance?

He was waiting as patiently as possible when the door opened, and Adam brought in Nancy’s vacuum cleaner.

“Ah, there you are, Kurt! I wasn’t sure if you’d be waiting there or not.”

He moved out of the way for Nancy. She smiled at Kurt.

“Hi, Kurt! It’s good to see you again. Did you have a good time at the party?”

“Yeah, it was fun! I got to meet some of Adam’s friends, and they were really nice. I’m glad to see you, too.”

He stood up and handed Adam the free pass to the gym. Adam put it in his pocket while Nancy was getting her things set up.

“We already returned the extra chairs to Lily, and Kurt did the dishes, so there’s not a lot for you to do.”

“Yeah, it looks pretty good. I’m sorry I wasn’t here yesterday.”

“It’s alright, things happen. Maybe you can just vacuum the living room and dining room, and I think the rest will be fine till next week.”

Nancy looked at the two boxes that were conspicuously in her way. “Oh, wow, somebody’s been busy shopping online!”

“That would be me,” Adam confirmed, “but they’re things for Kurt. Two of them require some assembly, to create one large item, so he and I will attempt to put it together in his room.”

“If you need any help, just holler,” she offered. “I ended up being the family expert on the “some assembly required” projects.”

“Good to know. I want you to see the finished product when it’s done, if we finish before you leave. And there’s something else we need to talk to you about before you go.”

“Oh?” She looked faintly worried, and Kurt wanted to blurt out what it was, so she wouldn’t fret about it, but knew Adam wanted to wait for some reason.

“It’s something good, don’t worry.” Adam smiled reassuringly at her, and her shoulders relaxed.

Kurt helped Adam push the big boxes into his room, with the little one on top of one of them. But it reminded him of something.

“Hey, where’d you put the box the ottoman came in? I wanted to keep it!”

“I figured you did. It’s in your bedroom closet for now. I thought you might want to keep these as well.”

“Yeah! It’s nice to have different sizes,” Kurt agreed.

“Maybe we can just stack boxes inside each other until you either get tired of them, or find a better place for them.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Besides, I’m hoping you’ll have something better than a box, or an ottoman, in here.”

Adam looked around the room. They should probably move the desk elsewhere.

“Tell you what, for now, let’s move the bed sideways, so it’s against the wall. And we’ll put the desk near it.”

“Okay. Won’t that mess up the feng shui or whatever?” Kurt asked in all seriousness.

Adam looked puzzled. “Um, whatever that is, no, I’m sure it will be fine. We’re eventually going to get you a new bed, and once we do, we can get rid of these. Maybe find someone who wants them, or donate them to the thrift store or something.”

Between the two of them, they were able to move the bed and desk, which gave them a lot more room in one corner and the front half of the room.

“Remember, if we get you a loft bed, it won’t be as wide as this Queen size, which is almost as wide as it is long. So if we put it up against the wall, it won’t stick out this much.”

“And I can probably get one with a desk and dresser in it, right?”

“Yes. Not as large a dresser as you have now. Most of them have drawers in the steps, I was thinking, maybe we can move the dresser into the closet.”

It was a walk-in closet, not huge, but big enough to move the dresser, have room to pull the drawers out and stand in front of it, and still have a rod for clothes against two more walls.

“You know, this is almost a room in itself,” Kurt observed.

“True. Give some thought to what else you might want to do with it, but pretty soon you should have some more clothes you can hang up.”

Kurt was thrilled with the thought of his new clothes, but they weren't here right now, and the mysterious boxes were. He knew his priorities.

“Okay, now I want to see what’s in those boxes!” Kurt insisted.

Adam handed him the smallest of the three. “This might not be as exciting to you now as it will be when you’re a cat,” he apologized.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m sure I’ll like it.”

When Kurt opened the box, he saw a long, soft object, something like a pillow, but narrower. It was about 18 inches long altogether, and 4 inches wide. The fabric on the outside was pretty, sort of a paisley pattern in brown, beige and gold, and there was a soft, furry, dark tail attached to the end. He could smell the catnip in it, and though it didn’t do much for him now, he knew he’d enjoy the toy later.

“Thanks, Adam! This should be fun.” He took it out of the packaging, which called it a Kickaroo, and set it at the foot of the bed.

Adam looked a trifle disappointed.

“I do like it,” Kurt assured him, “but I think I’ll like it even more when I’m a cat. We had something like this at New Directions, and all the cats fought over it. Instead of getting a few more, like one for everybody, they just got rid of it, and we were all pissed off about that.”

“How ridiculous! These are positively cheap! I think it was around six dollars.”

Kurt shrugged. “Maybe they thought we’d fight even more with more of them, I don’t know. I hardly got to play with it at all, but it was nice.”

“Well, now you have it all to yourself. At least you know here, nobody’s going to fight you for your toys. Now, let’s try box number two.”

The next box was not only much larger, but quite a bit heavier. They got the top open, and started taking things out of the box, one component at a time. There were so many pieces, but Kurt was thrilled with each one, even though he wasn’t positive what they would create. The floor was soon covered with various sizes and shapes of beige, fur-covered objects, and some poles covered partially in sisal.

Adam was having second thoughts now about the color. “They had it in a dark blue, and I know that’s your favorite color, but I thought this might be easier to see when there’s no light in the room.”

“Good idea. This is fine.”

“Ah, here are the instructions, thank God.” Adam glanced at them, then had an idea. “Maybe we’d better get Nancy in here to help. In the meantime, why don’t you figure out where you want the dresser to go in your closet.”

 

 

Adam found Nancy in the dining room, and signaled for her to turn the vacuum cleaner off.

“I think we will need your assistance after all. There are a lot more parts than I realized. The tools are included, but I think I’d better fetch the screwdriver, too.”

“So what are you building?” She sounded enthusiastic, almost as much as Kurt.

“It’s one of those cat condo things. It’s kind of a gym as well, but huge. As soon as you’re done with the vacuuming, come on back to Kurt’s room and see.”

“Okay, I can stay a while longer, if you'd like, and work on it.”

“I’ll pay you for your time, the same as if you were doing housework. Hopefully this will be more fun.”

“I have a feeling it ill be! I should be done with this in just a little bit.”

Adam looked at his watch. “Tell you what, don’t worry about finishing the vacuuming today. I just realized, it’s getting on towards dinner time. If you don’t have any plans, would you like to join us for dinner? I think we’ll probably just order pizzas, because I don’t want to stop doing this to cook. But if pizza is okay with you, it might be fun.”

Nancy admitted she had no other plans, and pizza was fine.

“Let me just ask Kurt what kind he wants.”

Kurt was just standing there, looking at the parts that were out, and petting one of them.

Nancy gasped at the sight of so many items. She picked up the directions Adam had abandoned and started reading them.

Kurt seemed delighted, but also overwhelmed. “Adam, I can’t believe it, this is – you don’t need to get me a bed, too, this will work just fine!”

“Well, you’ll still need a bed as a human,” Adam reasoned.

“But I may never change back again!” Kurt held one of the soft little slides against his body, clutching it protectively. “I’ll stay in here forever and just play and nap.”

Adam pouted. “Aw, but I’ll miss you. And you’ll miss me. Eventually.”

“Of course I will! But I’m still not sure what this is going to be yet.”

Adam tried to explain. “Remember that little kitty condo thing in the interview room at New Directions? The one that looked like a half-assed attempt at a castle?”

“Uh-huh. It wasn’t nearly as much fun as I thought it would be.”

“Exactly. Plus, you had to share it with others. This one will be entirely yours.”

“How big is it?” he asked, looking around the room.

“Nine feet high, so it will be fairly close to the ceiling. It’s about the same width as the length of this bed, about seven feet, and almost four feet deep. It looks like there are about 30 different levels, or little hidey holes for you to nap in, plus various stairs, ramps and slides.”

“All for me? I don’t need that many!”

“But it will give you lots of variety, and exercise. Here, let me show you.”

Adam showed him the side of the box the picture was printed on.

Kurt read the name. “What? Kitty Mansions - Buckingham Palace*? That is SO cool! Adam, I love you!” Kurt kissed him, briefly and noisily, then went back to looking at the picture.

“I couldn’t resist, and I knew the Anglophile in you would appreciate it.”

Nancy was sorting through the different parts, putting similar ones together in piles, and making sure all the necessary parts and pieces were there to construct it.

Kurt sighed, “It’s huge! It must be meant for multiple cats.”

“It is,” Adam agreed, “but I thought this way you’ll get plenty of exercise, have lots of choices where to nap, and hopefully never get bored.” He couldn’t resist picking up one of the ladders and petting it.

“Yep, it should keep me busy!” Kurt set the slide down and opened the second box.

Adam hoped that meant it would be easier to write and get some other things done, if Kurt were occupied with something fun.

“Kurt, Nancy’s going to help us put this monument together, and I’m going to order pizzas for all of us. What kind do you want?”

They eventually agreed on two large pizzas with everything except anchovies.

“There will be enough left over to have pizza for breakfast!” Kurt noted with delight.

Adam grimaced at the thought. “Maybe Nancy will want to take some home?”

She shook her head in protest. “Oh, no, I can’t. This is gonna completely blow my diet, but it should be worth it! I love pizza, I just can’t have it very often.”

Kurt looked at her with surprise. “Nancy, you don’t need to be on a diet! You look beautiful just the way you are! You look like you’re just the weight you should be.”

“Well, that’s ‘cause I diet,” she explained. “I need to start exercising more, actually. I mean, the work I do is a lot of physical movement, but it’s not quite the same as exercise.”

“Ah, well, that’s a perfect segue to this!” Adam took the coupon out of his pocket and handed it to her.

She looked at it curiously and he explained.

“Kurt and I went to a gym yesterday that allows hybrids, as well as their owners, and has some classes we can take together, and of course, you don’t have to be a hybrid or owner to join. They have all sorts of amenities, and the two guys who own it are fantastic, and about as hybrid-friendly as we could want. They were having a special promotion, and gave us this certificate, for a friend to have a free 3-day trial membership. We wanted you to have it.”

She looked wary, but hopeful. “Oh, no, I couldn’t! Thank you, but I’m sure you have someone else you can give it to.”

“Well, I could give it to someone else, but I’d really rather give it to you. I had you in mind specifically. Be sure to call this number, and let Jerry know when you’ll be there. He’s one of the owners, and will give you a tour around the place. I really think you’ll find it rewarding.”

Kurt tried to coax her into the idea. “It was a lot of fun, Nancy, I really think you’ll like it.”

“Okay, I’ll give it a try. It’s probably too late tonight, but I can call tomorrow.”

“They’re open really late,” Adam pointed out, “so you could try tonight, or I suppose wait till tomorrow.”

“Well, maybe I’ll try now, so I don’t forget. I don’t know if I can actually afford a membership, but I’d like to check it out for a few days.”

 

 

While Nancy called on her cell phone, Kurt took Adam to one side to have a whispered conversation with him.

“Adam, I was thinking, whether it’s actually Donna or not, I think Nancy would really like it, but I’m not sure she can afford it.”

“Well, if it is Donna, I’m pretty sure they’ll probably give Nancy a lifetime membership.”

“But what if it’s not, and she likes it there anyway, but doesn’t have that much money?” Kurt bit his lip and looked sadly at the enticing boxes and the contents he couldn’t wait to try out. “Maybe you could send Buckingham Palace back, and use the money to pay for a membership for Nancy? It wouldn't be forever, but as long as the money will buy?”

Adam’s eyes were bright, and he wiped at them with his hand before speaking.

“Kurt, you are the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful man. No, darling, you keep your present. If Nancy doesn’t get some kind of offer from Jerry, I’ll pay for a year myself. But thank you for offering.”

Kurt wondered if it really counted as being a good guy, when he was secretly relieved he didn’t have to give up his toy – play area – gym – whatever it was. Adam hugged him, and he enjoyed the brief contact, but they were mindful that Nancy was at the other end of the room.

She hung up and came over to them, a half-smile on her face.

“Adam, you were right, that Jerry guy was very nice. He wanted to know if I could come over tomorrow. I don’t have any clients in the afternoon, so I can, but…this is all really new to me, and I’m kind of nervous. He said, maybe if you and Kurt are free, you could maybe come with me? He said there would be plenty of things for you to do while he’s showing me around.”

They looked at each other and nodded.

“It just so happens,” Adam began, “tomorrow afternoon is just about the only time we have free, until next Tuesday. We have plans in the morning, but nothing scheduled for the afternoon. I think as long as Kurt gets a chance to take a nap before we go, it should be fine. How does 1:00 or 1:30 sound? You can either meet us here, and we can all go together in my car, or I could pick you up, or we could meet at the gym, whatever you want.”

Kurt sort of wanted to step on Adam’s foot to get him to shut up and give her time to think, but Nancy just laughed.

“That’s so sweet of you! But I don’t want to take up the only time you have to rest. I should probably take my own car, in case you don’t want to stay the whole time or something, but it’s still being a little bit cranky.”

“It’s no problem,” Adam said. “If you’ll give me your address, we’ll pick you up, and then bring you home afterwards. You might be -- That is, depending on what you decide to try, it can be a little tiring. No, I insist,” Adam said, when she started to protest. “We’ll stay as long as you like, so don’t worry about cutting things short because of us. If you want to leave after just a little while, that’s fine, too, whatever you want.”

“Wow, you’re being so nice! I really appreciate it, Adam. Okay, thank you!”

Adam called in the pizza order, and they began taking the rest of the pieces out of the boxes, to try to put the puzzle together. They had it almost half-way done when the pizza arrived, so they took a break to eat.

Kurt talked to Nancy about going to the shop, and their encounter with Sebastian. She appreciated the story, and admitted she had a hard time standing up for herself, but it had been much easier standing up for Donna. “Even though I was really young, I knew it wasn’t fair, the way some people treated her. I didn’t understand why I had to go to a different school. We were learning some of the same things, but at the hybrid school she also learned things like, don’t get too attached to your family, because they’re going to give you away when you turn 13.” She sighed. “I think it confused her so much, because my parents and I loved her, and she loved us, and she didn’t understand why we would just give her away some day. My parents tried to tell her it wasn’t their choice, it was the law for every hybrid, but I’m not sure she ever really understood.”

Kurt nodded. “I had trouble with that, too. My dad treated me like a kid when I was human, and a beloved pet when I was a cat, then I’d go to school and the teachers and everybody were acting like there was something wrong with me, with all of us students. Some didn’t seem to care, and others were upset. Maybe it depended on how well they got along with their family. I was really glad we only had to go for a few years, age 4 to 10, I think. I really didn’t like school at all. And I kept thinking my dad was so stubborn, he’d find some way to keep me. But it didn’t work out that way.”

He was glad he’d finished three pieces of pizza, because he didn’t think he could eat any more. He was remembering too many sad things.

The others were done, too, so Adam picked up the pizza boxes and threw one away, and put the other in the refrigerator, while Kurt and Nancy threw out the paper plates and napkins.

Kurt wouldn’t allow any of them to touch any part of his palace until they’d all washed their hands again. He found his spirits brightening at the thought of working on his new toy.

Once they had it together, almost an hour later, they all stood back to admire it, then walked around it, pointing out little details in delight.

Nancy was grinning wider than Kurt had ever seen. “I wish I was a cat, I’d love to have something like this to play in!”

“If you were a cat, I’d let you play in it,” Kurt offered.

“That’s so sweet of you, Kurt, thank you!”

“Maybe Misty would like to try it out sometime,” Adam suggested, “if she ever comes over here to visit.”

“Yeah, sure, she can play with it,” Kurt agreed. “But she might want her own, and I don’t know if Lily would want to get her one like this.”

Adam explained, “Misty has a much smaller one, which you might not have seen yet. I think she’s perfectly happy with that. She’s not quite as active as you.”

“I can’t wait to try this out!” Kurt was bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Are you ready to change?”

“Uh-huh!”

Within seconds, Kurt had become a cat.

Nancy gasped in delight. “Oh, I want to pet him! I shouldn’t, but I do.”

Adam shrugged. “I don’t mind if he doesn’t.” He spoke a little louder, maybe thinking Kurt would pay more attention. “Can you wait just a minute more, Kurt, so Nancy can pet you?”

He decided to be magnanimous, and jumped up on a platform near her, and leaned closer.

She reached out tentatively and stroked his head, and skritched behind his ears. He let out a low rumbling purr, and she continued, cooing soft sounds of encouragement at him. On a whim, he stretched his front legs out towards her, and with wide eyes, she picked him up and held him close. She held him securely, so he didn’t have to worry about being dropped.

“Oh, Adam, he’s so adorable!”

“I know.”

Kurt’s ears twitched at Adam’s voice.

Nancy gasped, and started petting Kurt’s neck and back, sinking her fingers into his fur. “I’m sorry, Kurt, I don’t know if you want to hear it or not, but you are adorable.”

He meeped in agreement, and snuggled in. He had to admit, it was nice to be held by women, because they had soft pillows he could rest his head on, that men didn’t have.

Nancy gasped, then giggled, and Adam coughed. Kurt straightened up, and rubbed his head under her chin in apology for (probably) being too familiar. She petted him for a few more seconds, then set him back on the platform he’d been on.

“Adam, is it okay if I stay a little while longer? I want to see him get to play in his castle!”

“Yes, of course. I’ve got my camera here, so I can get a few pictures.”

Meaning a few dozen, most likely, but Kurt didn’t really mind.

“Will you send me some pictures? Is that okay?”

Did everyone in the world want pictures of him? He didn’t understand.

“No problem. Well, if His Royal Highness doesn’t mind.”

Kurt stopped listening to them, wanting to focus on exploring.

There were stairs, and bridges, and little hidey-hole towers, scratching posts, platforms, turrets, and so many places for him to hide, run, jump, or just nap. He was having the time of his life exploring everything. He climbed into the sleeping area in the center, and tested it out. Very comfortable, and he could easily see outside of it. He walked outside of that, and sharpened his claws on the scratching post. He ran up the little steps, onto the platform, and jumped from there into another little covered sleeping space. Also very comfortable.

He leaped out, and onto the platform again, then walked through the little tunnel to the other side, where he could jump up onto another platform. From there he could hop into another tiny room, and look out of several different windows. He jumped out of that and back onto the platform, then leaped higher to explore the higher, slightly larger room, which, like the rest, had a comfortable, furry carpet. Out again, and he scratched at another post, then climbed up the slide to the next level. He saw the two humans laughing and taking pictures. Fine, they weren’t having as much fun as he was!

There was another little sleeping room, and if he climbed up the inside of the wall, he could get to the next level, which was another sort of tunnel. One end was clear, so he climbed out of that and onto a platform, then there was another sleeping room above that. Then, on top of that was one more small platform he could barely fit on, because there was a tower in the way. But no matter, he could jump down to the little bridge and walk over to the middle area. He could also walk through the bridge if he walked back into the sleeping room, but decided to save that for another time.

Across the top of the bridge, he came to another round platform, with one more little bedroom in it. It was the highest place he could get to. He was just about a foot from the ceiling. Forget King of the World, he was King of the Universe from here! Well, the universe of Adam’s apartment, that is.

He crossed the next bridge to get to the far side, and it was pretty much a mirror image of where he’d been before, and had several places to nap or hide in. It also had another slide. This time he ran down it, face first, and jumped into another convenient room. He jumped out again and onto a platform, then down to the top of another 2-level bedroom. He decided the bottom level would be a nice place to take a nap, for now. He ignored the silly humans and their conversation he couldn’t be bothered to listen to, and let them pet and explore his play house. They were both too big to actually have the fun of crawling around on or in it, but he was willing to let them play with it, while he took a much deserved nap.

 

* http://www.kittymansions.com/Buckingham-Palace-Extra-Large-Cat-Tree-p/buckingham%20palace.htm


	42. Chapter 42

When Kurt woke again, he was alone in the room. At first he panicked, but he realized Adam was probably somewhere in the apartment. He looked back at his new palace and purred, then headed out to find his wandering human.

It didn’t take him long to locate Adam, who was slouched on the sofa, typing away on his laptop. Meaning his lap wasn’t available. No snuggles for poor Kurt? He tried his saddest expression, but Adam wasn’t reacting. Oh well, there was always his new palace to play in.

He turned around and headed back to his room, tail drooping and almost touching the floor, ears flattened. He tried to cheer himself up. Adam loved him; there was lots of proof of how much he cared. And it wasn’t like he never got hugs or cuddles, just not as often as he wanted. He decided to work off some of his excess energy running, jumping, and climbing. It wasn’t quite as much fun as when he had an audience, but it will still pretty awesome.

Then he remembered something else. Two somethings. It took a bit of work, but he jumped on the bed and picked up Harriet in his jaws, and took her up to a high, wide perch, that had curving sides and a fairly solid back and settled her there. He went back to the bed for Bernie. It was more of a workout to move him, because he was bigger than Harriet, but not too bad. Pretty soon he had them both sitting on one perch, while he sat on the opposite one. But there was something else, what was it?

Oh yeah! He jumped back up onto the bed and grabbed the new toy Adam had given him, the Kickaroo. He dragged it onto the floor, then set it in front of the castle. It smelled like catnip, and was just the right size to hug. He grabbed it with all four paws and started rolling around. He bit one end, trying to get the catnip out of it, but the cover was strong, and he couldn’t break it with his teeth, to get to the enticing catnip. He rolled over a few times, hanging onto his toy. Named Roo. He wrestled and bit, and started kicking it with his back paws, what his father had called his rabbit-kick, while holding tight with his front paws. He rolled around some more, holding Roo tight with all four legs, with his tail wrapped around Roo’s furry tail. Hey, that felt kinda nice. He continued rolling around, until he banged into the edge of his castle. He rolled the other way, hugging Roo as tightly as he could. He bit where the neck should be, and kept rolling around for a while, until he was suddenly bored again. He didn’t know why, but catnip was only fascinating for a few minutes at a time.

Now he was ready for another nap. He wondered if there was room in the same perch for him, as well as his babies? He thought there might be. He soon had them all arranged. It was a tight fit, but nobody complained.

 

 

Adam saved his file, satisfied with the amount of work he’d done. Almost another chapter completed. One of these days, he’d share it with Kurt, certainly before he showed it to anybody else. It did feature him prominently, after all.

He thought about the conversation they’d had in the car earlier that day, and created another file. He wrote down as much as he could recall of what Kurt had said, but figured he’d have to refresh his memory. It might be helpful for Dr. Hanover to get as much information as he could, straight from the horse’s – er, cat’s mouth.

Once he’d saved that file, he turned the laptop off and stretched. Time to check on Kurt, and see how he was doing. Probably still sleeping. He hadn’t seen or heard him since he fell asleep in one of the rooms of his castle. He’d promised to send Nancy copies of the best pictures he’d taken, so he sent a dozen or so as attachments to an e-mail. He wrote a note on the calendar on the fridge, to remind himself to pick her up the next day at 1:00.

He looked down at his clothing, and thought it might be a better idea to change to sweats, so he could brush Kurt without worrying about getting hair all over his nice clothes. But he was pretty sure he’d brushed him last night, so maybe he should try to massage tonight. Still likely to get his clothes messed up, though.

Once he was wearing sweats, he walked into Kurt’s room as quietly as he could, then wished he’d brought his phone. He ran back to the living room to get it, to take yet more pictures.

Kurt was sleeping on a platform that had curved end pieces, to create a sort of shortened U shape. The back of the platform rested against one of the two-story sleeping areas, so it was nice and sturdy. Kurt was asleep on the right-hand one, with one front leg around his teddy bear, holding it close, and the other arm cradled Harriet under his chin.

After Adam took pictures from several angles, he stowed his phone in his pocket and contemplated the best way to wake Kurt without startling him. It was getting late, and they had to get up early the next day, but he really thought it would be good to spend some time actually petting and massaging Kurt. Aside from the doctor’s office that morning, he hadn’t given him much affection that day.

He cleared his throat, about to speak, when Kurt’s eyes opened. Those beautiful, blue-green eyes stared at him, and Kurt meeped. It sounded sad somehow. Kurt looked down at his fuzzy companions, as if trying to figure out how to get down with them in the way.

“Would you like some help, darling? Can I move your friends to another spot?”

Kurt nodded, and Adam carefully took Bernie and Harriet out of Kurt’s embrace.

“We want to keep them safe, don’t we?”

Kurt meeped again.

“Hopefully we’ll both remember where they are. I’m going to put them – damn, can’t reach that high. I’ll have to put a step-ladder in here. How about in the center bedroom here, a little over halfway up?”

Kurt was watching him as he carefully placed the toys inside the room.

Adam saw the Kickaroo on the floor, and picked it up. “Argh, you slobbered all over this one.”

Kurt looked guilty, so Adam tried to reassure him. “Don’t worry, that’s what it’s for, so you can chew on it, and kick it, and whatever else occurs to you, to work out your aggression. I’ll put it here, on this shelf near the bottom. Hopefully it will dry out soon.”

Adam wiped his hands on his sweats. “Now, I brushed you last night, didn’t I?”

Kurt nodded, and his ears lowered. He managed to look very sad, like he hoped for another brushing.

“I’ll tell you what, Dr. Hanover suggested I alternate the brushing with a massage, so --“

Before he could complete his sentence, he had to reach out to catch Kurt, who had thrown himself at Adam’s chest.

“Oh, you like that idea, do you?” He grinned, and sat down on the bed. “I’ll get you a proper cat-massaging gizmo soon, but in the meantime, let’s try the old-fashioned way.” He flexed his fingers, and set Kurt down on the bed next to him.

Kurt rolled over on his back, exposing his tummy. Adam was pretty sure it was a sign of submission and trust. Considering how independent and stubborn kitty Kurt could be, he knew it meant a lot.

“I appreciate the trust you’re showing me, but I think until I know what I’m doing, I’d better do it the same way as the video I saw. Roll over, please, on your stomach, and lift your head.”

Kurt did so.

“Wow, you’re a lot more cooperative than the cat in the video. Hm, that makes me think…how would you like to be a YouTube sensation?”

Kurt hissed and growled, so he backed off.

“I’m sorry, darling, okay, I won’t ruin your dignity for the viewing pleasure of the great unwashed masses.”

Kurt licked his hand, presumably as a thank you.

“You’re welcome.”

Adam started by lightly stroking Kurt’s head, running his fingers between the furry ears. He slowly circled the outside of the ears, paying special attention to the base. Kurt started purring. Using both hands, he went around the ears and behind the neck, and under the chin, and spent a minute or so there. He very lightly stroked Kurt’s face, where the cheekbones would be on a human, and was very careful about touching his whiskers.

“Let me know if there’s anything you don’t like,” he said, though he was pretty sure Kurt wouldn’t hold back on letting him know.

Next he stroked the back of Kurt’s neck, being sure to get under the collar as well. He used the entirety of his hands on Kurt’s sides, again not pressing too hard. He lightly petted the top of Kurt’s spine, then used just a couple of fingers on each hand to gently stroke along the sides of his spine. He went back up to the shoulders and pressed carefully with his thumbs where the shoulder blades would be on a human. He was careful with the front legs, just using his thumb and forefinger on the front and back of the leg, then along the sides. Up and down and up again, listening to Kurt’s verbal cues. His purr now sounded something like a motorboat, so Adam guessed he was happy. He found himself humming along as well.

He was very careful with Kurt’s feet, remembering how Misty wouldn’t even let him touch her paws. Kurt, however, was very trusting, and allowed him to very lightly press his paw pads, and even stroke in between the toes. Adam was equally careful with Kurt’s back legs, hips, and rump. He was mindful to not squeeze Kurt’s tail too hard, but made sure it got some attention, too. When he was done, or thought he was, Kurt turned over on his back again.

“I’m not that sure of cat anatomy, and if your organs are in the same place as a human, so I’m gonna be real slow and gentle here.” His hands were large enough that he could just run one hand all the way from Kurt’s neck down to his stomach, then repeat it with the other hand. He did that a few times, then lifted his hands.

“Okay, kiddo, that’s enough for now.”

Kurt grumpily informed him it was a very brief massage.

“I’m sorry, darling, when I get more used to this I’ll try to stretch it out longer. But for now, I just want us both to get used to it. I don’t want to accidentally bruise you.”

Kurt licked his hand again.

“You’re very welcome. Now, are you going to stay like this all night and tomorrow morning? I don’t suppose you’ll want to change for just a little while before you go to play with Misty.”

Kurt shook his head and lay down, trapping Adam’s hand beneath his chest.

“Hey, I’m gonna need that!”

Kurt lifted himself up enough for Adam to pull his hand free.

“I’m going to get ready for bed. Are you going to stay here, or sleep on my bed?”

He wondered why he even bothered to ask the question, and followed Kurt out of the room.

 

 

Kurt had enjoyed the massage, even more than the brushing. Nobody had ever really tried massaging him before, but he thought it would have gone a long way towards making up for the treatment he got at the pet store, if somebody had given him a massage every night. He leaped onto Adam’s bed and made himself comfortable. He wasn’t going to try to actually sleep till Adam was in bed. Once Adam was settled, Kurt would determine the best way to cuddle. Sometimes he and Adam disagreed on this very important matter, but he could also shift around after Adam had fallen asleep.

Kurt dozed lightly while waiting for Adam. He would take his own shower the next day, probably after getting back from his play date with Misty, and before going with Adam to pick up Nancy.

He let Adam get comfortable under the covers, then moved as close as he could on top of the covers. There! Adam’s hip would make a pretty decent place to sleep.

“Really, Kurt?” Adam muttered sleepily.

Kurt sighed, and slid down to the bed again, and settled behind Adam’s knees. A moment later Adam reached out and petted him, so he figured he wouldn’t have to move again. Now that he was settled for the night, he could allow himself to fall asleep. In three…two….

He wasn’t sure what woke him up, but he was wide awake. Must be the middle of the night, when he got his second wind. In the latest part of the night, before most people would really consider it morning, is when he’d get his third wind. But in the meantime, he didn’t want to waste time. He had plenty of energy to spare, but remembered Adam needed to sleep. He was as stealthy as possible in moving away from Adam and jumping off the bed and running out of the room.

First he explored the kitchen. No leftovers actually left out, but Adam had half-filled his food bowl with crunchies. It was an acceptable offering from his favorite subject. Clean, fresh water was in his water bowl, which was always appreciated. He pondered what he could do that would be quiet, but still let him stretch and move, when he remembered his castle. He thought he made it from the kitchen to his bedroom in about 6 seconds, a pretty decent time. There it was!

He sniffed all around it, to make sure nothing had changed, and resisted the temptation to mark it. It really wasn’t necessary, nobody would take it away from him. He couldn’t remember exactly where Adam had put Harriet and Bernie, so he took his time exploring every little room and hiding place he came to, till he found the right one. For some reason he couldn’t name, he deposited them in the highest tower room, the one that was out of Adam’s reach.

He tried sitting and resting on every possible surface, and could see there were lots of different ways to get from one place on the castle to the other. Eventually he would try them all. But now he was getting sleepy again, so it was time to go back to Adam’s bed. He jumped up as far away from Adam as he could, so he didn’t move the bed too much, and took up the same position behind Adam’s knees. He was content and relaxed, and his human was right there with him, so all was right with the world.

 

 

Kurt was in the middle of a nice dream, where he, Harriet, Bernie, and Misty were having a tea party. He was annoyed that none of them could hold the teapot correctly to pour, so he didn’t complain when water magically appeared in all their cups. They all drank from the cups as though they were water bowls and continued their conversation, though he didn’t really think bears, mice and cats all spoke the same language. There were cookies, as well as hybrid crunchies, and pieces of cheese. He thought the bear was the one who wanted the cookies. Kurt loved cookies when he was a person, but not when he was a cat, then they just gave him a tummy ache if he was stupid enough to eat them.

Then Adam was there, and he tried to talk to them, but Kurt was the only one who understood him, and Adam didn’t understand any of the others. It made Kurt sad. He was trying to tell Adam he wanted them all to play together, but now Adam didn’t understand him, and he didn’t recognize the sounds Adam was making. He knew they were words, human words, but he didn’t know what they meant.

Then Adam handed him his new reading glasses, and they somehow fit him. Now he could figure out the words, but the others still didn’t understand. Maybe they needed glasses, too? Somehow he knew the glasses wouldn’t actually help.

The bed started shaking, and he started to panic, wondering where he could go to be safe, when he felt Adam’s hand on him. There. Now he felt safe.

“Kurt? Wake up, darling.”

He blinked, and thought maybe Adam had been shaking him to try to wake him up. Oh. That made sense.

“Time to get up, love, and get ready to go see Lily and Misty. I’m almost ready to go.”

Kurt shook himself awake, then jumped off the bed. He ran to the bathroom, grateful that he’d left the lid up. A little while later he was ready to face the day.

Adam had put some wet hybrid food in his bowl, so he ate that and had more water, while Adam had his tea.

He walked over to the table about the same time Adam was standing up.

“You ready, Fuzzy Face?”

Kurt flicked his tail at him, but started walking in the direction of the front door. Adam grabbed the leash and attached it, and they had a nice little walk for the 30 seconds or so it took to get to Lily’s door.

Adam picked him up in one hand, cradling him against his chest, while he knocked on the door. Lily answered, and let them both in. Kurt tried to pay attention to what they were saying, in case it was important.

“Thank you so much, Lily, we both appreciate it,” Adam was saying.

“You’re welcome. You’ve come over to watch Misty, so it seems only fair.”

Lily was smiling at him, so Kurt tried to smile back, but wasn’t sure how well it would come across.

Adam petted him with his free hand.

“If Misty would like to come over sometime, I just got Kurt one of those cat condo/gym things, and it’s huge. There’s more than enough room for Misty to play there as well.”

She looked at Kurt to see what his reaction was, so he nodded.

“She might enjoy that. I thought perhaps they could play in the spare room today. I’ve moved all of Misty’s furniture and toys in there. I can put them in the closet if I have guests, but I thought she might as well use it.”

Adam and Kurt followed her. She opened the door to the furthest room, and Kurt had to blink, and hope his eyes adjusted soon. The room was very, very pink. The walls were a light shade of pink, that wasn’t too bad. But the bed had a bright fuschia bedspread, and because of its size, it was brighter than Harriet.

He saw a couple of smallish cat condos, and Misty herself was lounging on a sort of cat couch that was, big surprise, bright pink. Even the rather large size of it didn’t equal Harriet-pink, but it was very bright. The back curved inward, to cradle the cat. It was furry, and had a thick cushion, and looked very soft. That was all he had time to take in before Misty jumped up and ran over to them.

“Purt! Gimme Purt!” He wasn’t sure what the humans were hearing, but he understood her clearly enough. He sighed quietly and meowed “hello” back to her.

Adam set him down on the floor and he rubbed noses with Misty, which seemed to make her feel better. He heard the humans talking quietly, but he decided it wasn’t anything he had to really listen to. He followed Misty as she showed him her other furniture. It wasn’t as grand as his castle, but it looked cozy, and she was inviting him to try everything out, so he thought it might be an entertaining morning after all.


	43. Chapter 43

Adam arrived at the lawyer’s office early enough to review his notes. He’d been writing down questions as they occurred to him. He was hoping to get some kind of documentation about his responsibilities, Kurt’s rights, and what they had to do to make sure Kurt would be cared for if anything happened to him first. He wished he’d thought to ask Kurt if he had any additional questions. 

He looked at his watch again, wondering what was taking so long. He had the first appointment of the day, so it was like another appointment was running long. At least the waiting room was quiet and peaceful.

After another few minutes, the legal assistant came over to him.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Crawford, but Mr. Trahan had a personal emergency and won’t be able to meet with you today. We can either reschedule, or you could meet with his partner, Julia Devereaux. She’ll be able to see you now. I can give her your file, but of course, she’s not as familiar with your background as Mr. Trahan. She is, however, very knowledgeable about the matter you’re here about today.”

“I’ll see her, then. I know Charles mainly handles estates and things of that nature.”

“If you’ll be patient for a few minutes longer, I’ll give Ms. Devereaux your file, so she can familiarize herself with your background, and she’ll see you shortly.”

“That’s fine. I might make a phone call, to let my pet sitter know I might be running late.”

“Of course.”

Adam had already added Lily to his speed dial. She answered after the second ring, and sounded calm and relaxed, so he doubted he needed to worry about anything.

“Hello, Lily, I’m sorry for calling so soon. No, no, I assumed everything would be fine. I just wanted to let you know this will take longer than I expected, as something’s come up and I’ll be seeing a different attorney… No, nothing like that, I’m sure. I didn’t want Kurt to worry if I was gone longer than he expected… Oh, really? Please don’t disturb them, just let him know, if he seems anxious, that I’ll be a bit longer… No, that’s it. Thank you so much. ‘Bye.”

He switched his phone to vibrate, but hoped nothing would come up to interrupt his appointment. He was sure Lily could handle any minor incidents that might come up, or accidents that might occur from Kurt and Misty playing. If anything major happened, she could drive one or the other (or both) to the vet. He knew these things, intellectually, but at the back of his mind, he was still a bit concerned about having Kurt so far away. Which was ridiculous. They’d both have to get used to the occasional separation, and this would at most be a couple of hours, and he’d left Kurt with someone he trusted.

He wondered if he should have had Lily and Misty come over to his apartment instead, so Kurt would be more at home. But he seemed fine after visiting a few days ago, and Lily would be more comfortable, and her day would be less disrupted, if she had them both at her place. He understood that he was worrying about nothing. But still, Kurt was his responsibility. 

He sighed, wondering how people coped when they had to work away from home, yet had a hybrid child or pet they had to leave behind. It wasn’t like leaving a full cat alone. Misty might well miss Lily when she was gone for a few hours, or a few days, but she could entertain herself pretty well. Kurt, for the moment, was still pretty emotionally dependent on him. He thought Jerry and Daniel had a pretty good situation, where they could have their pets with them at work.

The legal assistant interrupted his thoughts again.

“Mr. Crawford? Ms. Devereaux will see you now.”

The office was tastefully furnished, with very few personal mementos to clutter things up.

Ms. Devereaux appeared to be in her mid-30’s, and was dressed in a light gray suit, with a skirt that ended just below her knees. Her hair was auburn, worn long, but pulled back with a clip of some kind. She was wearing glasses to read his file, but she took them off when he came in. She stood to greet him, and shook his hand with a firm grip.

“Thank you for seeing me, Ms. Devereaux, especially on such short notice.” Adam sat down in one of the comfortable chairs in front of her desk.

“Charles and I try to fill in for each other when one of us has a personal emergency, which doesn’t happen very often.” She flipped through a couple of pages in his file and looked up again, her brown eyes meeting his.

“I understand you’re here to discuss the legal ramifications of owning a hybrid.”

“Yes, I adopted a hybrid cat a little over a week ago, and I’m starting to realize how little I realized what I was getting myself in for. I’d like to make sure we both know our obligations and responsibilities, and also we need to be sure he’ll be cared for properly if something happens to me.”

She nodded, and picked up her pen to take a few notes.

“I can certainly fill you in on that. Why don’t you tell me a little bit about your background, as far as knowledge of hybrids. It will be easier if I already know how much you do know.”

Adam sat back, and tried to organize his thoughts. “Well, I grew up in England, and some people had hybrid pets, but my family never did. I’m not sure why. We didn’t have any full animal pets, either. I imagine my mother didn’t want to deal with all the added responsibility. I would occasionally see them around the neighborhood, usually being walked by their owners. I didn’t really have an opportunity to speak to any of them. I was taught it was rude, if not exactly illegal, to talk directly to anybody’s pet, unless the owner gave you permission. 

“Most of my knowledge about hybrids, I realize now, I got from television and movies, so of course it wasn’t very accurate.”

Ms. Devereaux nodded. “That’s not too surprising. When did you move here?”

“When I was 18, so about 5 years ago. I wanted to attend some type of theater school, but my parents didn’t approve. Even worse than my career choice, they didn’t approve of my sexuality. So they essentially exiled me here, disowned me, but they did give me quite a generous trust fund. I might not be able to live on it forever, but now that I’ve graduated from NYADA, a theater school here, it makes it easier to support myself, and Kurt, until I can start making some money from acting or writing.” He was starting to realize how that sounded to other people, and squirmed, though Ms. Devereaux didn’t appear to be judging him.

“Kurt is your hybrid pet?”

“Yes. As I said, I adopted him a little over a week ago.”

“What made you decide you wanted to adopt a hybrid, as opposed to a full cat, for instance?”

He tried to explain his thought process, about being a bit lonely and bored, and thinking it would be nice to have someone around to talk to, who could actually engage in a conversation.

“Is that working out like you thought it might?”

“Yes, in some ways. There’s just an awful lot more to all this than I ever expected. Though I’m realizing now that not all hybrids are as articulate or intelligent as Kurt.” He paused, and tried to rephrase it. “I don’t meant that to sound insulting, but I was talking to a doctor – a hybrid vet, yesterday, and he’s seen quite a few hybrids. He seemed to think Kurt was rather unusual in his ability to explain his perceptions and thought processes.”

“When you thought about adopting a hybrid, how much research did you do ahead of time?”

Now Adam really was embarrassed. “Not enough, apparently. A little on the Internet, and I downloaded Hybrids for Dummies and skimmed through that. Though I’m not sorry I went ahead and adopted him. But I wish I’d thought to ask around, among my friends and acquaintances, and done some more research. I might have been better prepared, and it might have been an easier transition for Kurt.”

“That’s possible. Why didn’t you take more time?”

“Well, I made the mistake of just going to the pet store, the one I saw in an ad in the paper. It wasn’t too far away, and it was still open. I thought I’d just go in and find out more about it. I saw all these hybrids, who all looked fully human, but it was fairly easy for me to figure out, I think, which ones were cats or dogs. At least, most of them seemed pretty obvious in their behavior. And then I saw Kurt.” He sighed heavily. “I’ll admit, my first impression was that he was stunning looking, and my second was that he was scared. I think he was startled to see me, so he changed into a cat right away. I was intrigued, and wanted to talk to him a bit, and see if I could calm him down.

“I should mention, these hybrids were trained to sing, and Kurt had the most gorgeous voice. But I was told the others didn’t like hearing him sing, that nobody liked his voice. The owners at the pet store actually sort of discouraged me from talking to him, like they felt he was a lost cause, or I wouldn’t want him, because nobody else had.”

Ms. Deveraux leaned forward, her gaze intense as she asked, “If that was true, why do you think they hadn’t euthanized him yet?”

Adam gasped. “Well, they couldn’t! He’d only been there five years. Well, close to six, but they have to wait seven years. Don’t they?” he added uncertainly.

“Well, they’re supposed to. But in some cases, if the hybrid seems really depressed, or acts out too much, or has some kind of obvious personality disorder, the pet store can get permission from the government to have them euthanized early, to save money on the care and feeding. The government loses the money they’ve already paid the parents, or actually the human parent or owner, but the store loses a lot as well. Sometimes it just makes more sense, to some people, to cut their losses early, if they think that hybrid will never be adopted.”

“That’s barbaric! They’re not animals, for God’s sake! And even animals shouldn’t be treated like that.”

“Well, legally they’re considered more animal than human. So, in this case, if they were discouraging you from adopting Kurt, why didn’t they just put him to sleep?”

Adam found the thought so disturbing he could hardly frame an answer. “I don’t know. The male owner of the store, Will Schuester, didn’t seem to like Kurt at all, and seemed to feel he was hopeless. I would guess it was his wife, Emma, that had sort of a soft spot for him, even though she didn’t think I’d want him. I’d say she was very conflicted over what to do with him.”

“And what about you? If you were told he was difficult or – Let me back up. What exactly did she say was the problem?”

“Well, that he was stubborn and too independent. And too fastidious, as though that’s a drawback! I think the bigger problem, that she didn’t state outright, is that he’s very conflicted about his role. I’ve read, and been told, hybrids are naturally submissive. And I think that submission was trained, not to say beaten, into Kurt, but it’s not his natural state. His father treated him like a person, not an animal or a commodity to make money off of when he became a teenager. He let Kurt speak and think for himself, and I gather that’s not the norm for hybrids.”

Ms. Devereaux shook her head. “It is not. So it might have been particularly tough for him to adjust to being confined to a cage or a small room, surrounded by a lot of other hybrids all the time, and told what to do every minute of the day.”

“Yes, I’d say that’s accurate. Also, the singing…he sang before Will tried to train them, and he enjoyed it. But as I said, they didn’t appreciate his voice. I know a fair amount about musical ability, and Kurt has an unusually broad range. From what I’ve heard so far, I believe his voice covers three octaves. I led a glee club in college, and we still meet once a month. I had several of the members of my old group over a few days ago, and they all loved Kurt’s voice, and they all liked him very much.

“But instead of taking advantage of Kurt’s natural talent and enthusiasm, at the store and in their performances, he was pushed to the background, singing backup for one or two other divas they had that Will thought were more talented, or perhaps just more commercially viable. Kurt wanted to sing solos, he wanted to do Broadway and deeply emotional songs, and it seemed that they specialized in current pop hits, Top 40, things like that.

“And even when they weren’t practicing as a group or anything, whenever Kurt tried to sing on his own, the others would get angry with him, and try to shut him up. Even though pretty much every one of the others was singing on their own time when I was in the store. So his means of self-expression, his way of handling his emotions, was stifled. In my completely unprofessional opinion, I think everyone needs some sort of creative outlet, or some way to express their thoughts and feelings. If they can’t, or aren’t allowed to, it can lead to all sorts of emotional problems, and too often, behavior problems that take a violent form against others.”

Ms. Devereaux made some notes. “I wouldn’t disagree with you on that, and singing is certainly a much healthier way to try to work out one’s emotions than a lot of other options. I wonder, if he’d been allowed to sing, to express himself the way he wanted, if they’d have still thought him too stubborn or independent? Perhaps that was a result of his emotional expression being stifled.”

“Exactly!” Adam leaned forward in his enthusiasm. “I’m trying to encourage Kurt’s independence, and one of the things I’m working on is getting him to make his own choices. He had a hard time of it at first, even something as simple as what he wanted to eat at a restaurant, or choosing which color t-shirt he wanted. But he’s getting better, because he’s learning I want him to choose. He was even worried how I’d react if he changed his mind about something! I told him I don’t have a problem with that, as long as he tells me. 

“I want us both to be honest and talk about problems, or possible problems. I think we’ve done quite a bit of talking about things like that, maybe more than Kurt would like. But for someone who barely talked, or even took human form, when he was at the pet store, he’s been a regular chatterbox since I’ve known him.”

That seemed to interest Ms. Devereaux. “Can you tell me more about that? Why didn’t he talk or take human form more often?”

“Because of the way the others treated him. He was scared, because I guess they were really cruel to him, at least verbally if not physically. He seemed to think they disliked him less when he was a cat than when he was human. He just didn’t fit in with the rest of them, and they resented him for it.”

“I wonder if they were jealous of his independence, his stubbornness, and willingness to speak up for what he wanted? Maybe they wanted to punish him because they’d never been allowed that freedom.”

“I hadn’t thought of it like that, but it makes sense. So they were trying to make him feel bad for wanting to be more human than cat, so he stayed as a cat to protect himself? It could be. He also got in trouble for speaking up when customers scared him, or making it clear that he didn’t want them to adopt him. I guess the others didn’t feel threatened the way he did, and they didn’t talk back.”

Ms. Devereaux didn’t try to hide her smile. “I see. And you’re trying to encourage his independent spirit?”

“Yes.” Adam sighed. “Kurt has so much potential, and it’s so frustrating to me that he can’t do so many of the things that I know he’s capable of doing. He isn’t even allowed to try. I think he could be a smash on Broadway, or in designing clothes, or probably any damn thing he set his mind to doing. But I know hybrids aren’t allowed to work or make money.”

“Not legally, no. Although, oddly enough, it’s perfectly legal for owners to make money from their hybrids by breeding them.”

“Ah, yes. Any respectable means of employment are out, but prostitution is just fine?”

“Not many people see it that way, but yes. If it’s for purposes of creating more hybrids that might have stronger animal traits. I take it you’re not intending to breed Kurt?”

“Hell no! I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s fine. I agree, personally.”

Adam blinked. “That’s good to know. Those idiots – rather, that Will Schuester idiot – wanted me to have Kurt neutered before I brought him home, if I wasn’t planning on breeding him, and liked his high voice. He said it might change otherwise. I don’t give a damn how much his voice changes! I told Kurt I’m fine with anything that happens naturally, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to do anything to mutilate him.”

Ms. Devereaux took more notes, then appeared to be deep in thought. “It’s true, Kurt isn’t allowed to make any money. And he’s not allowed to work. But he can certainly have hobbies. As long as you supervise him, to a degree, to make sure he doesn’t accidentally hurt himself or others. He’s not even supposed to do volunteer work, but it’s sort of a fine line between volunteer work and a hobby, sometimes.”

“Well, that brings up an issue I wanted to discuss. Kurt likes to design clothes, and he worked up some designs for me. But he also did some for a friend of ours, who has trouble finding the style of clothing she likes in the stores. I don’t want to get any of us in trouble, but we were thinking, if I paid for the material, and Kurt made the clothes, Lily could reimburse me for the fabric, and she would like to pay me something extra, for Kurt’s time, the way she would pay a human designer. 

“I know he can’t make money, but I was hoping to be able to put it into a separate account for him, in my name, one with interest. He was thinking he could use the money to buy me birthday or Christmas presents, or something like that.” Adam wiped one thumb over his eye, determined to not cry. He cleared his throat. “I had been thinking, if there was something expensive he really wanted for himself, we could use the money for that. But would that be acceptable, or is any of that some breach of the law? I don’t mind bending the rules, but I don’t want any of us to break the law.”

Ms. Devereaux nodded. “That should be fine. It’s not unheard of, for a hybrid to be loaned out for some reason – though those are usually pretty unsavory reasons – and the owner compensated for their time. I wouldn’t suggest Kurt try to become a professional designer, even under the table. But if he wanted to do a favor for a friend, like designing and sewing a dress, for instance, there’s no reason he couldn’t. And since he’d need your permission, and you’d need to buy everything for it, if you wanted to pay for everything, that’s fine. Or if the friend were to pay you for the item, that’s okay. I wouldn’t suggest he do this for a lot of people, with them paying you, to put into an account for him, because then it might possibly be seen as a business. But there’s nothing wrong with him doing it occasionally, especially if it were in return for a favor being done for him.”

“Hm, you mean something like -- Well, I’ve done some cat-sitting for Lily’s cat, a full cat, Misty, in the past. Lily wanted to pay me, but I insisted I was doing it as a favor, because I enjoy being around cats, and I was in essence borrowing Misty to get a kitty fix. I’d go over to her place – she’s my next-door neighbor, and landlady – but I’d go there and feed and water Misty, and pet her and we’d play with her toys. I’d do that a couple of times a day, and just check on her throughout the day or evening to make sure she was okay. Lily is doing the same thing for me, right now. She’s having Kurt over on sort of a play date with Misty. We thought as long as we tell people she’s just pet-sitting for me in exchange for me doing it for her, it should be okay.”

“Yes, that’s a good thing to tell people. There’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing, but most owners don’t think to set up play dates, with other hybrids, or full animals, or humans. By the same token, Lily could do a favor for Kurt in return.”

“I was just thinking, he did go over there on Sunday afternoon, and did Lily’s nails, and did a sort of make-over thing, and he clipped Misty’s nails, too, which is usually a huge chore, because she hates having her paws touched.”

“So he’s already done a favor for her, or more than one. Where were you, by the way?”

“I stayed at home, making some phone calls and doing things on the computer.”

“Ah, so if anyone asks, it was another pet-sitting situation. As long as Kurt was willing to do those things –“

“He suggested it,” Adam interrupted. “He loves that sort of make-over thing. We’re going shopping with Lily tomorrow morning, to get the fabric for a dress Kurt’s making for her, and fabric for clothes for me, and Kurt needs a sewing machine, so I’ll get him that as well. He and Lily were talking about getting some cosmetics. I don’t know anything about that stuff, but Kurt uses moisturizer, and wants to get some other things, too. I don’t mind, but I told him, he doesn’t need to try to make himself more attractive to me. I like him just the way he is. But he hasn’t been allowed to wear any make-up or anything like that in quite some time, so I’ll get him whatever he wants, I suppose.”

“Did Lily give Kurt anything in exchange for what he did for her?” 

“Well, I think she gave him a soda, or offered him one, but that was more just being a polite hostess. She had us both over for tea and cookies, or lemonade and cookies for Kurt, I think, last week. Oh, she did give him a bottle of blue nail polish that he liked, that her granddaughter had left there, when he did her nails.”

“Okay, so even though that’s a minor thing, it sets up a precedent for exchanges of favors.”

“Well, it was more like, he was helping her, as a friend, because he wanted to, and she gave him the nail polish because he liked it, and she didn’t need it, and it was more of a friendship thing.”

“Mm-hm, if they’d both been human there wouldn’t be any question or problem. But to keep things legal, it’s probably best if she could do some little thing, for him or you, when he does something for her, as long as you’re okay with everything. Like, if she wanted to pay for his moisturizer, or something like that, it would be fine. It shows he wasn’t being coerced, or forced to do something without either of you getting something in return.”

“Well, she told me she’s going to pay for lunch for the three of us. She insists, because we’re both helping her out. I guess she needs a dress for something she’s going to soon, and couldn’t find anything to wear.”

“I know the feeling. Well, that’s fine, of course she can take you out to lunch, and if she wants to include Kurt, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I see. But if Lily does want to buy some little thing for Kurt, for instance, she should probably ask me first, right?”

“She should. Doesn’t mean she will. Of course, you don’t have to accept things for Kurt if you don’t want to. Really, nobody should be giving him anything without your knowledge or permission, for his own good. The idea is that he could be taken advantage of in that way, he could be given food or a drink that might make him sick, and might not realize it, or might not be able to speak up for himself. So if Kurt does accept something from someone, and you object, or don’t think it’s good for him, you can return it.”

“Ah, that reminds me. When my friends were over, my singing group I told you about, they wanted to see Kurt as a cat, as well as a human, and he was okay with that. He was looking for the one toy he had at the time, a little mouse, and one of them found it. I made the mistake of mentioning it was his only toy and we hadn’t yet gone to the store together. I have a feeling the next time any of them sees him, they may bring him some little cat toy. Hopefully an inexpensive one.”

“Hm, that’s not too uncommon, either, but again it’s one of those potentially exploitative situations. Some people actually do insist their pet change from one form to the other just to amuse friends or visitors, and I’m sure you know it can be very tiring for the hybrid, especially if they have to do it several times a day, or within a few hours.”

“I would never insist, but he’d already changed and – it’s complicated, and maybe I didn’t handle it well, but he’d already changed, in his room, and was looking for his toy. He sort of got away from me and ran out to the living room, and everyone saw him. They all wanted to pet him, and I asked if it was okay, and told him it was fine if he didn’t want to. He was okay, and believe me, if he hadn’t wanted it, he’d have let me know. I also told my friends they didn’t have to pet him if they didn’t want to, but they all did. It was fine. But I’d never deliberately put him in a situation like that, especially around strangers, without making sure he wanted to do it.”

Ms. Devereaux nodded, and reached into a desk drawer.

“It does get complicated. I’m going to give you what they’re calling a handout, but it’s really more of a very lengthy manual, on what is legal, and what isn’t, regarding a hybrid pet. It’s pretty well organized. I don’t know why they don’t give these out at the pet stores, but you can get one at the library.” She handed him a bound book that looked thicker than the owner’s manual for his car.

“Good Lord, all this?”

“Yes.”

“I only had to sign a few papers when I adopted him. I read what was in those, but it wasn’t nearly this complicated.” He glanced through the manual, and was relieved to see there was a table of contents of sorts, with numerous headings.

“I know, it’s very bizarre how this is handled. But you know, with regular animals, they don’t give you any sort of manual. You can buy, or borrow, books on raising or taking care of a regular cat, for instance, or a hybrid for that matter, but the legalities of owning a hybrid pet are a lot more complicated.

“It might help, in some ways, to think of it like adopting a child. You’ll be responsible for Kurt for many years. How old is he now, about 18?”

“Yes, almost 19.” 

“Okay. You’ll be responsible to take care of him, and be liable for anything he does, for the rest of his life, so probably a good 50 years. Although an awful lot of hybrids die sooner than that. I can’t prove it, but I suspect a lot of owners get tired of their pet, when the reality sets in of decades of caring for them. It’s not that easy to sell or give away a hybrid pet to someone else, especially if they require special care.

“If Kurt gets ill, you’re obligated to take him to the vet, or Emergency Room, as appropriate, and pay for his care. That might mean medication, or surgery, or all sorts of things. If he becomes disabled, and can’t even do the basic care that the hybrids do for themselves, you might need to end up dressing, feeding, cleaning up after him, for years or decades.”

“So it is a lot like having a child. Or sometimes a spouse or partner.”

“More like a child, because there’s no law preventing a spouse or partner from leaving the disabled person to fend for themselves if they don’t want the responsibility.”

“So much for ‘in sickness and in health’,” Adam commented, shaking his head in disgust. “Okay, I don’t have a problem with that. It’s just been difficult for Kurt and I to navigate our relationship. I wasn’t originally expecting to have sex with my pet, but I have to admit, after I saw Kurt, it did cross my mind. I mean, as a human, not a cat.”

“Understood.” There was a faint hint of a smile on her face.

“And he insists he wants that, too. I’m still trying to get used to the idea, because in some ways he seems younger than 18. But at first I was trying to figure out how to treat him, as a child, a pet, or a boyfriend, none of the above, or all of the above.”

“It sounds like, in this case, it’s all of the above.”

“Right.”

“I know it’s a lot of material, but please do read this. You’ll be responsible for following the law, even if it’s a law you don’t know about. But it should be covered in there. A lot of owners find it much easier to leave their pet at home rather than take them out in public, unless it’s to exercise them or take them to the vet.”

“Bollocks to that,” Adam muttered. “I apologize for my language.”

“It’s fine. Just be aware, if you take him out in public, not only does he have to wear his collar and leash, but it’s best if he’s seen but not heard. He shouldn’t do or say anything that will provoke someone else to violence, though I know there are some cases where it doesn’t take much except existing, to provoke violence in some people.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. But I’m not going to let that stop me from taking Kurt shopping, or to restaurants, or to events he might enjoy. I’m planning on taking him to a Broadway show tomorrow night. He’s always wanted to see one, and never had the opportunity. He’s very well-behaved, and in public he does all the right things, I guess, sticks close to me, keeps his head down and doesn’t look directly at anyone else, doesn’t talk to anyone unless they talk to him first, things like that.”

“That’s your choice. Just be aware that if he does unintentionally, or worse intentionally, cause a problem, make too much noise, distract other people, things like that, you’ll need to control him.”

“In other words, the same as if he were any teenage human, and I were his parent, I’d be responsible.”

“To some degree, yes. In this case, if he did get violent, for instance, if he killed or severely hurt someone, he could be euthanized. He doesn’t have the same rights to a trial or hearing that a human teenager would, and you probably would have no say in the matter. I’m only telling you this so you’re aware, and it sounds like he does occasionally have a problem controlling his temper, or expressing his opinion.”

He thought about Sebastian, and winced.

“I’ll do my best to explain to him that he needs to control his temper. I already told him, if he feels the need to say anything sarcastic, to just wait, and tell me later, when we’re at home again.”

“That’s a good idea. Now, did you have specific things you wanted to ask about?”

“I know if I take him out in public, he has to be on the leash, and I need to stay near him at all times. So far I’ve only left him alone at home for maybe a couple of hours at a time while I run an errand. But I wanted to be sure that’s alright, if I leave him alone, or if I should arrange for Lily or someone else to be with him.”

“That’s up to you, depending on how comfortable you are with the idea of him being alone at home. Again, it’s somewhat like with a child. People stop using babysitters and let their child stay alone at different ages, according to their circumstances. But it also depends, of course, on how safe they feel their child will be on their own, or if an emergency comes up.”

“Well, Kurt is 18, so I wouldn’t have a problem with leaving him alone, except for one thing, he gets very worried when I’m not there. Maybe it’s because he hasn’t really been left alone for years, but it’s also a new environment. He’s bonded, or imprinted, to me pretty quickly, but I’d like him to get to a point where he’s not dependent on me being there all the time.”

“Since it’s been such a short time, and you’re not currently working outside the home, that’s probably a good idea to not leave him alone for long just yet. If you think he can be responsible, and for instance can fix a meal without getting hurt, or can look after himself without help, that’s fine. Not all hybrids learned how, or were taught, to cook or do housework, for instance. 

“But if you want him to be independent and develop self-confidence, you might want to give him a chance to prove to you he can be left alone for a while. I wouldn’t recommend leaving him alone for a day or two, not yet, but if you have something to do, or want to go out with friends for a few hours, then both of you can learn he’ll be okay on his own. It’s up to you when you think he’s ready for that. It might not be for a week, or a month, or it could be sooner. It’s up to you.”

“Good, I’ll think about that. Part of me wants to protect him from the world out there, and part of me wants to see him succeed beyond anyone’s expectations. I really do think he’s exceptional, for a hybrid or a human, and I’d hate to see that potential wasted by keeping him in my apartment the rest of our lives. I’m not ashamed to be seen in public with him, though the leash still bothers me. He explained the reasons for it, but it just feels weird.”

“If you’re used to thinking of going out with a boyfriend, and walking side by side or even holding hands, then yes, that would be an adjustment. But it seems you want Kurt to be more like an equal than a pet, and that’s going to cause you some confusion, until you get it sorted out, how to treat him in different situations. It will be more complicated if you treat him one way at home, and have to treat him another way in public. Most people find it easier to treat them as a pet, at home and away from home. Whether they’re in human or animal form, they’re treated essentially the same, as less than a full human.”

“I don’t know how people can do that, but that’s definitely not what I want. And obviously, what I want now is different than when I first thought about adopting a pet.”

“Well, just keep in mind, if Kurt does live another 50 years or so, you may well change your mind on what you want from the relationship. You might change your mind many times. But I think that happens with a lot of people, even in relationships with full humans.”

Adam nodded; he’d certainly seen enough examples of that. “How many married couples, I wonder, eventually find themselves wanting to be more friends than lovers, or wish they were free from their spouse so they could marry someone else? Or they may have drifted apart a bit, and one wants them to be closer again and the other is fine with leaving things as they are.”

“Exactly. But with Kurt, he will always be completely financially, and probably emotionally, dependent on you. He will need to obey you, as his owner, even if part of him would like to rebel. He’ll want to please you, as a pet would, and might be more easily hurt than a human would, if you ignore him, or he thinks he’s being ignored.”

“Ah, yes. I do get caught up in my writing, sometimes, so I already told him he might have to wait if I’m busy.”

Ms. Devereaux hesitated, then bit her lip. “This isn’t really my business, and I’m not a psychologist, but if I can make a suggestion –“

“Please do.” Adam had no problem listening to other people’s opinions. It didn’t mean he had to agree with them, but sometimes it helped to get a different perspective.

“If you’re busy writing, if it doesn’t totally disrupt your thought process, you might let him know it’s okay for him to interrupt you long enough to tell you what he needs. It might be something you can take care of quickly, then get back to writing, and he won’t be feeling anxious or resentful. If it’s more complicated, but not critical, maybe you can give him some kind of estimate of when you can get around to it. But at least that way, you’ll be acknowledging that you know he’s there, you care about him, and his needs matter to you.”

Adam closed his eyes and sighed. “Of course. I should make that clear to him. I do care about what he needs or wants, and I really shouldn’t let myself get so caught up in writing that I’m ignoring him. And he might only be wanting to change from a human to a cat. I’ve asked him to let me know before he does that, just so I sort of know what to expect for a while.”

Ms. Devereaux took more notes, then observed, “There are some people I’ve heard about, who keep refusing to acknowledge their pets request for attention, and won’t ask what they need, then get angry when the pet has an accident. In their animal or human form.”

“What?” Adam was thoroughly confused. “You mean like the pet needs to ask them to go to the bathroom?”

“Yes. Some people refuse to have a litter box in the house, or if they have a dog, they expect them to do their business outside. But they can’t get outside on their own as an animal. And sometimes even in human form, they’re still expected to ask if it’s okay before using the bathroom, especially if there’s only one in the home.”

“I’ve never heard of anything so bloody ridiculous! It never even occurred to me to think about needing to give Kurt permission for that. I’ve turned the spare room over to him, and it has its own bathroom. He was so thrilled to have his own bedroom and bathroom. I think he realized he wouldn’t need to ask for permission. And he learned somewhere, probably at home before he was sent to the pet store, to use the toilet even as a cat. I think he can flush it, too. Anyway, he didn’t want a litter box, so I didn’t get him one. But I just can’t imagine anyone being so cruel.”

She shrugged. “A lot of people who own regular, full animal pets, sometimes forget to take them for walks or let them outside, or don’t provide a pet door so they can get in and out. Then they get angry if the carpet or a piece of furniture is stained. 

“Of course, with hybrids, it’s a little bit trickier. It’s possible someone might steal the hybrid if they’re outside without a leash and without the owner around, but there’s nothing really to distinguish the collar of a hybrid with that of a regular animal. So sometimes, if they wander too far away, they get picked up by Animal Control as a stray.”

“But don’t all the hybrids collars have their owners’ name and phone number on them?”

“Not all do. They should, for their pet’s safety, but some don’t want to have that information displayed in public, even though you have to get pretty close to see it.”

“Ah. One of the night workers at the pet store had engraved a tag for Kurt with my information, even though I hadn’t yet made up my mind to adopt him. She was one of the workers there who was kinder to Kurt than most.”

“So she was looking out for his best interests. That’s always good to hear. In my line of work, too often I hear about hybrids who have been mistreated, or actually abused, but it has to get to a point where someone brings it to my attention. I’ve never yet had a hybrid come to me on their own, asking me to find them a new owner. Even if they could manage to get away for a while, it can be very difficult to prove it’s abuse, and not just what the owner considers discipline.”

Adam blinked, confused. “Is that what you do?”

“It’s a small part of what I do,” she clarified. “I try to see hybrids’ rights are enforced, but as I said, I don’t usually hear about cases of neglect or abuse until someone, obviously not the owner, tells me about it. Usually it’s a concerned family member or friend, or possibly a neighbor, who has witnessed it first hand, and is willing to see what can be done.”

“I see. I don’t know, so far the hybrid owners I’ve met have been very nice, and caring, but I do know of one or two that have a terrible attitude.”

She sat up straighter. “If you know of any specific instances, if I have the owner’s name, I can start an investigation, at least an inquiry.”

He sighed and shook his head. “The one I’m thinking of, it sounded like he used to have a hybrid, that his parents got for him, but he doesn’t have him anymore. I don’t know if he gave him away or sold him, or what, but the way he talked about it, the way he assumed I would treat Kurt – I’d hate to see any hybrid fall into that man’s hands. Which is kind of why I wanted to quickly adopt Kurt, without waiting too much longer, in case he was bought by someone like that.”

“Here, please keep my card. You might have questions for me later, but if you ever feel like there’s a situation I need to know about, give me a call. Please don’t debate that it may be too trivial, or you may be misunderstanding. That’s why we do the inquiries, to find out more about the situation. In some cases, we can’t prove anything, but the name is kept on file, and if we get other complaints, then something can be done.”

Adam glanced at the card, and put it in his wallet, where he could easily find it again. “Thank you. I’m glad to know there’s some sort of help for the hybrids when their owners get out of control.”

“I wish that part of my job weren’t necessary, believe me. I’d happily give up that part of my practice if nobody needed it anymore.”

“Good to know.” Adam glanced at his notes, and decided most of his questions would probably be answered in the manual. “Now, before I forget, it might be a good idea to have a will. I didn’t bother before, because I figured, I’m young, I’m healthy, and I have no dependents. But now I do. I want to leave everything but a few small bequests to Kurt, or rather, to ensure the money goes for his care.”

“I’m glad you’re thinking about that now. That’s probably something Charles should help you with, as he has more experience in that field. It needs to be done correctly, and you have to really trust your executor to be sure the money really does go for Kurt’s care. It might be very difficult to find the right person, that you trust.”

“I’ll need to think about that for sure before I have that will drawn up, then. Is there a possibility you and Charles could work on it together, to make sure it covers everything? I’d pay you both for your time, of course, because I’m thinking I might have to consult both of you about it.”

“We could do that.”

“Well, is that it, then, for now?”

“Unless you have any more specific questions for me.”

“Er, I do, actually. I’ve noticed that everyone who deals with hybrids on some professional level, seems to have some personal reason for wanting to help hybrids in particular. I was just wondering if that’s the case with you, as well.”

“Yes.” She smiled, but didn’t say anything further, and he got the impression he really shouldn’t ask.

“Well, thank you for your time.”

He felt the time had been well spent, and he knew he would have more questions later. Now he had the manual, he knew how most of this evening would be spent, after they got back from the gym. He’d hoped to get in some quality cuddling time with Kurt as a cat, or make-out time with him as a human. Well, he supposed Kurt could cuddle with him in either form while he read the book, but it wouldn’t be as much fun for either of them.

He drove home, and went over to Lily’s to pick Kurt up. He trusted he’d been well-behaved, and hopefully had a good time while visiting.

When Lily opened the door, he was relieved to see she had no visible scratches, and looked calm and even amused. He didn’t even realize how tense he’d been until he felt his shoulders and neck relaxing.

“Hello, Lily. I trust everything is fine here?”

“Yes, there were no problems. Misty’s been showing Kurt the cat condos and various furniture and toys, and has been very good about sharing them with him. Last time I saw them, they were both playing on the taller of Misty’s cat trees.”

They found both cats asleep in Misty’s room. Adam wondered if Misty actually liked the color pink, or if it was just her owner.

Misty was sleeping in a little hammock that was raised just a little above the floor. Kurt was in a soft little basket, hanging from the top of the structure. They both woke up when the humans came in.

Kurt jumped down, meowing excitedly, and ran over to them, and launched himself at Adam. Luckily Adam was able to catch him, and held him tightly to his chest.

“Hello, darling. Did you miss me? I missed you.” He scratched the top of Kurt’s head.

Kurt responded in the affirmative, then started purring in Adam’s arms, and promptly fell asleep.

“Is he snoring?” Lily asked, amused.

“Yes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him fall asleep that fast.”

Misty had followed Kurt, but more sedately. She looked up at Kurt in Adam’s arms and sighed. She let out a forlorn little wail.

“Purrrrrrrt!”

Lily spoke to her anxious pet. “I’m sorry, Misty, but Adam is taking Kurt home now. You can visit another time. Maybe next time you can go visit and see Kurt’s room.”

Adam moved Kurt a bit so he could hold him in one arm. Lily brought the leash over and fastened it for him.

“Thank you so much, Lily, for looking after him. I hope it wasn’t too much of a bother.”

“Not at all, he’s delightful. And Misty enjoyed their visit.”

Adam looked down at the kitty sleeping trustingly in his arms.

“Come on, Kurt, let’s get you home so you can have a proper nap.”


	44. Chapter 44

Adam realized they wouldn’t have a lot of time to eat and pick up Nancy, so he gently deposited a sleeping Kurt on the sofa, and went to fix lunch. He made a tuna sandwich for Kurt and put it, a Diet Coke, an apple, and several napkins in the insulated bag he’d used for lunches at school, and set it in the refrigerator. Kurt could eat in the car if necessary, but he needed to sleep, and presumably would change again before they went to the gym.

He changed into sweats, then checked the time. He had maybe half an hour before they would need to leave. Not enough time to take a nap, but he realized he was getting a bit tired, too. It wasn’t just Kurt who was under a lot of stress lately.

It seemed like a good time to check his e-mail, but there wasn’t anything too crucial there. He heard Kurt stirring in the other room, and went to check on him. He’d just changed back to human.

“What time is it, Adam? Do I have time for a shower?”

He looked at his watch, and thought maybe that’s another thing Kurt might need, a watch of his own.

“A quick one. We need to leave in about 20 minutes. This time, why don’t you go ahead and change into your workout clothes and sweats, and we won’t need to take bags, and we’ll go pick up Nancy. I have a feeling we won’t actually be doing much working out.”

“Sounds good.” Kurt stretched, and his shirt rode up, exposing his pale stomach.

Adam blinked, then looked away. No time for those thoughts now.

“I definitely need a shower and a change of clothes,” Kurt muttered as he walked out.

While he was waiting, Adam added a few notes for his novel, then called Nancy to let her know they’d be there soon.

By the time they left, Adam was glad they were going to the gym. Not only was it important for Nancy to find out her sister was there (if, indeed, it was the right Donna), but he thought a workout might do him some good.

He handed Kurt the lunch bag. “I packed some food for you.”

“You did? Thanks! But what about you?”

“I already ate, while you were sleeping. I didn’t think there would be enough time for us to eat together, but I didn’t want you to go without.”

Kurt started in on his sandwich. “I’ll try not to spill anything.”

“Please. I think I’ll see about getting the upholstery protected. There should be some kind of stain guard for cars.”

“Mm-hm,” Kurt confirmed. He swallowed the bite of sandwich and continued. “I can help you with that.”

“Good. We’ll do that one of these days soon.”

The GPS started giving directions to Nancy’s house, so Adam focused on his driving and let Kurt eat in peace.

Nancy was waiting outside the house, wearing a set of black sweats and tennis shoes. She waved excitedly when she saw them.

Adam pulled up and stepped out of the car to open the back door for her.

She ducked in and said hello to Kurt.

“Hi, Nancy! Don’t forget your seatbelt.”

“Oh, I never do.”

“Sorry, I didn’t have time for lunch before we left. You want some of my apple?”

“No, thank you, I ate a little while ago.”

“You’ve got the certificate with you, right?” Adam asked. He didn’t think she’d really need it, but it wouldn’t hurt to have it.

“Yep, right here.”

Nancy patted the small waistpack she wore, rather than taking a purse, and it seemed like a sensible idea to him.

“It won’t take very long to get there. They’ll give you a little map and directions, along with some brochures and things, probably, before we leave.”

“Oh, good, so I can find my own way there next time.”

“Before I forget, I went to see the lawyer today. I haven’t really even had a chance to tell Kurt about it yet, sorry, darling,” he said, looking at Kurt.

“That’s okay,” he answered. “How’d it go?”

“Pretty well. Instead of seeing my estate lawyer, because he had some personal emergency, I saw his partner. She specializes in hybrid law.”

“Really? I didn’t know that was even a specialty,” Nancy commented.

“I get the feeling it’s not too well known. But along with some helpful information, she gave me a booklet, more of a manual, covering all my legal obligations, and Kurt’s rights.

“We should go through that together, Kurt, and make sure we don’t do anything wrong.”

He glanced back at Nancy.

“I was wondering if your family ever received anything like that?”

“Oh, the Hybrid Handbook, you mean? That’s what we called it, but it’s got some complicated title in Legalese. Yeah, they give it out to you if you have a hybrid kid, but I don’t think they do if you’re just adopting one. Which is weird, because I think you’ve got a lot of the same obligations, probably more if you’ve adopted one for life, rather than a child you can only keep for 13 years.”

She bit her lip and looked at Kurt. “I’m sorry, Kurt, I didn’t mean to bring up anything upsetting.”

“No, no, that’s fine. I think maybe my dad did have something like that.”

Adam laughed ruefully. “I think it’s bigger than the manual for this car, and apparently I’m responsible for knowing everything in there, even if I’d never been given the book in the first place. Stupid laws,” he muttered.

“Oh, is this it?” Nancy asked, looking out the window.

They were nearing the gym, and the sign was visible.

“This is it.”

They were able to find a decent parking space, and Adam led the way into the building. He led Kurt by his leash, and had Nancy walk on his other side. The receptionist remembered them, and while they signed in, Nancy gave her the slightly crumpled certificate. The woman looked puzzled for a moment, then turned it over and saw Jerry’s number.

“Oh, yes. Let me get Jerry for you. You’re all together?”

“Yes, we gave Nancy the certificate,” Adam explained.

“If you’ll all just take a seat over there, I’m sure he’ll be right with you.”

She picked up the phone and punched a button, and murmured quietly. Adam saw Kurt’s ears twitch slightly, and he wondered if he could hear any part of the conversation. He would need to remember that Kurt had very good hearing, even in human form.

Kurt turned to Nancy and asked her, “So, have you ever been to a gym before?”

“No. I’ve thought about it, and my boyfriend belongs to a gym, and wanted me to join, but it’s pretty far away from me. This one is a lot closer.”

“What’s he like? Is he nice to you? He’d better be.”

Adam bit his lip. Kurt, trying to look fierce and protective, for some reason was the sweetest, most adorable thing he’d ever seen.

Nancy smiled, and touched Kurt’s arm in a reassuring manner. “Jason’s a really a nice guy. I think you’d like him. He was kinda jealous when I told him how cute Adam is, but he feels better now ‘cause I told him Adam has a boyfriend.”

Kurt preened at the word, and Nancy giggled quietly.

The door opened, and Jerry came out. Adam had forgotten how imposing Jerry could look, at 6’5”. He would positively tower over Nancy. But with that wide, friendly grin on his face and a slight change in posture, he looked a lot less threatening.

“Hi, guys, good to see you again! You must be Nancy.”

“Yes, I am.” She shook his hand, which seemed to be about twice the size of hers. Adam noted he shook her hand carefully, and didn’t squeeze too hard. “Thank you so much for letting me come to check this place out. I can’t wait to see everything!”

“Well, then, let’s get started. Guys, you want to tag along again, in case you forgot anything, or you wanna do something on your own?”

Adam wasn’t sure whether Jerry wanted them along or not. Nancy looked at them, but he wasn’t sure from her expression what she wanted, either.

Before he could answer, Daniel came out. “Oh, guys, there you are! Jerry told me you’d be here. There are a couple things I think I forgot to show you last time, don’t know where my head was at.”

He and Jerry exchanged some wordless glances that would have been hilarious to watch under other circumstances.

Finally Jerry spoke up. “Daniel, this is Nancy, and she’s here as Adam and Kurt’s guest.”

“Nice to meet you.” Daniel smiled warmly at her, and Adam realized it transformed his whole face. “I really hope we see you around here more often.” He didn’t say it as anything close to a pick-up line, just sincerely meant it. “Tell you what, why don’t we meet up with you both later, maybe in the hybrid exercise and play area?”

Jerry closed his eyes briefly, and it looked like he whispered “thank you” to Daniel.

Daniel added, to Nancy, “We like to show everyone the entire place. Even if you don’t have a hybrid, it’s still kind of interesting to see what we have available for them.”

“Oh, I think that’s great! I’m so glad there’s something like that available, that you’re not ignoring their animal side in favor of the human side.”

Daniel nodded, and his gaze softened. “Yeah, we try to take care of the whole being, as much as we can.”

They let Jerry lead the way out to the gym, then went in the other direction with Daniel. “Not sure I showed you guys this room the other day.” He led them to a small equipment room that was empty for the moment. Adam was pretty sure they had seen it, but kept his mouth shut.

Daniel closed the door. “Okay, I’ll keep this brief. Jerry told me what happened, that you think maybe Donna is your friend Nancy’s sister. Half-sister, whatever. Now that I’ve seen, her, yeah, it could well be. We haven’t said anything to Donna, because Jerry didn’t want to get her hopes up, but if they are sisters, it’s gonna get really messy, crying and blubbering all over the place. And I don’t mean just the girls.” He rolled his eyes. “Jerry might be pretty tough in some situations, but he’s a real softy, especially when it comes to Donna. So we’re gonna give them a chance to talk in our office, ‘cause we can keep everyone else outta there. We figured they can talk as long as they want, but it’s gonna be the last stop on the tour, so to speak, because everyone’s probably gonna be a wreck after that, one way or the other.”

Adam had been nodding through most of this, not wanting to interrupt. He noticed Kurt was excited, not quite jumping up and down, but raising himself on his toes, then lowering his heels again. He was under no delusion that he was stretching or working out. Also, the look on his face totally gave it away.

“I know Jerry wanted you guys there, ‘cause he’s really nervous about this, too. He’s gonna need someone to talk to, or talk at more like. Carl is in the lounge with Donna now, they get along pretty well, but just in case I’m needed for something, I thought it would help for you guys to be there for Jerry while the girls are talking.”

“Sure, we’d be happy to do that,” Adam confirmed. “We’re pretty invested in Nancy’s happiness, too, as you can see.” He hooked his thumb in Kurt’s direction.

“This is so cool! It’s almost like a movie or something! Not exactly a rom-com, but – “

“A love story,” Adam finished. “A different kind.”

“Yeah, that’s it!”

Daniel cleared his throat. “Must be allergy season again. So, we’ve got about half an hour before we meet them, if you want to actually work out or somethin’ while you’re here. Want me to come get you in about half an hour?”

Adam looked around the room. There were some treadmills, ellipticals, a rowing machine, and a couple pieces of equipment he didn’t actually recognize.

“Yeah, we’ll be fine in here for now. Once we actually get a swimsuit for Kurt, we’ll try the pool and hot tub some other time.”

“Oh, you know, we don’t have a huge selection, but we do sell some swimsuits here, if you want to take a look. We have a little store, that I actually did forget to show you.”

Kurt nodded, so Adam figured it would be a good way to kill some time. They followed Daniel, and found the “little store” seemed to have a fair amount of fitness gear, including a small selection of swimsuits. There was one salesman there, but Daniel waved him away.

“I have no idea,” Adam sighed. “What kind do you recommend?”

“Well, a lot of guys like the Speedos. I’m guessing you would take a medium.”

Kurt glanced at the Speedos and shook his head rapidly, his eyes widening. “Too small. Maybe something like these?”

The ones he pointed to would come down about half-way to his knees.

“Ah, those aren’t all that comfortable for swimming, actually. What about these?”

The ones he showed them provided more coverage than the Speedo, and came up higher on the stomach, but there wasn’t much material over the thigh.

“I dunno?” Kurt asked. Adam had thought he was getting over his indecisiveness.

“You wanna try this suit on?” Daniel suggested. “Over your underwear. It might look silly, but it’ll give you an idea how it fits, and it’s more sanitary.”

Kurt nodded. “Do you have this in blue?” he asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, right here, this should be your size.”

Adam let go of his leash so Kurt could go in the dressing room.

Daniel cleared his throat, and met Adam’s eyes. “I wanted to thank you again, for what you’re doing for Donna. Even if it turns out Nancy’s not her sister, at least you’re trying to help out. Some people, even if they noticed a resemblance, wouldn’t bother trying to find out if they’re related.”

“Really? I find that hard to believe.”

Daniel shrugged. “Takes all kinds of people, but I’m glad you and Kurt are the kind that are willing to go to some extra trouble to help out a friend.”

Adam nodded. “It’s really not any extra trouble. I’m just finding out there are so many complications I didn’t realize, about hybrids. I just got a handbook type thing from my lawyer – well, she was substituting for my regular lawyer, but luckily she knows a lot about hybrid law, and she gave me this manual.”

“Yeah, I borrowed it from the library, then wrote to the publishing company and asked them to send it to me. The booklet was free, but cost about $10 for shipping.” He rolled his eyes. “Why don’t they just give ‘em to you at the store, or sell them at the book stores? With what you have to pay for hybrids, you’d think they could throw in the damn manual as well, or at least let you know there is one and how to get it.”

“I really don’t know. But I was surprised to find out there are lawyers who actually specialize in hybrid rights, and will help if the hybrids are having legal issues, like their owner is being abusive or something. I find that very reassuring, actually.”

Daniel’s eyes hardened, and his voice lowered. “You have the lawyer’s contact information? I’d like to have that on file. Every now and then we see bruises and stuff that just doesn’t go with the explanation. We have to accept what they tell us, but I had no idea there was a legal recourse.”

“I can’t imagine why it’s not more widely publicized,” Adam responded drily.

He found the card in his wallet. While he was copying down the information, Kurt stuck his head out of the dressing room curtain.

“Adam? Can you come in here and let me know if this seems to fit right? It feels okay, but I’m not sure.”

He went behind the curtain, and saw Kurt had stripped down to his underwear, and was wearing the light blue swimsuit over his briefs. He blinked a couple of times and took a deep breath. “That looks very good on you, Kurt. Is it comfortable?”

“A little tight, but I think that’s ‘cause of the underwear. As long as they don’t shrink in the wash, they should be fine. They’re pretty stretchy.”

“Yes, well, it looks like it’s supposed to be. I’ll let you get dressed again.”

He came out, and was sure his face was as red as the Speedo Daniel had showed them earlier.

“Fits him pretty well, I take it?” Daniel asked with a smirk.

“Yes, you could say that. We’ll take it.”

“Okay. Thanks for the info.” He returned Ms. Devereaux’s card. Adam really didn’t want to lose it.

Kurt came back out, fully dressed in his sweats again. Daniel took the swimsuit and scanned the tag, and Adam gave him his credit card without even looking at the price. He did glance at the receipt, and was relieved to see it was only $75. It was definitely worth it.

Kurt took the bag, and they followed Daniel back to the main part of the gym.

“It’s just about time to go to the play area. Come on, I’ll introduce you to Carl, since you didn’t get to meet him last time.”

There was a sign on the door that said, “Closed for Cleaning.” Daniel flipped the sign to the other side, which said, “Please knock before entering”, and opened the door. As Adam suspected, there was no cleaning going on. Donna and a hybrid male with shoulder-length blond hair were playing a card game of some kind at a low table with a few chairs around it.

They looked up a bit warily, but relaxed when they saw Daniel. Adam noted the male hybrid was nice-looking, but not stunning, like Kurt.

“Hey, guys,” Daniel greeted them. “Donna, you remember Kurt and Adam? You met them the other day.”

“Sure, yes, it’s nice to see you again.” She glanced up and smiled briefly, then looked down at her cards again. Adam didn’t think it was because she had forgotten what cards she held.

“Carl, this is Kurt and Adam. They’re new members of the gym. Kurt’s a cat hybrid.”

Adam had a feeling Carl already figured that out, the way he and Kurt were sort of warily twitching their noses and ears.

“Guys, Carl is my pet, and my boyfriend. He’s a dog hybrid.”

“Nice to meet you,” Adam said, holding his hand out.

“Good to meet you,” Carl said, shaking his hand. Daniel’s pet appeared more self-confident, and more friendly, compared to Donna. He wouldn’t say she was unfriendly, just reserved, and shy, and probably scared.

He and Kurt looked warily at each other, then both shrugged, and shook hands.

“Listen, I’m on my break now,” Daniel said, rubbing his hands together. “Kurt and Adam are just gonna kick back for a while, till a friend gets through with the tour. Can we join your game?”

“Sure,” Carl agreed. “I was losing this hand anyway.”

Donna giggled. Carl gathered the cards and shuffled them.

“What are we playing?” Adam asked, hoping it was a game he knew.

“Go Fish.”

Kurt’s ears twitched at the last word, and Carl laughed. “Sorry. I do the same thing when someone says the word ‘bone’ in any context.”

Kurt laughed, and they both relaxed. They pulled up chairs, and Daniel went to get another pack of cards out of the desk drawer, to make it more fair with so many players.

Adam enjoyed watching the others having fun, but he was still a little tense, wondering what would happen when Nancy came in with Jerry. Would the sisters immediately recognize each other? Would Nancy know her sister, but perhaps Donna had forgotten her? Would they both just greet each other blankly, like they had no idea they were supposed to be related? For that matter, were they even related, or was it just a very odd series of coincidences? Not that Adam really believed in coincidence. He preferred believing things happened for a reason. He wasn’t sure he believed in God, but he did like the idea of Intelligent Design for the universe.

They played another full round of the game before someone knocked on the door. Daniel got up to see who it was, and opened the door wider. They heard part of a conversation.

“…for the hybrids to exercise in animal form, or play, or just relax. Oh, hey, guys!”

Carl and Donna greeted him. Adam noticed that Donna brightened up considerably.

“Um, Nancy, this is my partner Daniel, and his hybrid Carl, and my –“

Nancy gasped. “Donna?”

“Sissy? Is that you?”

They spoke at the same time. Donna jumped up from the table and ran over to Nancy, and threw her arms around her.

Nancy returned the hug. “Oh wow, this is so amazing! Hey! Did you guys know about this?” She sounded slightly hurt, but also hopeful.

Adam nodded. “We saw a strong family resemblance, and asked Jerry about Donna, and told him we thought our friend was her sister.”

“Why don’t you two go hang out in our office for a while?” Jerry suggested, gently putting one huge hand on Donna’s shoulder, very lightly steering her towards the office. “Take as long as you want to talk. We weren’t sure, so we didn’t want to say anything yet.”

Both women were crying, so Jerry guided Donna, and Kurt took Nancy’s arm, and helped her get into the office. A moment later both Jerry and Kurt came out, and Jerry shut the door. He patted Kurt on the shoulder, then pulled his hand back. “Sorry, I know better, no offense.”

“None taken,” both Kurt and Adam answered. They looked at each other and laughed nervously.

Daniel got out his wallet and handed Carl a couple of twenties. “Tell you what, Carl, will you do us all a favor and get us some coffees from the Starbucks next door?” Adam noticed for the first time that the dog hybrid wasn’t wearing a leash. Come to think of it, Donna hadn’t either. Carl wrote down the orders and left.

Adam had to ask. “I guess Carl has been with you a long time? I noticed neither he nor Danna has a leash. I was just wondering how long I should keep Kurt on the leash. I’m still not quite used to the concept.”

Daniel shrugged. “I adopted him about 10 years ago, and he knows the neighborhood, and we’re regulars at that Starbucks. I’ve sent him in there on his own before. Nobody should hassle him, but if they do, he’s got his tag, and they can call me. And while they’re here, since Jerry and I both work here, and own the place, it’s kinda like they’re at home. Anybody has a problem with them not being on a leash, will be referred to the owners of this fine establishment.” He grinned, but it was neither friendly nor teasing.

“I’m not that anxious to go out on my own yet, anyway,” Kurt said quietly, moving a little closer to Adam.

He sighed, and put his arm around Kurt’s waist. “Of course not, love, it’s only been a little over a week. There’s plenty of time for you to get used to everything. I’m not going to send you anywhere alone until I really think you’re ready for it. Until you think you’re ready.”

Jerry had now had enough time to get his emotions under control.

“I really don’t know how to thank you guys enough! It’s pretty ironic that I found Donna in Austin, and we moved here, back where she’s originally from. She remembered her family was in New York, but not their last name. I guess that’s one of those things they try to make you forget.”

Kurt nodded. “Yeah, they kept reminding us that we’d be taking on the name of whoever adopted us, so it would be a lot easier to remember the new name if we stopped thinking about our last name. It’s one of the first things they teach you, and it’s really emphasized strongly.”

“Bastards,” Adam commented.

Daniel and Jerry agreed with the general sentiment, in even stronger terms.

 

 

Nancy moved Jerry’s chair from behind the desk, to put it next to the one in front, so they could sit together. Donna wouldn’t sit there, but was finally convinced to take the visitor’s chair.

“Donna, I can’t believe I finally found you!” She held her sister’s hand, and was hurt when it was pulled away.

“I’m sorry, we’re not supposed to – other people aren’t supposed to touch us without our owner’s permission.”

“Screw that! If he gets mad, let him get mad at me!” Nancy took her hand again, firmly but not forcefully, and Donna just squeezed back lightly.

“We’ve missed you so much,” Nancy began, “but we didn’t even know where to begin looking for you. You know Mom and Dad didn’t give you away by choice, right? They had to.”

“I know,” Donna said quietly. “I heard the government men talking. They told Mom and Dad and you to not put up a fight, or they’d go to jail and you’d go to the orphanage.”

“I’m not sure if they can really do that, but they know nobody’s gonna take a chance on losing both kids. We all cried for days. We didn’t even know where they’d taken you. They just said to not even bother looking at the local pet stores, because they’d be taking you far away.”

Donna cleared her throat. Nancy saw a small refrigerator, and opened it. Donna gasped. “You shouldn’t do that!”

“Tough. You need some water or something.” She found a bottle of water and handed it to Donna. “It’s okay. If Jerry or Daniel want to get mad at me, they can go ahead, but I don’t think they’re going to.” She softened her voice. “Go on, drink, please.”

Donna nodded, and took a small sip of water, then a bigger one. She sighed. “I know Jerry won’t get mad, he’s really nice to me, it’s just still kind of a habit. The pet store I was at was really strict. You had to ask for every little thing you wanted, and unless they thought you really needed it, they weren’t going to give it to you anyway, so I tried to stop wanting things.

“I guess it was in Texas, the store, and I was there for almost seven years before Jerry found me. He came in with a friend who already had a hybrid, and the friend needed something, hybrid chow or something. So he told Jerry to look around, and he saw me. We talked a little bit, and they even let us go sit in the interview room together and talk, but he didn’t have a lot of money. He really wanted to take me away from there, but he was barely 18. He saved up as much as he could, and they finally decided they might as well sell me to him, and get a little money for me, rather than lose their entire investment by putting me to sleep.”

Nancy was appalled that they could be so callous, and that Donna could talk about It so matter-of-factly, like she was talking about someone else.

“I can’t believe they’re allowed to do that!”

Donna shrugged. “Who’s going to stop them? Nobody cares about us. Well, maybe our family, but like you said, you had no idea where to even look for me.” She sighed, and added, “As far as I know, they hardly ever put anybody to sleep, because then everybody will have lost a ton of money, the government, and the pet store. So it’s better to sell us really cheap if we’ve been there too long, or if someone is disabled or really sick. Actually, if you need a lot of medical care, they generally don’t keep you very long at all, because they figure with the amount people are paying for hybrids, they’re not going to want to spend even more, if they know from the start they have to pay for surgeries, medications, special equipment, things like that.”

She drank more water, then continued. “Obviously, the really pretty or talented, or healthy, pets sell first, ‘cause everyone wants a cute or sexy pet. But if you just look, well, ordinary,” she pointed to herself, “it’s harder to get people to pay that kind of money. It’s like a status symbol for some people, you know, they want to show you off, so they want you to look good.”

“Not everyone is like that,” Nancy protested. “Adam, he’s one of my clients – I do housecleaning -- and he just adopted Kurt. He didn’t get him to be a status symbol, but because he was lonely.”

Donna smiled sadly. “But you’ve seen Kurt, right? He’s really adorable, and sexy at the same time.” She put her hand over her mouth. “I shouldn’t have said that. Please don’t tell anybody what I said.”

“I won’t, don’t worry! I agree with you, but nobody before Adam seemed to think Kurt was attractive. He’d been there close to six years when Adam found him. The other hybrids were mean to him, partly because they didn’t like his looks, or his voice.”

Donna’s eyes widened. “The other hybrids were mean? In my store, we weren’t exactly friends, because they didn’t want any of us to get depressed when one of us was adopted, but we kind of only had each other, you know? The store owners and employees treated us like, you know, animals, so we kind of looked out for each other when we could. I don’t know how else you could survive.”

Nancy bit her lip, not sure it was her place to tell Kurt’s story. “You might ask him sometime how he survived. He’s pretty amazing, and so sweet! He and Adam are really lucky they found each other.”

Donna nodded, and smiled sadly. “Jerry and I always say we’re so glad we found each other. And I got really lucky, because he’s not only sweet, and funny, but handsome, and really – “ She stopped, and blushed. “Well, he’s really good in other ways, too, and he treats me more like a girlfriend than a pet, whenever he can.”

“I’m so relieved to hear that,” Nancy sighed. “I’ve heard some awful things, and it’s hard to know what’s a rumor, and what’s real, but it seems some owners really don’t care about whether their pet likes them, or you know, wants to have sex with them.”

Donna bit her lip. “I know. I was so scared about that, but Jerry was really nice. He didn’t even insist we have sex right away. He was really considerate, and he’s never once hit me or hurt me, or made me feel like I’m an animal who’s trying to be a human.”

Her eyes filled with tears anyway. She wiped her hand across her eyes, and Nancy handed her some Kleenexes from the box on the desk. She helped herself to a few, as well. “I might have to replace this box,” she giggled. “I have a feeling we might go through the whole thing.”

“There’s more in the cupboard over there,” Donna pointed out. “I cry a lot, I don’t even know why, sometimes, so Jerry started buying Kleenex by the case.”

Nancy smiled, but she was preoccupied by the millions of questions she wanted to ask. She hardly knew where to start.

“So how did you wind up back in New York?”

“Jerry heard from a friend, Daniel, that he wanted to open up a gym in New York, where he’d moved a few years before. He remembered Jerry was into body-building, and wanted to know if he’d help him run the place. I think Daniel put up most of the money, but Jerry’s the one who did a lot of the planning. They’re pretty successful. When we moved here, I remembered I used to live in New York, but I couldn’t remember what part, or my last name, before I was given Jerry’s last name. We’d been told we shouldn’t have contact with our birth families, anyway, that it wouldn’t be fair to them to disrupt their lives.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Nancy scoffed. “Adam managed to find Kurt’s dad, and he’s coming here Friday – the day after tomorrow.” She looked in her purse for her datebook. “We didn’t talk about it, but I usually clean Adam’s place Friday afternoon. Maybe he’ll want to change it so I don’t interrupt them.”

“I’ve never heard of anybody doing that before, looking for their pet’s family. No wonder they were willing to help you.”

Nancy bit her lip and tried to think about whether what she wanted to say was even legal. “I wonder if – obviously we haven’t had a chance to talk about it, but Donna, I was thinking, if there’s a way you, and Jerry, too, can come over sometime to see the family? Mom and Dad would love to see you again, and meet Jerry.”

Donna shook her head. “I don’t know. You’ll need to ask him. I don’t think I can. I mean, I don’t think I’m supposed to.”

“Well, I’ll ask him.” Nancy set her jaw and straightened up.

“You seem a lot more confident since I saw you last. Of course, you were only about 10 then,” Donna remembered.

Nancy shrugged. “I think you’ve come out of your shell a little bit, too. Despite everything you learned, and what they trained into you, it seems like Jerry is treating you really well.”

“He is. I really do love him. I know some of it is that imprinting thing they tell us about, but it’s more than that. And I think he feels that way, too. He could be really nice to me, but never call me his girlfriend, or just treat me the way so many people treat their pets.”

“You both got really lucky. There are so many things I want to tell you, and ask you, but I still don’t feel like we should be here for hours. Let’s see if they’ll let you visit the family, or Jerry and you.”

“If you’re sure –“

“I’m sure.”

They opened the door, and the men on the other side of the room fell silent. They all put their coffee cups down.

“Jerry, I appreciate everything you’ve done for Donna, but I’d really like to know if there’s a way she can see our family again. Maybe the two of you can come to our house for dinner or something?”

He bit his lip. “I know we’re not supposed to do stuff like that, but I’m not going to keep Donna from her family, or them from her. So, yeah, if you can set something up with your parents, let us know when and where, we’ll be there.” He looked at Donna and added, “That is what you want, isn’t it, honey?”

“Yes, Jerry, I do. I just hope they still really do want to see me.”

“They do,” Nancy reassured her.

Jerry said hesitantly, “I hope they don’t get too upset with me. I mean, I’ve tried my best to take care of Donna, but you know, I bought their daughter, I technically own her. It feels so weird to say that, but I can understand if they hate me.”

“No,” Nancy insisted. “They won’t hate you, trust me. They expected, and hoped, someone would adopt her who would take care of her and really love her. You saved her life. I think they’d much rather have her with you, than any alternative.”

“I really do want to meet them, too. You’ve got my cell number, so just let me know when. And what to bring.”

“Just yourself and Donna, that’s enough.” Nancy took a deep breath. “We still have a lot to talk about, but I was hoping this wouldn’t be the last time we get a chance to talk.”

“No. As a matter of fact -- Come into my office a minute.” Jerry took Nancy inside and closed the door.

 

 

Donna looked like she was in shock. Kurt helped her sit down. He didn’t care that hybrids weren’t supposed to touch other hybrids, any more than they should touch a human who wasn’t their owner. Screw the rules. He asked Donna if she needed anything.

“A new brain, maybe? I think mine is fried. It’s a lot to take in.”

He sat down next to her and patted her hand, then left his on top of hers.

“I know. I’m gonna get to see my Dad in a couple of days, for the first time in years, and it’s hard to believe it’s really happening. But it is. I never thought I’d get to see him again, but I’m going to. It’s okay to let yourself believe it. Nobody’s gonna take this away from you.”

“How do you know?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Because we won’t let them.”

She looked around the room at everyone who had spoken, every person in the room.

“Really? Why would you risk maybe getting in trouble, to help me? Is it because Nancy’s your friend?”

Kurt saw that she was talking to him and Adam. He let Adam handle the question.

“Well, I’d like to think you’re our friend too, or soon will be if you’re not comfortable with that yet. Believe me, we both know how important this can be, to have some healing in hybrid families.”

Donna nodded. Before she could say anything else, the door opened.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“But –“

“Yes. You’re family now.”

Nancy eyes were filling with tears. Kurt wiped away his own, not entirely sure what they’d been talking about, but it was the last part that was really important.

Nancy bit her lip, then stood on her toes and reached as high up as she could to hug Jerry. He allowed it, and Donna didn’t seem the slightest bit jealous or distressed. Good.

“Damn,” Daniel muttered, swiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. “No offense, but I gotta get out of here before y’all get me bawlin’, too. C’mon, Carl.” He said over his shoulder, “Nancy, I guess we’ll see you later. If Jerry didn’t just give you a free lifetime membership, I’mma do it now.”

“Done,” Jerry called back. He turned to Nancy. “We’ll get you a card before you leave.”

“You really don’t need to –“

“It’ll give you gals a chance to talk more, and you really seemed interested –“

“Oh, I am, it’s just –“

“Consider it a ‘welcome to the family’ gift. And we don’t need anything in return, any of us.”

Nancy started crying again, but Kurt, who was an expert at interpreting different types of tears, could tell it was from happiness.

Adam cleared his throat. “If you’re ready to go, Nancy, we can drive you back now. Or you can stay a while… I didn’t want you to be driving when you’re all emotional, for any reason.”

She nodded absently, “Yeah, good idea. I want to stay, but I think I need some time. Is that okay, Donna?”

“Sure.” She still looked a bit shaken. “I think I might, too. But can we come over soon? I miss Mama and Daddy so much.”

“And they will be so thrilled to see you! As soon as I get home, I’m going to tell them.”

There were hugs all around, no one caring about possible inappropriateness of who was hugging whom.

When they were in the car, Nancy said, “I don’t know how to thank you guys. And at the same time, I feel like I should be mad at you for scheming behind my back, and not giving me any clue what I might be walking into! It was an awesome surprise, but, a little warning might have been nice.” She gasped. “I’d rather have not met my brother-in-law wearing sweats!”

“I don’t think he minded,” Kurt said. “He sees people that way all the time.” He knew Jerry wasn’t, and could never officially be, Nancy’s brother-in-law, but he understood the sentiment.

“I’m sorry,” Adam said, glancing back over his shoulder for a second. “I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want to get your hopes up, if maybe she wasn’t the right Donna.”

Kurt agreed. “If Adam had found a different Burt Hummel, I’d have been so upset. We didn’t want to put you through that.”

“Thank you for setting this up, really. I wanted to stay and talk for hours, but I really just couldn’t. I feel like every second I don’t tell my parents, they’re suffering more.”

“Donna seemed to understand,” Adam reassured her. “I think she was a bit overwhelmed, too.”

“Oh, man, how am I gonna tell my parents? What do I say?”

“I don’t know, but I think you’ve got about another 10 minutes to think about it before we get there.”

They were all silent the rest of the way, but when they stopped at Nancy’s house, she looked much more calm and resolved.

Adam turned in his seat to be able to see her. “Before I forget, Nancy, about Friday – Burt’s going to be here, but we don’t have to leave to pick him up till that evening. I was going to say, your regular time will still work. But if you want to cancel, if you and your family need time –“

“No, I’ll be there, definitely. I want to get the place cleaned up for your Dad, Kurt. Thank you both so much!”

She got out of the car, waved and walked up to the door.

Adam sighed and started the car.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I think all that drama has pretty well drained me. I could use a nap.”

“Me, too,” Kurt agreed, punctuating it with a yawn.

“A nap it is, as soon as we get home.”


	45. Chapter 45

Kurt woke before Adam, and decided he was too restless to just stay there till Adam woke up. He wasn’t going to wake him, if he could help it. He thought Adam was probably more tired than he realized.

He looked at the alarm clock, and thought dinner might be a good idea. He carefully extricated himself from Adam’s arms and went to his own room to freshen up and change clothes.

He was pretty sure he knew how all the equipment in the kitchen worked; now he just had to see what they had on hand for dinner. He couldn’t recall Adam mentioning anything specific he wanted that night, so hopefully he wouldn’t mind a surprise.

There were so many things to think about that had happened recently, and stuff that would be coming up, and it seemed like his head was getting crowded with too many thoughts. He wondered if it would do any good to write some of them down, at least the basic ideas, so he could get them out of his head, but not forget about them. He found a notepad and pen, and wrote down a quick list. He only worried briefly about his spelling, but decided, as long as he could read it later and know what it meant, that would be fine.

Vet-Dr  
Where hybrids from?  
Glasses & Reading  
Play with Misty  
Bernard  
 ~~Desi~~ Clothes to make  
Need to buy – ask Adam  
Treehouse  
Pay attenshon, Adam!  
Why no sex?  
Nancy, Donna  
Lawyer?  
Dad  
Sentor Dad? Some kind of politishon?  
Owner Sebastard vs. Jerry OR Danyel

He knew there were more things, but it was a start. He put the list aside, to add to it later. Now he felt better, like his head was a little emptier, so there was more room to think about what to fix for dinner.

 

 

Adam woke up, and was confused, because he was still wearing his clothes and had been sleeping on top of the bed. Then he remembered, he and Kurt had been taking a nap. So where was Kurt?

He saw it was almost 6:30, so he’d been sleeping for quite a while.

Then he realized what had woken him up. Something smelled really good. Was Kurt fixing dinner? Was that a good idea? He hurried into the kitchen, but it seemed like Kurt had things under control.

“Hey.” Adam cleared his throat.

“Hi!” Kurt smiled brilliantly at him, and stopped fixing the salad. “You’re finally up.”

“Sorry I slept so long.” Adam yawned. “I swear, I shouldn’t be tired, I’ve been sleeping for a while.”

“Yeah, but you’ve been really busy lately, too,” Kurt pointed out.

“Do you need help with anything?” Adam looked around, but the kitchen was pretty clean, considering dinner was in progress.

“No, I’ve got it all under control. You can maybe set the table.”

Adam started to clear off the table, and saw a list. Thinking it was either a grocery list, or things Kurt wanted to do while out shopping, he scanned it quickly. Some things were pretty clear, others puzzled him. He wouldn’t allow himself to laugh at the spelling errors. Wait, when wasn’t he paying attention to Kurt? He skimmed the rest of the list.

“Kurt? What’s this list for?”

“Oh, that’s – “ Kurt whirled around, “You’re not supposed to read that!”

Oh, dear. “I’m not? I’m sorry, I thought at first it was things you wanted to get tomorrow.”

“No! It’s stuff I’m thinking about, and there’s too much of it, so I needed to get some of it out of my head, but I didn’t want you to see some things there.” He went back to chopping things for the salad, turning his back on Adam.

“It looks like things you might want to discuss with me,” Adam ventured.

“Yeah, maybe, some of them, but not right now.”

“Okay, let’s put this aside for now,” Adam suggested. “If you do want to talk about anything, I’m willing to talk about whatever you want. When you’re ready.”

“Okay.”

Kurt was pouting now, and Adam was by turns exasperated at Kurt and ashamed of himself, for reading something he could now see should have stayed private.

He laid it on the counter, out of the way, and set the table. He got out the milk for Kurt, and poured water for himself.

“Dinner smells wonderful. What are we having?”

Kurt sighed, apparently still annoyed. “Salad, roast chicken, baked potatoes. I didn’t make any dessert yet.”

“Well, let’s see if we still have room for dessert.”

Adam sat at the table and bit his tongue several times. Kurt clearly didn’t want to talk about anything at the moment. Best to let him concentrate on dinner. Besides, he had enough things on his own mind he needed to think about.

Kurt took the chicken out of the oven, and turned it off. He let it cool for a couple of minutes while he finished the salad. He took out a large carving knife.

Adam thought about mentioning the electric carving knife, and suggesting it would be an easier way to cut up the chicken. But, on the other hand, Kurt was still upset, and maybe it would be good for him to work out his aggression on the chicken with the regular carving knife. Better to end up with dinner possibly mutilated, then either of them.

By the time Kurt had served the meal, he had also calmed down a bit. He poured himself some milk, which Adam hoped would further settle him. They ate in silence, aside from the occasional, genuine, compliment from Adam about the food. Kurt accepted each compliment with a brusque “thanks” but did not otherwise engage Adam in any conversation.

They did the dishes together, and since Kurt had, for the most part, cleaned up and put away as he went along, it didn't take very long. Adam was unsure what to do next, because of Kurt's prickly mood. Kurt muttered that he was going to go brush his teeth, so Adam thought it was best do the same. When he came back out, Kurt was looking in the hall closet.

“Can I help you find something?” Adam asked politely.

“I'm trying to find a stepstool or ladder or something,” Kurt said, still sounding frustrated.

“Oh, I have one in the laundry room.”

“Okay, I'll find it.”

Adam clenched his jaw, but didn't say anything. As Kurt left the room, Adam picked up his laptop, and sat on the sofa. Before he could get started though, he realized that what he really needed to do, was read the hybrid manual. He found it quickly, and started reading the table of contents, to see what were the most crucial things to learn.

He tried to ignore the temptation to ask Kurt if he needed help with the ladder. Maybe he was trying to be independent, and since that’s what he wanted for Kurt, he thought it best to leave him alone, unless he asked for help.

In a little while, Kurt came into the living room, and sat down on the other end of the sofa from Adam. He took his shoes off, and turned around, adjusting the pillow so he could rest against the arm of the sofa. Adam glanced over, and saw that Kurt was holding Bernard the bear clutched to his chest. He decided it wouldn't be wise to point out Kurt's resemblance to a pouting 12-year-old.

“Hey," Adam began, before even realizing he was speaking, “I am really sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to disrespect your privacy.”

“It's okay,” Kurt sighed, “I guess I should have realized you might see it there. If I really wanted to hide it, I guess I should have put it away in my room.”

“That's probably a good idea. We're probably both going to occasionally have things that we want to keep private, for one reason or another, so we should try to respect that. On the other hand, if either of us leaves papers lying around, we shouldn't be surprised if they get read.”

Kurt nodded, stroking the bear's soft fur. “Okay.” He continued talking, still cuddling the bear. “I don’t want to talk about everything. Some things I just need to think about. By myself.”

“That’s fine.”

“But maybe...” He sighed, and looked up at the ceiling, as though he would find the right words there. “The thing about paying attention.”

Adam waited for clarification. When none was forthcoming, he said, “I’m listening.”

Kurt looked directly at him again, and was holding the bear tightly to his chest. “I know I’m taking up a lot of your time, and you’re doing a lot of stuff you wouldn’t be doing otherwise, to take care of me, but I need – sometimes I just need to be in the same room with you, or know you’re there, or something.”

He paused, and looked expectantly at Adam. He wished he had some kind of guidebook for Kurt specifically, because he had a feeling he might not find much in the book in his hands, that would help with this particular hybrid.

“Yes, my life is very different now than it was two weeks ago, but that’s okay. I wanted a change, or I wouldn’t have adopted you. Even if I wasn’t expecting things to be quite so complicated, I knew it would be more involved than just adopting a kitten or puppy. But about paying attention, do you want to give me an example? I’d like to understand, but I feel like I’m missing something. I’ve really been trying to be there for you.”

Kurt took a deep breath, but kept his voice steady. “The day before yesterday, when we got back from the vet’s, and I took a nap, in my treehouse.”

Adam smiled.

“Buckingham Palace,” Kurt continued, with a grin.

Adam kicked his own shoes off and set the book down on the floor. He turned and trapped Kurt’s feet between his larger ones. “Go on.”

Kurt didn’t try to free his feet, but Adam could see him relax a bit. “When I woke up, I was lonely, so I came out here to find you. And you were working on your laptop, and you ignored me. I know you said sometimes you need to write and I might have to wait, but I just wanted to cuddle, or at least get a hug, but you wouldn’t even look at me. So I went back to my room, but I was upset. I took another nap, but it wasn’t what I really wanted. I brought Harriet and Bernard up to cuddle with me, ‘cause they didn’t mind.” He stopped speaking, and had gone back to stroking Bernard’s ears.

Adam nodded at the bear. “Ah. Well, that’s one reason I got Bernard for you, because he will always have time to spend with you, even if I don’t. I know it’s not the same as a real person, but it’s the best I can do at the moment. I’m trying to spend as much time with you as I can, but just like you’re not used to being alone, I’m not used to being around anybody all the time. We’re both trying, and we’re both going to be disappointed at times. That happens in a lot of different types of relationships, especially when both people come from such different backgrounds.

“But about the other day. Yes, I get caught up in my writing, and sometimes I don’t notice other things. Like I said, I’m used to being alone, and not really having any distractions. No, before you say it,” he admonished Kurt, who had started to open his mouth, “you can be a distraction at times, but it’s alright. I need to get used to that, like you’ll need to get used to sometimes giving me some space. But the thing is, I never saw you come out here. I’ll admit, I was probably too deep in thought, and wasn’t really paying attention, which you mentioned is a problem. I simply didn’t see you there. Did you try to get my attention? Did you meow or make a noise, or come over and rub your head against my leg or something?”

Kurt shook his head. “No. I didn’t want to disturb you. I thought you might hear the bell on my collar, but you ignored that, too.”

Adam sighed, and reached over to pat Kurt’s knee. “I’m sorry, I really didn’t hear it. If I’d known you were there, I’d have at least taken a minute to talk to you, or pet you, or something.” He paused, considering. “You did come in as a cat, right?”

“Yeah. I wasn’t ready to change yet. So I went back and went to sleep, and later on you came in and I woke up.”

“Alright, so how about this: Next time, if you want my attention and I’m on the laptop, speak up somehow. Meow or meep or whatever, or come over and brush up against my leg, something to let me know you’re there. You might startle me if I’m deep in thought, so I might not react the way you want at first, but I’ll get over it. Just try to let me know what you want. If I’d known you were there, you could have at least gotten on the couch with me, and maybe slept near me, and that would probably have worked out better than you getting hissed off at me.”

Kurt grinned. “Yeah, I see what you mean. I’m sorry, it was as much my fault as yours. Well, not even your fault at all, because I didn’t try hard enough to get your attention. I guess I thought you’d look up as soon as I walked in the room, like you’d know I was there.”

“No, darling, I’m sorry, I don’t have superpowers. I have to rely on my regular five senses, so you need to alert one of them. I would suggest meowing as the best solution. I’m not likely to be able to ignore that. Now, if I’m on the phone or talking to someone else, then the polite thing to do would be to wait. If it’s urgent, then keep trying to get my attention.”

“I get it. If I can do it without being obnoxious about it.”

“Exactly.”

“Okay.”

“By the way, may I ask why you needed the ladder?”

Kurt rolled his eyes, but it was clear he was more upset with himself at the moment. “Last time I was on the treehouse, I moved Harriet and Bernard from where you had left them, and I put them on a level you couldn’t get to. Didn’t realize I wouldn’t be able to reach it, either, as a human.”

“I see.” He bit his tongue to keep from smiling or worse yet, laughing at Kurt.

“So now they’re easier to get to, in either shape,” Kurt concluded.

“Alright. The other things I thought might relate to me were something about things to buy, and you wanted to ask me?”

Kurt looked down, and his cheeks turned pink. “Not the best time to ask you about that, I guess.” He was squeezing poor Bernard, and Adam was hoping his stitches were tight enough.

“Well, since we’re going shopping tomorrow, if that’s what you meant, we’d better discuss it now.”

Kurt looked at him again, but still seemed a bit nervous. “Um, mainly I was thinking, there’s the sewing machine and the fabric, and then the stuff at Lush. They don’t just have cosmetics, they also have things like soap, shampoo, shower gel, deodorant, all sorts of things.”

“Well, if you want to write a list of what you think you need, or want, it might go a bit faster. We’ll see what they have when we get there. And remember, Lily will be paying me for the work you’re doing on her clothes, so you can certainly spend some of that money, once we have it, on things like that. Unless you’re out of something specific that you need. You did mention needing moisturizer, and that’s fine, that’s not a problem.”

“Thank you.”

“Alright, then.” Adam picked up the book. “Now, I don’t mean to ignore you, and I’m really glad we got this straightened out. But I really think I should read this rulebook, so I don’t do something stupid to get us both in trouble, just because I didn’t know about it.”

“I understand. I was thinking, maybe you should read it aloud to me? So I know the rules, too? Dad didn’t tell me a lot, just the stuff he thought was most important. I can see there’s a ton of pages there, and I doubt he even told me 10 pages worth of rules. Maybe some of it didn’t apply to me, ‘cause I was too young. But it might matter now.”

“Good idea. Tell you what, I’ll read this for a while, and when we both get bored or frustrated and are ready to throw this thing across the room, we can read Harry Potter instead. Maybe you can test out your glasses and read a chapter or two to me.”

“That sounds like fun!”

Kurt seemed to be in a much better mood.

“Okay, get comfortable, because this may take a while.”

Kurt leaned back a little ways, scooting closer to Adam. He wasn’t taking up too much room, not enough for Adam to feel crowded.

“Oh!” Adam sat up a bit straighter. “One more thing I just thought of, for tonight.”

“Hm?” Kurt inquired.

“You should probably change tonight. It’s up to you if you want to spend the night as a cat, and stay that way a bit in the morning, but we’re going to be pretty busy once we start shopping, and then we’ll need to get ready for the – the surprise,” he finished. “We’ll have something quick for dinner, maybe even drive through McDonald’s or something, because I didn’t think to make dinner reservations anywhere, and I don’t think we’ll have time for anything fancy.”

“It’s okay with me, I mean about dinner. Yeah, I’d rather not go from now until late tomorrow night as a human. I guess I could, but I don’t want to start feeling restless and out of sorts while we’re out tomorrow. So maybe…hm. Maybe you can read Harry Potter to me, and I’ll listen, as a cat? I won’t be able to read along, but I can still listen.”

“In that case, maybe we’ll do something else. I’ll put on a movie or something, and we can cuddle while we watch something. Whatever you want.”

“Odds are I’ll fall asleep, so make it whatever you want,” Kurt countered.

Adam was pleased that Kurt was finding it easier to speak up for himself, and make his own suggestions and plans.

“Alright, let’s see what we’ve got here.” Just looking at the Table of Contents was frustrating. “Shall we start at the beginning?”

Kurt agreed.

Adam read aloud about the responsibilities of raising a hybrid, whether as a natural offspring, or adopting one as a pet. Almost all the obligations were the same for both, with the exception that parents should not expect to keep their child past his or her 13th birthday. At that time, the government would take the child off their hands, and the parents would be freed from any further responsibility, and would be compensated monetarily for most of the costs incurred. They would be given $5,000 per year, per hybrid child, to feed and shelter them, provide them with clothing, take them to hybrid school from ages 4 to 10, and take care of any medical, dental, or vision issues.

“’A healthy hybrid is a happy hybrid,’ what nonsense,” Adam snorted. “Of course they’re supposed to keep you healthy, the same as with any child.”

Kurt shrugged. “Some parents need to be reminded about that.”

Adam closed the book, using his finger as a bookmark. “I was just thinking about that one hybrid at New Directions, who was disabled. I can’t remember his name.”

“Artie,” Kurt supplied. “Yeah, he and his mom were in a car accident when he was about 8, I think. He needs a wheelchair to get around.”

“I didn’t see a wheelchair there.”

“Exactly,” Kurt sighed. “Somebody pretty much had to carry him from the cage to the exercise room, or the bathroom or shower, and help him with that stuff. All the guys sort of took turns. He was the only guy who was half-way decent to me. We weren’t exactly friends, but he knew I was just trying to help him.”

“I hope he finds a good home. Do you know how long he was there?”

Kurt scrunched up his face as he thought. “About three years, maybe?”

“From what I’ve read and heard, I’m rather surprised they kept him that long. Not that I wish him any harm, but I’m just sort of surprised.”

“Artie has a fantastic voice. You might not have heard it, or maybe you couldn’t distinguish it above the others, but he’s a very good singer. I guess Mr. Will and Miss Emma are hoping someone will value his voice enough to be willing to deal with him not being able to use his legs.”

“And I guess when he’s in his animal form – is he a dog?”

“Rabbit. Which makes the non-working legs thing even worse,” Kurt added dryly. “I always felt so bad for him. I mean, a cute little bunny that can’t even hop around? What kind of life is that? But as a person, he’s got a good sense of humor, and he didn’t seem really depressed, even there at the store.”

“I really hope something can be done for him. I assume they’ve tried physical therapy?”

Kurt paused. “Um…I’m not sure. I think the night workers, Sue and Shannon, they were more interested in us being in good shape, and I think they may have tried to give him some exercises, but I don’t think they did much good.”

“Hm. I guess it’s a good thing he was sent to New Directions rather than another store where they wouldn’t have known or cared about his voice.”

“Yeah. I think there’s a few of ‘em there that are going to have trouble getting adopted, because of their attitude. I know they all thought that about me, but you found me and gave me a chance. I just wonder what kind of owner might want to take some of the others, because let’s face it, none of the New Directions pets are as well-trained as we should be,” Kurt confided. “At least, based on what I’ve seen with other hybrids who have been adopted.”

“Well, I’m very glad I found you there. I sincerely hope the others all find good homes someday. But I think we’d better get back to this fascinating book.”

He yawned, and Kurt laughed. “Yeah, Number 1 Best Seller material, for sure.”


	46. Chapter 46

Adam started to read aloud from the hybrid manual. “Okay, here we go. Blah blah blah…paraphrasing here, when in public, your hybrid should always wear his collar and leash.”

“Duh,” Kurt commented, petting Bernard, occasionally petting against the growth, the way he himself HATED to be petted.

“And… The hybrid is allowed off the leash in certain circumstances, if the owner is nearby. For instance, to go to the bathroom, if the owner is also in the restroom. Or a dressing room, if the owner is also just outside the dressing room. Okay, I guessed right on those. Ah, here we go. If attending a public event, such as a movie, play, art exhibit, etc., the hybrid must be on the leash, and must be under the owner’s control at all times. The hybrid is not to speak to anyone unless the owner says he may, but it is best if the owner speaks on the hybrid’s behalf. ‘No, thank you, he does not want any refreshments. Yes, thank you, you may take his coat.’ Etc. So I guess that means when we’re out in nice places, you’re supposed to be seen and not heard. And it looks like they’d prefer you’re not seen, either. It is not necessary to entertain your hybrid the way you would a human child. He/she does not need to see a movie in a theater. This is ridiculous. If you do, however, take your hybrid to a movie theater, for instance, the cost of a hybrid ticket is the same as a child’s ticket, but he must also be as well-behaved as the average child. Bollocks to this. You’re much better behaved than the average human child, or teenager, for that matter.”

“I would hope so,” Kurt interjected, smoothing Bernard’s fur where it had gotten ruffled.

“The hybrid should not create a disturbance, or you will both be asked to leave. What else… At a restaurant, the owner should order for himself and his hybrid. It is up to the owner to choose what the hybrid should eat, as most of them cannot read a menu. There should not be any dispute or loud discussion about this. Come on, that’s ridiculous!”

Kurt shrugged. “You saw what happened at that restaurant the first time, and some hybrids are more timid than I was, and wouldn’t have been ready for that at all. You can order for me. I learned to New Directions to eat whatever they gave me, or go without. I think you’ve got an idea now of the things I like more than others.”

“We can maybe discuss it ahead of time. For instance, we know we’re going out to lunch with Lily. Keeping in mind that most places will have basic choices like salads, soups, sandwiches, or entrees of beef, chicken, and possibly pork, do you have any idea what you want?”

“A salad is fine, some kind of chicken salad. Or a tuna sandwich, whatever costs less.”

“Well, we’ll see what they have. Oh, dear, I’ve been breaking rules left and right. At a store, again, you’re supposed to let me speak on your behalf, let me choose your clothes; color, style, fabric, fit, all that. But I think you know more about that sort of thing than I do. Maybe we can work out some kind of subtle signals, and you can let me know what you prefer. Especially when we’re looking for fabrics, and make-up, which I know nothing about.”

“Some stores are more relaxed about the rules,” Kurt observed. “I remember going to Lush with Mom, the one in Columbus, when I was really little, and the salespeople were so nice to me. They had all kinds of samples, and let me try different things. I mean, I knew even then not to just touch things or grab something, even if it was a sample to try out, but they’d hand me things, let me smell the different types of soaps and bath bombs. I don’t think Mom could afford much, but she’d usually get me something, even if it was just lip balm or a bar of soap. They’d always give me some kind of sample, like if there was a soap I liked that was really expensive, if they didn’t already have some packaged as a sample, they’d shave off a little chunk of it and wrap it up for me. They really and truly didn’t care that I was a hybrid,” he marveled, “I think that’s why it was my favorite place to go when we went shopping. Dad never found anything he wanted there, but Mom would always try to find him some kind of manly soap or shaving cream.” He smiled at Adam gently. “You might even find something there you like, a soap or shower gel or something.”

Adam shrugged. “I might as well look around while I’m there. I’m used to just using bar soap from the grocery store, but we’ll see if they have something I like.” He went back to reading the manual. “I think, to be on the safe side, we’ll have Lily ask about a sewing machine, and you can listen, and again, give her some kind of signal which would be the best kind. It’s like they don’t want you to have an opinion or preference about anything.”

“Well,” Kurt sighed, moving his feet restlessly in between Adam’s, “you wouldn’t ask your cat or dog what kind of food they wanted, or what kind of bed, or toy, or whatever. You just get whatever you like best, or what you think they’ll like.”

“But you’re not -- Oh, alright, I guess they do think of you that way. But you’re half human. It’s like they’re ignoring that aspect, even though it sounds like they expect you to be in human form in public places. It seems like they’d prefer all hybrids are left at home, unless it’s an errand where I need to have you with me, like if you’re going through a growth spurt and I need to make sure the clothes will fit.”

“Huh, yeah, Dad did leave me at home a lot, or sometimes in the car, while he’d run into the store. With the windows rolled most of the way up and the doors locked,” he remembered, “so nobody would steal me, and I wouldn’t get too hot. If it was cold, he’d leave the windows up, and he always kept a blanket in the car. If I got too cold, I could put that on.”

Adam was getting depressed just from reading all the restrictions. “Hm, it says, At the airport, unless the hybrid is going to be accompanying his owner on a trip, he should be left at home. It isn’t necessary for the hybrid to be at the airport, even to greet a family member. There are too many other people, and the hybrid could be a distraction in a setting where such distractions are not welcome. Wonder how your dad would feel about that.”

Kurt squirmed, like he was trying to sink into the couch. “Well, I could stay here while you get Dad, and you can take him back to the airport yourself later.”

“No, that’s not necessary. I’ll think of some reason for you to be there.”

Kurt’s eyes widened. “I just realized, I’m not supposed to get in touch with family members, remember? Either Dad or I would forget and say something, and we might all get in trouble. Maybe it’s better if I stay here, or stay with Lily, and you and Dad can pretend, I dunno, that you’re friends, business partners, something? You can talk in private on the drive, but in the airport, it’s probably better if neither of you say anything about me.”

Adam sighed heavily, and covered his eyes with his hand. “I suppose you’re right, and I’m glad you thought of it now. I’ll send Burt an e-mail, or better yet, call him.” He looked at his watch. “It’s still early enough. I’ll call his cell phone, and just let him know. Or at least get his opinion.”

“Can I talk to him, too?” Kurt asked hopefully. He was holding Bernard up so his chin was resting on top of the bear’s head. His eyes were wide. He stopped just short of pouting.

“Of course. If he answers.”

Burt did answer, so Adam quickly let him know the update in plans. To his surprise, Burt agreed.

“I’ve been thinking about that. I would probably have a hard time restraining myself from hugging the kid half to death, and I know him, no matter how mature he may have gotten, he’s still gonna slip at some point and call me “Dad” and draw a lot of attention. He always was a dramatic little kid, a natural born actor, I guess.”

Adam smiled at the thought. “You’re probably right.”

“It’s not actually illegal for me to meet with him, since you contacted me, but there are fines and things if the hybrid tries to directly contact their birth family, or the birth family tries to contact their kid. So because you’re the one that looked for me, and are setting everything up, it’s okay, but it would still raise a lot of questions and cause a scene.”

Adam sighed and scrubbed his face with one hand. “Right, of course it would. So shall I just pick you up?”

“Ah, yeah. You know what I look like, from the website picture, right?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“I still don’t know what you look like, though.”

“Ah, I’ll fix that. I’m about 5 foot 11, with wavy blond hair, and I’m 23. I’ll send you a picture as well. I can probably get Lily to take one of Kurt and me tomorrow.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything.

“Is there anything else,” Adam asked, “or should I give the phone to Kurt now?”

Of course he was already reaching out for it.

“No, I think that’s it. I really appreciate everything you’re doing for Kurt.”

“It’s my pleasure, really. Here he is.”

He gave the phone to Kurt, and tried not to listen to the conversation. He picked up the manual again and sighed. He had a feeling he’d better start taking notes.

 

 

Kurt knew he was going to be seeing his dad in just a couple days, but he really wanted to talk to him. He eagerly took the phone, and set Bernard in his lap.

“Hi, Dad!”

“Hey, kiddo! How’s everything going?”

“Really good! I’ve got so much stuff to tell you, but I guess some of it can wait till you get here.”

“Yeah, we wouldn’t want to run out of things to say,” his dad teased.

“Somehow I don’t think that will happen. I can’t wait to see you, but I understand why I need to stay here till Adam brings you here. Or, I was just thinking, maybe I can wait in the car?” He glanced at Adam, who had been trying to give him some privacy, but looked more alert when he heard his name. He shook his head at the question.

“No, son, you’ll be more comfortable at home. It’ll be cold, and you never know, the plane might be delayed.”

“Okay, Adam didn’t seem to like the idea, either.”

“I think we’re both trying to do what’s best for you, Kurt. Hey, maybe you can play and work off some energy as a cat, get a little nap in, then change after I get there? I mean, it’s up to you, or maybe Adam has a different idea, but I was just thinking, that way you’d be relaxed and calm and alert when I get there.”

“That’s a great idea, thanks, Dad! I think I’ll do that. Um, I’ve got a question for you, though. When Adam took me to see the vet, and I talked about you coming to visit, he said there was some kind of politician, I don’t remember what specifically, from Ohio, who was involved in hybrid rights. I told him I didn’t think it was you, but he seemed to think it was. So, are you a politician?”

He could hear Burt’s deep sigh through the phone. “Yeah, kid, I’m a Congressman. I still work at the shop, but sometimes I go to Washington and work there. I put myself in the running as a write-in candidate, because I thought maybe I could do some good, for you and the other hybrids. I figured, I’d rather have a Congressman who knows and cares about hybrids, than one who doesn’t, or feels like you shouldn’t have any rights. I was gonna talk to you about that when I saw you.”

“Oh, okay, that makes sense. Um, Dr. Hanover really wants to meet you. He’s a really good guy, and wants to help us. Us hybrids, I mean. Adam was thinking maybe while you’re here – I didn’t want him to invite a bunch of people over like he wanted to, maybe we can do that some other time. But he thought maybe the vet could come over here and have dessert with us or something, and you two could meet. And Adam met this really nice lawyer, too. So there are people out there who are trying to look out for me, for us hybrids. Isn’t that cool?”

“Yeah, son, that’s very cool. Hang on a second.” He could hear his dad blowing his nose, and his voice sounded a little clogged. “Yeah, I’d love to meet this vet, and maybe the lawyer, too. I’ll talk to Adam about it if you put him back on the phone when we’re done.”

“Maybe I better let you go, ‘cause Adam just got this manual for hybrids that he says we need to read. I think you had the same thing, that the government gives out to hybrid parents, but not to owners?”

“Stupidest damn thing I ever heard of, or one of the stupidest. Yeah, he really should go through that. I miss you, Kurt, and I can’t wait to see you on Friday.”

“Me, too. Love you, Dad.”

“Love you, too, Kurt.”

“Here’s Adam again.”

Adam had been reading, but he looked up and took the phone. “Hi, Burt. Is there something else?”

He listened for a bit. “Yes, that might be a really good idea. I’ll see what I can do. How about maybe Sunday evening? I imagine you’ll be tired on Friday night, and they might have plans on Saturday night.” He listened again, then said, “No, nothing at all. I figured I’ll let you and Kurt decide what you want to do. I’ll be happy to drive you both around anywhere, but I have a feeling he might want to stay here the whole weekend. I want the two of you to be able to spend as much time together as possible.”

Kurt nodded rapidly.

“That’s fine. Well, thank you, but we’ll see. I was thinking it might be best if I fix all the meals so you can --“

Kurt shook his head. He had some things in mind to fix for his dad.

“Oh, it looks like Kurt has other plans. Maybe he wants to cook for you? We’ll sort all that out when you get here. I’ll pick you up at the airport at 8:30. We should be back here by 9:15 or 9:30, and we’ll see if Kurt wants to stay up late and sleep in the next day, or what. Okay. ‘Bye, Burt.”

He put his phone away and looked back at the book and sighed. “Let’s see if we can get through another half-hour of this without it driving either of us bonkers, then we’ll talk about tomorrow and your dad’s visit.”

“Right, and I should change after that.” He started cuddling Bernard again.

Adam said that a lot of the manual had to do with very young hybrids, and while some of it was fascinating (and he sort of wished he could have seen Kurt as a kitten), a lot of things did not apply to teenage/verging on young adult Kurt.

“Okay, we’ll read some more of this tomorrow, or Friday. We should have some time on Friday before Nancy comes or I go to pick up your father.”

“Sure. Oh, Dad said maybe while you’re going to pick him up, I should run around as a cat, and then take a nap, and change when he gets here, so I’ll be more ready and awake when he’s here.”

“And not as hyper,” Adam murmured.

“I’m not hyper,” Kurt asserted.

“No, never, so sorry to accuse you unjustly,” Adam teased.

Kurt thought about it. “Oh, okay, I guess I am hyper, sometimes. On rare occasions.”

“What about meals while your dad is here? He suggested taking us out to dinner one night, but I thought it would be easier on you if I just cooked for us all, so you could spend more time with him.”

“But I had some things I wanted to fix! I was thinking maybe some semi-healthy pancakes on Sunday morning. Along with eggs, toast, things like that.”

“That’s fine.”

“And if we’re gonna have people over for dessert, I can maybe fix something?”

“That should be fine. Let me know what ingredients you need, and if you need any help with it, let me know.”

He was glad Adam was being so agreeable to everything.

“I wonder if that lawyer you met with might want to talk to Dad? He seemed to think it might be a good idea.” While he wanted to spend as much time as possible with him, it sounded like it might be good for his dad to talk to her.

Adam didn’t seem that sure. “I think maybe she and Dr. Hanover might have some things to discuss, but before I call either of them I’ll need more time to think about it.”

It occurred to Kurt that maybe Adam, also had a lot of things on his mind, that he hadn’t had time to process. Huh, something else they had in common. He tried to pay attention as Adam was talking again.

“Now, while I’m picking your father up at the airport, you’ll be fine alone here? Or should I see if Lily can stay with you, or you can go over there.”

Kurt shook his head, then smoothed his hair. “I’ll be fine here. If anything happens, if there’s a real problem, I can always change, and if necessary call Lily.”

“Good. So, let’s go over the plans. Tomorrow, we’ll all leave at 10:00 to go shopping, have lunch, and presumably do more shopping. Then we’ll come home, you’ll take a nap, and we’ll get ready to go out again.”

“Do you think our suits will be ready?” Kurt asked.

“They should be, or at least yours will be ready. It might be a good idea to walk around in those shoes a little bit, to make sure they’re comfortable. We’ll have something quick and easy for dinner, and we need to get where we’re going by 7:30.”

“You’re still not going to tell me what it is?”

“Well, I was going to make you wait till we got in sight of the sign, then you’d know, but I’m thinking you might need some time to process it and calm down first. I love your exuberance, but others might not.”

Now he was really curious. “Okay…so what are we doing?”

“I’ll give you a big hint. We’re going to the Gershwin Theater.”

“What’s playing there?”

Adam recalled that Kurt had been out of touch with things for a few years.

“Wicked.”

“You’re taking me to see Wicked, really?” Kurt started bouncing up and down on the sofa, which wasn’t that easy to do. “Oh, Adam, thank you so much!” He set Bernard on the floor, and adjusted his position quickly so he was kneeling. He hugged and kissed Adam. He settled down more comfortably so he was sitting on Adam’s lap, and continued kissing him.

After a couple of minutes, Adam stopped him. “Whoa, let’s wait a bit on this.”

“Waiting? Again? There was one more thing on my list that I wanted to talk to you about, Adam,” Kurt reminded him.

“Yes, I remember. Why no sex? For one thing, we’ve been very busy with other things, and while I’m crazy about you, and I do want to have sex with you, very much, this just doesn’t seem like the best time to get started. Let’s wait till after your father leaves. We don’t have any major plans after that, that I can think of, so we’ll have more time to devote to making it as good as possible for you.”

Kurt sighed, but it did make sense. “And the other thing? The other reason why? You said ‘for one thing’.”

“Because I’m still processing this concept that you’re plenty old enough to have sex.”

“Okay, wait, let’s talk about this.” He saw Adam was grinning, that now he wanted to discuss a problem. “If I wasn’t a hybrid, if I was a regular 18-year-old, almost 19-year-old human, I’d probably be out of high school, maybe in college, right?”

“Probably, yes.”

“So let’s say I’d managed to get into your performing arts school, NYADA, I’d probably be a freshman. If you came back for some performance or something, or I’d joined the current version of the Apples, and you met me, how would you feel then, about me being old enough? Would you be willing to date me?”

Adam took a deep breath, and looked up at the ceiling, before looking back at Kurt. “That’s a very good question. In those circumstances, yes. I might think you were a bit young, but not necessarily too young for me. I’d definitely want to date you, and I wouldn’t be wrestling with my conscience the way I have been.

“But part of that is because you’re not a regular human male who is free to make your own choices. You have no choice, really, but me, and that’s because I chose you. And that really bothers me.”

Ah, that explained a lot. Maybe he could make Adam feel better about that. “But you’re forgetting, Adam, that I chose you, too. If I really hadn’t wanted you to adopt me, I wouldn’t have willingly gone with you. I would have tried to scare you away, and if that didn’t work, you would at least be very aware that I was going with you because I had to, not because I wanted to. Did I do anything to give you the impression I didn’t want you, or that you repulsed me or scared me?”

“Well, no, but –“

He wasn’t finished. “I wouldn’t have moved closer to you, that first day in the interview room, and I certainly wouldn’t have jumped up on your lap and tried to settle down, if I didn’t like you. I know what it means, when a hybrid is adopted, that every aspect of your life is determined by your owner, by the type of person they are, and I wanted you to adopt me.”

“Well, considering the type of potential owners you’d seen in the past, I was probably just the best one who had come along who didn’t scare you.”

Was Adam actually insecure about this? Time to put a stop to that! “No, Adam, it wasn’t just that you were the first decent person to be interested in me. It was more than that. I knew I could trust you, and I can’t even begin to explain how I knew it. But you know how I told you that you were not only nice, but smelled good?”

Adam nodded, and he went on. “The cat part of me relies a lot on how people smell, to tell me whether they’re safe to approach or not. It was more than you were just safe for me as a cat, but I was also attracted to you when I was a human. I’d seen other people I thought were hot. Sometimes someone would come in the store, and I’d like his looks, but he wasn’t interested in me. But I really, really wanted you to like me, and to want me, and to want to adopt me.” He paused, wondering if he’d explained it well enough.

Adam’s face and body relaxed. “I see, so it really was a mutual choice on both our parts. I had thought that was the case, but I’ve still been conflicted about how a lot of this works. Part of it was I didn’t want anybody else to adopt you and mistreat you, but it’s crossed my mind you might have been better off with someone more used to hybrids, or who knew more about the whole adoption process.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. For a smart guy, sometimes Adam could be so dumb! “No, Adam, I would not be better off with anyone else. I’m convinced of that. Maybe it’s worked out better for me, that you don’t have the usual expectations, because apparently, according to everyone, I’m not what most people expect in a hybrid. At least, not my personality.”

“But that’s the best thing about you,” Adam protested. “I love your personality. I want you to be an individual, to not just do everything I tell you to do. I mean,” he hurried on, “it’s not that I want you to defy me or argue with me about every little thing, but I can’t imagine even a regular pet doing exactly everything the owner expects of them or tells them to do. I would think that would be really boring, for the owner, not to mention for the poor pet, who would have no say in their own life.”

“Well, that’s the way a lot of people see animals, and I think the way most people see hybrid pets, as not capable of thinking for ourselves, or knowing what’s good for us. We were taught that our owner would be protecting us, from ourselves, in a sense, from our own ignorance, as well as from other people who might take advantage of us.”

“While allowing the owner to take advantage of you. Why not educate you better, so you’re not as vulnerable to everyone else? It’s ridiculous, as far as I can see, you’re certainly no less intelligent than the average human, and a good deal smarter than most.”

He had to admit, he loved it when Adam got protective of him. But there was a part of him that wanted to be able to protect himself, or Adam if necessary.

“I have no idea why everyone treats us the way they do, or why they have a right to do it, but it’s the law. You can’t change the law, you know.” He backed up and got off the couch. “If it’s okay with you, I’m going to take a shower, then I’ll change, and probably stay the night as a cat, and change before we go shopping. It’s gonna be late by the time we get back from the theater, and I don’t want to go all day without changing.”

“I was thinking about that,” Adam said, as he stood up and stretched. “It seems like you went for long periods as just a cat at the pet store, but it doesn’t seem to have produced any ill effects.”

“Not really, but I’d still rather change once a day, at least, than go for days as a human. I mean, I probably could, but I’d get restless.”

“Alright. Go do whatever you need to do, and then you can meet me in the TV room. I’ll watch something you’ve either already seen or would be bored by, and you can either cuddle on my lap, or next to me, whatever you want. Later on I’ll brush you.”

“Sounds good.” Kurt kissed Adam on the cheek, then headed for his room, taking Bernard with him. He still had a lot of things to think about, but he felt better about several of them already.

 

 

Adam had settled in, and had started watching a PBS documentary on British naval warfare, which he was sure would not interest Kurt. He tried to listen for kitty Kurt's bell, so he would know when he came in. After a while, he heard the telltale jingling, and glanced over at the cat, and patted his thigh. His legs were resting on the ottoman, so there was plenty of room beside him. Kurt jumped up and walked over to Adam's side, and climbed into his lap. He walked around three times, then settled down for a long stay.

"Hello there, sweetheart," Adam greeted him, petting his head and scratching behind his ears. Kurt started purring, and Adam could feel the rumbling in his throat against his leg. He went back to watching the program, occasionally scratching Kurt's neck or petting all the way down the length of his back or his side. Kurt was purring steadily, and seemed quite content.

"Good boy," Adam crooned, scratching Kurt's side through the thick fur. It didn't take long before Kurt's purring became snoring. Adam chuckled and turned up the volume slightly. By the time the show was over, Adam thought he had found a good solution to their "attention deficit" problem.

He debated about waking Kurt up, and finally settled for scooping him up in his arms so he was resting against Adam's chest and stomach. He kissed the furry head, right between the ears. Kurt meeped and opened his eyes quickly, startled.

"Sorry about that, love," Adam apologized, as he scratched Kurt under the chin with one finger Kurt closed his eyes and hummed, but Adam didn't think he was going to go back to sleep. He continued talking to the cat. "The show's over.” He decisively clicked the TV off. "What do you say to a bit of brushing, hm?"

Kurt meowed and nodded, so Adam assumed that was a yes. He tightened one arm around Kurt, and slipped his hand under his back end, to carry him in to the bathroom for brushing. He had noticed Kurt had responded very well to the scratching earlier, so he tried to brush deep into the fur, without hurting him and was rewarded by purring.

When they finished, Kurt was soft and fluffy again, and Adam ended up with another large wad of fur. Despite the amount of loose hair that he collected whenever he brushed Kurt, it certainly didn't seem like he was lacking fur anywhere, so he didn't have to worry about early baldness. As vain as Kurt was about his hair, Adam was sure that was one trait he did not want to inherit from his father.

"Do you want to play in your tree house for a while," Adam asked, "or run around a bit before bed?” Kurt nodded and jumped down to the floor and raced from one end of his room to the other several times, then jumped up onto one of the flat levels of the tree house. Adam had just stood there and watched him, amused at the sight.

"Well, I'm going to go to bed and read for a while. Hopefully something slightly more entertaining than the hybrid handbook. You can come in and join me whenever you like, unless you want to spend the night here."

Kurt shook his head, but didn't jump down. Adam walked over and slowly reached up to pet him. "Good night, darling. I'll see you in a little while. Remember, you'll have to stay human for most of the day and evening tomorrow, so you'd probably better get as much time in your fur as you can now."

He turned the light off, but left the door open. Since Kurt didn't vocally object, he assumed he could see well enough in the dark. Adam got ready for bed, and opened his Kindle to a murder mystery he'd been reading, put on his glasses, and made himself comfortable. After a couple of chapters, he was starting to get sleepy, so he decided that was enough reading for now. He had just about gotten the covers just right, when he heard the telltale sound of Kurt's bell, and felt him jump up onto the bed.

"Here, kitty, kitty," Adam called teasingly. Luckily, Kurt decided not to take offense. As soon as he found the right spot, he turned around three times and cuddled up as close to Adam as he could, with the covers in the way. Soon they were both relaxed enough to fall asleep.


	47. Chapter 47

The alarm was set for 8:00 a.m. so they would have plenty of time to get ready.  Adam was surprised to find he woke up before Kurt, but he was pretty sure Kurt had woken up and gone out of the room to play or get a snack or something, a couple of times during the night.  He didn't want to wake him when Kurt was sleeping so peacefully, but he could see the alarm was going to go off in a couple of minutes and it seemed more cruel to let the alarm wake him, then to try to wake him with his voice.

He started singing a song he was sure Kurt was familiar with, from the musical "Oklahoma!"

"Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day," was as far as he got before Kurt woke up and stretched.  He was apparently trying to sing as well.  Adam thought he really preferred Kurt's voice as a human.  He stopped his own singing, and said, "I'd love to sing that together sometime, when you're a human."

Kurt meowed at him, sounding rather miffed.

"Let me turn off the alarm." Adam managed to shut off the alarm before it rang.

Kurt yawned and stretched his body as far as it would go, which was quite impressive.

"Well, you can do whatever you want," Adam said, petting Kurt.  "But I'm going to get started on my day.  I'll fix you some hybrid chow for breakfast, if you want."

Kurt nodded, and jumped off the bed.  He ran towards his room, and Adam headed into the kitchen.

After he changed the water and filled up Kurt's bowl with the wet hybrid food, Adam started making coffee.  He made enough for both of them, in case human Kurt wanted some.  He usually preferred tea in the mornings, himself, but he thought today would definitely be a coffee day.  Before fixing his own breakfast, he finished his coffee, and decided a shower was in order.

He came back to the kitchen about a half hour later, dressed for the day in jeans and a striped long-sleeved shirt in different shades of blue.  Kurt was eating his breakfast, and looked up as Adam entered the room.  He meowed at him, and then went back to his food.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine."

While Adam was fixing his own breakfast, Kurt came over and sat near his feet.  Adam looked down at him and said, "Careful there, I'm likely to trip over you.  Hang on, wait a minute."  He leaned down with a paper towel, but before he could wipe the stray bits of food from his face, Kurt started frantically licking the back of his paws and running them over his face.  When Adam saw his whiskers were clean again, he put the paper towel aside.

He glanced at his watch, and saw they still had some time.

"We've got about an hour before we were supposed to meet Lily, so keep that in mind.  I imagine you're going to want to shower, and knowing you, it might take a while to figure out what you want to wear."

Kurt scrambled out of the kitchen so fast, he was gone almost before Adam finished speaking.  He shook his head in fond amusement.

Adam ended up with a little extra time, so he started making a list, much like Kurt's, of things he needed to do, or think about.  Hopefully there would be more time to just relax after Burt left.

When Kurt came back, he was dressed in black slacks and a green button-up shirt.

"You look nice," Adam said, "but I do recall we were going to get you some more clothes soon.  I doubt we'll have enough time today, but maybe we can go out to the store tomorrow morning, if you want.  Or, we could wait until your dad is gone, depending on what all you need to do to get ready for his visit."

"Thanks.  You look good, too.  It would be nice to have some more options, but I don't know what Dad will be bringing with him.  Probably not much more than scarves, but it might be easier to see what I need after I see what he’s got with him."

Adam pushed aside his list.  "I decided you had a great idea there, and decided to start on a list of my own, things I didn't want to forget."

"Are we ready to go? Is it time yet?"

Adam checked his watch again, and saw that they might as well head over to Lily's.

"Yes, if you're ready to go, let's go get Lily now."

"I'm ready."

After stopping to get Kurt's leash, they were soon at Lily's apartment.

She opened the door, and was about to step out when they heard a loud meow, and Misty tried to get out.  Lily was able to block her way with one leg, but Misty whined and complained.

"I swear, I don't know how she knew you were there," Lily said to Kurt, "but she must be trying to get to you, because she never tries to get out the door when I leave."

"She can smell me.  Can I spend just a minute or two with her before we leave?" Kurt asked, looking at each of them in turn.

Adam shrugged and said, "it's okay with me."

Lily asked, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Kurt nodded, explaining, "I think if I just give her a little attention for a couple of minutes, just pet her and hold her briefly, she's more likely to settle down and not be upset, than if she thinks I'm ignoring her."

Adam wasn't sure how closely he was supposed to be paying attention to this bit of wisdom, but he was listening carefully.

Misty was still trying to get past Lily, who didn't want to take a chance on catching her in the door or accidentally hurting her.

"Why don't you both come in for a minute?  It might be a good idea to make sure we all know where we're going and what we need to do."

 

 

As soon as Lily opened the door wider, Misty ran out and threw herself at Kurt.  Luckily he was expecting that, and caught her.  He carried her into the apartment, and he and Adam sat on the couch while Lily sat on a nearby chair.

Kurt held Misty to him, while bracing her on his lap, so she would feel secure, but he wasn't holding her tight enough to hurt her.  He looked occasionally at Adam or Lily while they talked, but mostly looked down at Misty.  He petted and scratched her in all the right places, and cooed soothing nonsense words and phrases to her, since he couldn't meow correctly at the moment.

Since he couldn't fully pay attention to Adam and Lily, and Misty, all at the same time, he trusted Adam to know their itinerary well enough without his input.

Misty was purring blissfully, and allowed him to move her this way and that in order to get to the places he thought she would want scratched or petted. 

After a few minutes, he decided they had both had enough, and said to her, "Sorry, Misty, that's it for today."  He set her down on the floor, and she stayed.  She did meow at him a little bit, complaining that she hadn't had quite enough love yet.

He spoke quietly, calmly and firmly to her.  He was pretty sure she would respond to him as though he were an alpha male cat.  Even if she didn't understand the words, she should understand the tone of voice.

"No.  We have things to do. But I'll come back and see you another day."

Misty sighed, but laid down on the floor.  She kept watching Kurt, however.

Adam cleared his throat.  "Kurt, did you have anything else you wanted to do while we're out today?"

"I don't think so.  Fabric, sewing machine, lunch, pick up suits, and makeup."

Lily chuckled.  "Sounds like we're all on the same page, then."

Kurt stood up.  "Lily, many I used your restroom to wash my hands?"

"Good idea," Adam commented.

"Of course, Kurt.  It's right down the hallway there, next to Misty's room."

When he came back to the living room, Kurt reminded Adam that he had wanted a picture of himself to send to Burt.

"Oh, that's right. Lily, would you mind taking a picture with my camera, of Kurt and me?  I wanted to make it easier for Burt to recognize me at the airport."

"Certainly, dear. Why don't you to stand over there,” she pointed to a space of open wall.  "I think the light will be better."

Adam handed Lily his phone, and she set up the photo option.  Adam put his arm around Kurt's waist, and Kurt leaned in towards him.  Misty, apparently affronted by this display, jumped up on a nearby chair and leaned as close to Kurt as she could get.  She seemed to be debating jumping into his arms.

"Everybody say Purt," Lily sang out cheerfully, and three voices responded. She snapped several pictures in quick succession, so Adam would have a choice of which came out better.

Adam and Kurt looked at the photos and laughed.

"Misty photo bomb!" Adam declared.

Kurt sighed. "One more photo, please, Lily?" he requested.

"Sure, Kurt, just tell me when you're ready."

Kurt picked Misty up, and held her close to his chest, and leaned his face down, so he was kissing the top of her head.  Misty looked rapturous at the attention.  Adam stood next to him with his hands on hips, looking mock-exasperated at his rival.  Lily seemed delighted with the resulting photo.

"Send this one to his father," she suggested.

"I think I'll send all of them.  What the hell."

"And could you send them to me as well?" she asked.

"Certainly."  He put his phone away.  "Alright, are we ready to go now?"

Kurt gave Misty one last hug, then set her down on the floor again.

"Stay!" he ordered.

Misty meeped quietly and laid down.

They managed to get out of the apartment without her following them.

Kurt stopped right outside the door.  "Lily, I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have been telling Misty what to do.  I didn't mean to take over.  She's your pet."

"Nonsense, dear, it was fine.  But I think she minds you better than me."

"I was wondering where that little display of dominance came from," Adam commented.

Kurt hunched his shoulders and looked at him.  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything --"

"It's fine, Kurt, I don't mind at all," he emphasized.  "I was just surprised."

Kurt shrugged.  "It's hard to explain.  We were on her territory, but since we're sort of the same species, and I’m a male, as well as older than her, she's going to see me as dominant, as the alpha cat."

"Oh really?" Lily raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not saying I think it's right, it's just the way things are," he explained, a little frustrated.

"Come on," Adam suggested, "before the stores get too crowded."

"Good idea," Lily agreed. "Hopefully we'll be early enough to get a good parking spot."

They decided to take Adam's car, as Lily said she had all day to run errands with them.

Without needing to be told, Kurt got into the back seat, and let Lily have the front passenger seat.

"So, the sewing store first?" Adam asked as he drove.

"I think so," Lily agreed. "Does that sound okay with you, Kurt?"

"Yeah, sure." He slumped down a bit in the seat. "I'm sorry, I mean, that sounds fine with me, ma'am."

Lily turned and looked at him, her expression puzzled. "Kurt, you don't need to call me ma'am, Lily is just fine."

"Uh, um…"  He looked towards Adam, hoping he would handle it.

Adam seemed to catch on. "Lily, I should explain, we've been reading this handbook about how hybrids should behave in public.  In order to avoid problems or undue attention, Kurt is getting into character, so to speak, as if he were a method actor."  He laughed nervously.  "At least, that's how I tend to think of it, from an actor's perspective."

"Oh, yes, you're right,” she sighed, sounding annoyed.  “I've gotten used to interacting with him a little bit differently."

"Tell me about it," Adam laughed.  He glanced back at Kurt.  "I'm sorry we're talking about you as though you are not here.  We didn't mean it like that."

"It's okay," Kurt responded dully.  "I'm used to it.  What do you want me to call you in public, Adam?"

" _I_ say," Adam said rather forcefully, "you may call me Adam in public.  If other people don’t like it, that’s their problem. But perhaps it might be best to call Lily "Miss Lily" for now."

"That's fine by me," Lily interjected.  "And I assume, from what I've seen with some other people, when we go to lunch, you'll need to order for Kurt?"

"Yes," Adam responded, "we already discussed that.  And we were thinking it might be a good idea to develop some hand signals or something, or just look at his expression, so that Kurt can indicate his preference for the clothing material.  That is the purpose of this part of the shopping trip, right?"

Lily sighed, but nodded her head.  "Yes.  I'll make the final decision, but I really would like Kurt's input."

"Regarding the sewing machine, I think we should all listen carefully to what the sales person says, but Kurt will probably know best which one will suit his needs.  But once he decides, maybe it should seem like I'm buying the sewing machine for you."

"That might work," Lily agreed, "but I have a better idea.  I've heard from friends about that rather ridiculous barter system, and maybe to keep things on the up and up, why don't I buy the sewing machine for Kurt, in exchange for him designing and making some clothes for me."

Kurt lifted his head at this, and started to open his mouth, but decided to let Adam handle it.  Whatever he wanted to do, it would be fine.

"I suppose that might work out," Adam said slowly.

"Of course, Kurt could use it at any time for you or anyone else, as well.  And I know that his time will be worth far more than a sewing machine.  But we can work something else out later for the rest of it."

"I just recently learned about this barter system for the hybrids," Adam commented, "and I do think it's rather silly.  But it's the law, and I really don't want any of us to get in trouble."

"I agree," Lily said, "and I'll do my best to remember to treat Kurt like your pet, rather than my friend, at least when other people are around."

Kurt's eyes widened and he almost spoke again, before biting his tongue.  Lily thought of him as a friend, really?  Like an equal, almost?

“Thank you, Miss Lily," he said softly.

Adam seemed to catch it, too.  "Well, I'm glad we can all consider each other friends, at least most of the time."  He sighed as he saw the mall in the near distance.  "We're almost there."

"If anyone should ask," Lily suggested with amusement, "shall we say I'm your mother?  Or possibly your grandmother?"

"Absolutely not!" Adam retorted.  "You’re not that old.”

She snorted in a lady-like way.  “Thank you for the compliment, but yes, I am.”

“You are my friend,” Adam insisted, “and I'm taking you shopping, along with Kurt, because you both need some things, and you're taking us to lunch."

"That sounds good to me," Lily agreed.

“By the way, may I ask where we’re going to lunch?”

“I was thinking of The Garden, that nice restaurant at the mall.  The owner is very sweet, and I’m sure hybrids are welcome there.”

Adam nodded.  “We went there the day after I adopted Kurt.  I know Sonia, too, and she made Kurt feel welcome.  Or tried.”  He glanced back at Kurt.

Kurt kept his mouth shut, trying to concentrate on the right mindset to behave properly in public.  It was in some ways more difficult to switch back and forth between being Adam's boyfriend/pet at home, and just his pet in public, than it was to switch from human to cat and back again.


	48. Chapter 48

As they approached the mall entrance, Lily was walking next to Adam on his right side, and Kurt was on his left side, with Adam holding his leash. Kurt walked two steps behind Adam, who did a pretty good job of steering them around other groups of people.

She knew where the sewing specialty shop was, although she didn't go there frequently herself. As unobtrusively as possible, Lily paused to look at a display, and crossed behind Kurt, to come up on his other side until she was walking with Adam again. This way they were both flanking Kurt, and could hopefully head off any difficulties.

The saleswoman came up to them to ask what she could help them find. She introduced herself as Sharon. Lily took the lead, and said she was trying to find some material for an evening gown for herself, and some shirts and pants for her friend, and some material for scarves and vests for her friend's pet. She hadn't discussed that with either of them, but thought of it on the spur of the moment.

"We would also like to look at your sewing machines."

"Certainly," the saleswoman said, leading them to the left-hand side of the store. "Did you have a brand or model in mind?"

"Well, actually, the sewing machine is for Kurt, my friend's pet. Adam, do you know how much sewing experience Kurt has?"

She saw the quick wince on Adam's face as he realized how this had to go. Although it would be much simpler to simply ask Kurt directly, they would have to go through him first.

"I don't actually know." He turned to Kurt, and very lightly tugged on his leash to get his attention. Kurt looked up, looking directly at Adam.

"Kurt, how much sewing experience have you had, so we can determine the best type of machine for you?"

Kurt answered, still keeping his eyes on Adam, "I used to use the Singer sewing machine my father bought for my mother. I don't remember which model it was, but she taught me how to use it when I was about five, then I taught myself after that from pictures in the manual. I used it probably every other day on average for eight years."

The saleswoman, Sharon, looked equal parts taken aback and impressed. "What types of clothing did you sew?" She stopped herself, and turned towards Adam. "I apologize. What types of clothing did he sew?"

"Kurt, you may answer the lady's questions." He turned to Sharon. "You have my permission to speak to Kurt directly."

Sharon thanked him, and turned towards Kurt.

Lily was impressed with Kurt's composure under the circumstances. He was calm, but kept his voice in a monotone, rather than the excited tones she would have expected had they not been in public.

"I sewed a lot of my own clothing, modifying some of the designs I saw in Vogue or other fashion magazines. Sometimes I made changes to off the rack clothes my father bought me. I think the most complicated outfit I created was a Scottish kilt, the entire outfit. It wasn't perfect, which frustrated me, but I think it was good enough to pass muster with the general American public."

Lily could see Adam was struggling with his own composure, and was certain they would be discussing this outfit in more detail later.

The saleswoman clearly didn't know what to make of Kurt. Lily doubted she had ever encountered another hybrid like him. She was oddly proud of him, even though he wasn't her pet, and she'd had nothing to do with raising or training him, but she did feel privileged to call him her friend. She very much resented she could not do so in public.

The saleswoman rallied quickly, and started showing Kurt some of the more expensive models. He zeroed in on the moderately priced machines. She wished she had told him to not worry about the price.

He seemed to be wavering between two models in particular. Adam had needed to steady him a bit with a hand on his shoulder when Kurt saw that one of the available machines was a Brother model, a "Limited Edition Project Runway" sewing machine with a quilting table. The other one was a Singer Stylist model that seemed to have comparable features, but also was labeled as a Consumers Digest Best Buy. They were both on sale at nearly the same price, though the Brother model was originally about twice the price of the Singer.

Lily cleared her throat, and both Kurt and the saleswoman looked at her.

"I was thinking, if this is a limited edition model, then it will eventually be discontinued. Will the manufacturer still continue to provide service and parts for it?"

Kurt looked disappointed, but nodded.

"Er, I'm not certain," the saleswoman began.

"What do you think, Kurt?" Lily asked.

Adam quickly interrupted. "Kurt, please answer Lily's questions."

Kurt stood very straight and still, though Lily had the feeling he wanted to fidget and move around, maybe even change. "If it's all right with you, Miss Lily, I think I would like this Singer model."

"Yes, I think that is probably the best choice," she agreed.

Adam picked up one of these sealed boxes beneath the demonstration model, after checking to make sure it was the same brand and model. He handed it to the saleswoman.

"Would you please take this up to the counter for us, while we look through your selection of materials? Thank you very much," he concluded, not waiting for her response.

The saleswoman left with the box, which didn't appear to be too heavy. They moved over to the right hand side of the store to look at the bolts of fabric. Lily hardly knew where to begin, and she was sure Adam was equally lost. Luckily, Kurt seemed to have a pretty good idea what he wanted to look at.

Lily could tell Kurt was just itching to get his hands on some of the different material, but he deliberately stuck his hands in his pockets.

“Kurt, would you please help me find some material for my dress?”

Adam seemed to be looking on his own for material for himself. He eased up on the leash so Kurt could be near Lily but not too far from him.

Kurt pointed out a lovely beige material that had a pattern of white, cream, apricot, orange, and brown flowers. It wasn’t something she would normally wear, but it was very pretty, and soft. She held some up against her arm. Kurt nodded, and Adam looked up from where he was standing.

“Oh, I like that! Is that for your dress, or something else?”

“I think for the dress, but let’s keep looking, and we’ll see if I see anything else I really like.”

With Kurt’s help, she found some lavender silk she wanted for a blouse, and a darker shade of lavender for a skirt. She’d realized purple was just not a good color against her skin, but lighter shades worked well.

“Let’s try these for now, for me. Now, dear, do you see anything you want, maybe for a scarf, or vest, or shirt or something?”

Kurt nodded, and pointed to a light blue silk. Adam asked his opinion on some of the bolts of cloth he was looking at, for the items Kurt would make for him. Kurt quietly let him know which types of material would work best for the shirts or vests. He found some material with music notes on it, just plain white with the black notes. He suggested Adam might want to use it for a vest.

Adam agreed. “I was just thinking, we could get some more of this, and maybe you could make us matching ties, and matching vests? Not to wear the tie and vest together,” he hastened to add, before Kurt could object. “But who knows, it might be nice for both of us to have a couple of things that match.”

“I really like that idea,” Lily commented. “Not that you need my approval, certainly, but I think it would look really nice.”

Kurt had their measurements, so he knew how much cloth to get for each outfit. He wondered why Adam suggested he get an extra yard for several of the pieces, but just shrugged it off. He figured he would find out eventually.

Once they found the materials, they still needed buttons, zippers, and some odds and ends for decorations. At Lily’s suggestion, upon learning Adam had nothing but a tiny emergency sewing kit, they got some sewing scissors, thread that would work for each of the types of materials, some other basic colors of thread, a pincushion, a measuring tape, seam ripper, thimble, needle threader, some regular sewing needles, and a plastic box with multiple compartments to keep it all in.

Lily insisted on paying for the sewing machine, and all the fabric, and let Adam pay for everything else. Some of the material was on sale, along with the sewing machine, so the bill wasn’t all that bad. And if she got some dresses and outfits that she liked, that actually fit, they would be well worth the cost. She hadn’t yet decided how she would pay Kurt for the actual designs and work, but she had an idea.

 

 

"We'd better put these things in the car," Adam suggested. "Lily, why don't you wait here with everything, and Kurt and I will go bring the car around."

She agreed, and they left to fetch the car.

"How are you doing, Kurt?" Adam asked.

"I'm fine," Kurt shrugged. "Thank you for all of this! I can't wait to get started on everything!"

"I suppose you need to finish Lily's dress first, but I was thinking you could use some of the scraps to make an outfit or two for Bernard first, to get used to using the machine, and because it's been a few years since you've been able to design or sew anything."

"That's a great idea!" Kurt was grinning now, practically skipping along in the parking lot. Adam was keeping a close eye out for any cars that might be ready to pull out.

"I wouldn't think it would take terribly long to make an outfit for a bear the size of Bernard," Adam continued, enjoying Kurt's enthusiasm.

Kurt nodded. "Yeah, it shouldn't. And I don't think he'll mind if it's not perfect. He's pretty easy-going, for a bear."

Adam couldn't help giggling at that. They'd reached Adam's car, so he let Kurt in and handed him the other end of the leash. He pulled out carefully, looking both ways, and drove to the outside entrance of the store, where Lily was waiting.

It was a little bit awkward, but he managed to hold the end of Kurt's leash and he and Kurt together carried the sewing machine box to the open trunk. The bag of material and other supplies fit neatly in the wheel well, so there would be plenty of room for their suits and anything else they need to pick up.

Lily asked if they were ready for lunch yet. "I know it's still a little bit early, but we can avoid the crowds that way," she suggested. "I hate having to wait in line at restaurants, and then wait another half hour before they actually take your order," she commented. "Although in this case, I don't think Sonia would make us wait that long."

After Adam locked the car and set the alarm, they walked to the restaurant, which was approximately halfway across the mall from where they were. Kurt was looking down, rather than at the stores. He was sure it was partly to avoid making eye contact with anyone, and partly to make sure he didn't trip over the leash or stumble into anything. Not that Adam would let that happen, if he could help it.

Adam couldn't wait for a time when Kurt would be allowed to walk beside him, and look at whatever he wanted, and go into whatever stores he chose, and look around, pick things up to examine them more closely, or try things on, the same way everyone else did.

When he got to the restaurant, it was about 11:30, and there was no one waiting in line. Sonia saw them coming, and came out to greet them, and led them to a booth herself. She greeted them all by name, and Kurt looked up in surprise that she had remembered him.

Sonia commented, "Lily, I didn't know that you and Adam knew each other."

"Yes, he's my neighbor and friend," Lily explained, not mentioning that he was also her tenant.

"We're here doing some shopping, because all three of us need some things," Adam added. He and Kurt were seated on the same side of the table, with the end of the leash on the bench seat between them.

Sonia gave them menus, and said she would be back with water in a few minutes.

Adam asked Kurt if he had brought his glasses. Kurt had them in his new bag that Adam had bought the last time they went shopping. He took them out of the case to read the menu.

"Oh I like those glasses on you, Kurt," Lily said. "I didn't know you needed glasses."

"Neither did I," Kurt answered, looking carefully at the menu.

"I'm ashamed to say I didn't realize it either, but luckily the doctor –" Adam corrected himself quickly. "The vet, that is, figured it out." He turned to Kurt. "Is it easier now, to read the menu?"

"Yes, definitely," Kurt replied. "Some words are still unfamiliar, but it's okay, I've got a pretty good idea what I want."

"What's that, dear?" Lily asked. "Please, order anything you want, it's okay."

"Look at the Combo lunches, Kurt," Adam suggested, "in the lower right-hand corner of the second page."

Kurt saw what he meant right away. "Oh, I can get half a sandwich and a salad."

Lily looked up from her own menu. "If you'd like, Kurt, you can have a salad and a whole sandwich separately."

Kurt shook his head. "Thank you, Miss Lily, but I think the half sandwich and salad will be enough."

"Whatever you'd like," Lily said. "If that's not enough, we can always get you something else, or have dessert later. If that's okay with you, Adam?"

He glanced around and saw that nobody seemed to be paying particular attention to them.

"Yes, that's fine. Maybe we'll get a snack or something later on, before we leave the mall. We'll be getting a quick dinner probably at a fast food restaurant, before we go out to the play tonight."

Kurt perked up at the reminder of the show.

Lily told Kurt, "I'm so happy for you that you'll finally get to see a Broadway show!"

"Me too," he said with a grin. It disappeared from his face very quickly, though, when Sonia came back with the water. He smiled just slightly at her, then looked down at the table again.

Adam ordered for the three of them, and he and Lily talked quietly while they waited. Kurt didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk, and Adam thought maybe that was for the best, until they both were more used to being out in public together.

When the food arrived, Kurt seemed pleased with his tuna sandwich and side salad with ranch dressing. Adam had noticed that, if given a choice, Kurt was much happier with smaller portions. He still thought Kurt was maybe a little too thin to be healthy, but it didn’t make sense to him to have Kurt gain the weight by eating more food. As long as he was eating something relatively healthy in between meals, and they both started exercising regularly, he would probably put on more muscle than fat.

Lily entertained them with cute stories about Misty, and they discussed the rest of their errands.

“Kurt and I need to pick up our suits, or at least his, if mine’s not ready yet. It shouldn’t take too long, but we’ll need to try them on to be sure they fit,” Adam mentioned. “Did you want to go to another store while we’re doing that? It might be a bit boring for you, because it’s only clothing for men.”

“Oh? Which store is that?”

When Adam told her, she said, “My late husband used to get his suits and shirts there. Is Hugo still the manager?”

“Yes, he is.”

“Well, perhaps he and I can chat for a few minutes while you boys try on your suits. I wouldn’t mind seeing you both dressed up for a change.”

“I’m sure Adam will arrange for pictures,” Kurt sighed.

Adam grinned brilliantly at him. “Yes, as a matter of fact, Lily, if you wouldn’t mind taking some pictures for Kurt’s father? I’m sure he’d like to see Kurt dressed up as well.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, perhaps thinking the suggestion wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. He should know better by now.


	49. Chapter 49

After lunch, they decided to check and see if the suits were ready yet. Once again, Lily stayed on Kurt's left side, walking a little bit ahead with Adam, but still sort of running interference for him. Kurt really appreciated that. He wondered what it would be like to be able to go out in public without a leash. What would that feel like? He knew that, in time, Adam would probably trust him off the leash. He hoped they would be able to have some time to spend together in public, without the leash between them, before Adam started sending him out to do errands on his own.

He was excited by the sewing machine, and the fabric, and all of the sewing paraphernalia, but he tried to to shove aside all the ideas of the clothing he wanted to make. He needed to pay attention, not only to where he was going, but to his surroundings and try to anticipate how to behave in each given situation.

He supposed in some ways, his life might be simpler if his owner had been more traditionally minded, and knew exactly how they were both supposed to behave. It would be easier for Kurt to know exactly what to expect if Adam treated him the way most people treated their pets. On the other hand, he was so very grateful that Adam was different, and wanted to treat him like an equal, even though he never really would be an equal. It was worth the extra anxiety and stress of constantly trying to anticipate what Adam wanted from him at any given moment.  He knew that if he should make a mistake, or say the wrong thing, Adam might get annoyed, but he wouldn't punish him for it.

Best of all, Adam not only accepted both sides of him, but seemed to really enjoy his cat side, and didn't discourage him from pushing his boundaries, at least in that form. Actually, he considered, he got away with rather a lot in his human form as well.  It was both gratifying and a little bit scary, to not always know where the limits were.

He was relieved when they made it across the mall and to the store where Hugo would have their suits ready. At least he hoped they would be. He wasn't sure what he would wear if there was still more work to be done. He started to get anxious about it, but decided to just wait and see what happened, and if the suit wasn't ready, he would let Adam tell him what to wear. That made things fairly simple.

When they arrived, they were greeted by Ted, the sales assistant. Adam told him that Lily was with them, and he offered them all tea while he went to see if Hugo was available to wait on them.

There were a couple of other customers in the store, but no one that any of them recognized. Ted came back with the tea, and said that Hugo would be with them shortly, and if they needed anything in the meantime, he would be happy to help them.

Kurt wanted to know why they couldn't just ask Ted if the suits were ready. Surely he would know, or could easily find out. But he decided to just be quiet and wait, and trust Adam to know what to do. He was starting to realize that, in some ways, he and Adam were a team, and Adam would not deliberately let him down. He just needed to contain his questions until a more suitable time, when there weren't other people around.

He drank his tea as patiently as possible, and only half listened to Lily and Adam talk about how the styles of men's suits had changed over the years. Normally, it was a topic he would have been happy to contribute to, but it didn't seem like the right place or time.

Hugo came out of his office and walked over to them, smiling as though he were genuinely happy to see them. Kurt thought he was beginning to get a good idea who was sincere, and who wasn't.

Hugo recognized Lily, and sat down with them. He expressed condolences on the loss of her husband.

"I know it's been some time, but I haven't seen you in so long, I haven't had the opportunity to tell you how very sorry I am."

"Thank you, Hugo. I know Jonathan never wanted to buy his suits anywhere else. And he was always so pleased with the alterations you made, as well."

"Thank you. I appreciated his patronage. I hope your friends will be as satisfied with the work I've done on their suits as well."

Kurt looked up briefly, startled that Hugo assumed he was Lily's friend, as well. He also hadn't realized that Hugo would be personally doing the alterations.

"Let me get the suits, and you can try them on, and will see if anything further needs to be done."

They stayed seated and finished their tea while he retrieved the clothes. They were covered in clear plastic, and Kurt was impressed by the attention to little details like that. He had never been in a store this nice, though he'd always wanted the opportunity. One more thing that Adam had done for him, that he was convinced no one else would do.

Hugo sat down to chat with Lily, while Kurt and Adam changed into their suits. Hugo had also brought over the shirts and ties, and Kurt's new shoes. Hugo had also included the pocket square, and new pairs of navy blue and black socks as well.

Kurt took his time getting dressed, trying the black suit first, wanting to look as nice as possible. He combed his hair as well, grateful for the bag Adam had bought him, that allowed him to carry around such necessities.

He heard Adam talking outside with Lily and Hugo, showing them his suit. Kurt stepped out of the dressing room, wanting to see Adam in the new suit.

He did look fantastic, the burgundy setting off his blond hair beautifully.  Now that it fit properly, it looked even better than when he’d originally seen it.

"You look incredible, Adam," Kurt said without thinking. He put his hand to his mouth and widened his eyes, remembering he wasn't supposed to speak unless spoken to.

"It's all right, love," Adam said quietly. "And thank you." Kurt couldn't help but admire the way the hemming was done. He’d looked closely at the stitching on his own suits, taking out his glasses to see them clearly. He could find no fault with Hugo's work.

Lily also approved of the work, and of course, insisted on taking pictures, which she promised to send to Adam. Kurt wondered why she didn't just use Adam's camera phone instead, but didn't ask.

A couple of other customers glanced over at them, then went back to what they were doing. Either Hugo's customers were nicer than Sebastian, or didn't feel the need to express their opinions in public.

Adam went back to change back into his regular clothes, and Kurt changed into the new blue suit, and tried to not take quite as long this time.

When he was ready, Lily gasped, and put her fingers to her mouth, her eyes bright.

"Oh Kurt, that suit is gorgeous on you!" She looked at him carefully, though he did not get the feeling that there was anything improper in her gaze, not at all like Sebastian, for instance.

"Oh, I love those shoes! They are just perfect."

Kurt tried to hold back the smirk he wanted to direct at Adam.

"I have to admit, Kurt," Adam commented, "you were right. Those shoes are just right for that suit."

Of course, Lily had to take more pictures of Kurt, and he put up with it with good grace, even turning in different directions, and trying different expressions, just for the fun of it.  He’d already flipped the end of his leash over his left shoulder.

Lily sighed as she put her phone away. "it's such a shame, Kurt, that you can't get work as a model, because you certainly could be one."

Adam nodded, and Hugo looked at him thoughtfully.

"I think everything fits very well. If you'll go ahead and change back to your other clothes, we'll finish things up here." He turned to Adam and Lily, and said quietly, "When Kurt is finished, if you'll kindly give everything to Ted to wrap up for you, I'd like to discuss something with while he's doing that. So if the three of you would come back to my office, if you have a few minutes, I'd appreciate it."

Kurt could, of course, hear what was being said, and he wondered what he’d done. Had he somehow said or done something wrong? He started to worry about it, but the last thing he wanted to do was to have a panic attack or even get overly emotional, in a store like this. Although it went against some of his natural instincts, he pushed the worry aside, thinking that, whatever the problem was, Adam would handle it. That was part of the reason why hybrids needed owners, after all, to take care of some of these awkward situations that might become unbearable for a hybrid to face alone. He had found it was much easier to handle stressful situations if Adam was there with him. Adam’s steady, supportive presence made him feel calmer. He knew Adam was just a few steps away if there was any kind of emergency. But there wouldn't be, because he was not going to panic.

He had managed to undress himself, being very careful with the clothes, and he was able to get into his regular clothes more quickly. He hoped he hadn't taken too long in changing, but he really did not want to rush when it involved nice clothes.

Kurt handed all the neatly folded clothes and shoes to Adam, who took them over two the checkout counter, where Ted was helping another customer. As soon as Ted gave the customer his receipt and thanked him, Adam set everything down on the counter.

Ted smiled and said, "I'll just wrap everything up for you."

Adam said, "Be sure to ring up the socks Hugo so kindly provided. Kurt will need them."

Adam paid for the socks, and then he, Kurt, and Lily walked to the back of the store where the sign on the door said Manager, and knocked.

Hugo opened the door and ushered them in. There were only two chairs for visitors, but Hugo had brought over a folding chair. Kurt started to take the folding chair, but Adam's hand on his shoulder steered him towards one of the comfortable chairs instead. Adam sat on the less comfortable chair, and shrugged when Kurt looked at him questioningly.

Hugo closed the door and sat behind the desk. "Something occurred to me, when Lily suggested that Kurt should be a model."

Kurt automatically shook his head, but Adam took his hand and said, "You haven't even heard what the man has to say yet. Just wait."

Kurt knew enough by now to realize that Hugo wasn't going to use this as an opportunity to humiliate him, the way people in his past may have done, so he tried to relax and listen.

"Am I correct in assuming that it's okay to discuss this in front of Lily?"

Adam immediately responded, "Yes, I trust her implicitly."

Lily turned to add them and smiled, saying, "I would never do anything that might hurt Kurt, or hold him back, either."

"Good, then I think we are all on the same page," Hugo stated. "I agree, that with Kurt's extraordinary looks, he could be a model, except for that rather annoying law that he cannot work. I've been trying to think of a way to advertise that this store caters to hybrids as well as full humans, but it's been difficult to think of a way to do that.

"I was thinking, perhaps the best way would be the simplest way. If I could run an ad in the newspaper with Kurt in one of these suits, making sure his collar can be clearly seen, it should send that message. It might also encourage other hybrid owners to take their pets to events where they might need to dress up. Hopefully it will bring some more revenue to the store, but also, it might send a message as well."

He leaned back and looked at the three of them in turn. Kurt was nervous, and had no idea what to say. He thought this was probably one of those times would be best to let Adam handle things. It was so difficult to know sometimes, when he should speak up on his own, or just let Adam decide. It did seem more prudent, whenever they were around other people, to let Adam speak for him.

"I have no objection, in theory,” Adam explained, "but we would need to be careful to make it clear that Kurt is not being paid, and that I am not being paid for you borrowing him."

"I agree," Hugo said calmly, "but according to the barter system, I could, with your permission, trade Kurt's services as a model for items he may wish to buy – excuse me, that you may wish to buy for him." Adam was quiet, probably thinking. 

Lily spoke up. "Excuse me, I find this all fascinating, and I would love to see it work out, if Kurt is willing to do this."

They all looked at him, and Kurt wanted to hide under a chair or under the desk, but he knew he couldn't do that. Adam squeezed his hand, and Kurt felt better immediately.

"Kurt, would this be something you would be interested in doing, once we make sure it's legal?" Adam asked.

"I don't understand," Kurt said slowly. "Why would you want me as a model? There are lots of better looking hybrids out there."

Both Adam and Lily shook their heads.

"It's not beauty contest, Kurt," Hugo explained. "If I may say so, you do have a very appealing face, and you look quite sophisticated in a suit. I think people would see you, and respond to you, in a way they might not with someone else." He bit his lip and tried again. "I really don't know how to explain this. But you have a natural grace to you, perhaps part of your cat heritage, but I think the public will respond favorably to you."

Kurt started to open his mouth, then shut it and looked at Adam.

Adam squeezed his hand again. "Kurt, please feel free to say whatever you want to say. You may answer Hugo’s questions or talk to him, without asking my permission first. You don't have to make a decision right now." 

Adam looked towards Hugo, who said, "No, I don't need a decision right away. Whenever you're ready. And I think we should also check on the legalities of this."

"I have a wonderful lawyer in mind, whom I've seen once before, who can let us know the best way to handle this."

"Oh?" Hugo asked, "if you don't mind, I'd like to have this lawyer's contact information. I have a good lawyer to deal with hybrid issues, but it doesn’t hurt to have more contacts." He looked at Lily, and explained, "I don't think you would know, because I don't think I ever told Jonathan, but my son is a hybrid. I haven't seen him for many years, but of course, that's not by choice. I heard about a lawyer who specializes in hybrid issues, a couple of years ago, and tried to find out if there was any way to find my son. She wasn't able to help me with that, but we had many common interests in terms of hybrid welfare."

"Would that be Julia Deveraux?" Adam asked with a smile. "She’s the one I spoke with before."

Hugo nodded. "Yes, I found her to be very sympathetic and I was sure she was genuinely sorry that she could not help me find Nathan."

"I trust her," Adam explained simply. "I'll call her tomorrow, and see what she has to say."

Kurt was still wrestling with the concept that anyone thought he looked like any kind of model. He could admit that his cat self was quite handsome, but his human self – well, he had seen himself in a mirror, after all.

He spoke up hesitantly. "Excuse me. I still don't get it. All my life, people have been telling me that I'm ugly, or I'm too feminine looking, or that even for a hybrid, I am some kind of freak of nature."

"That's utterly ridiculous!" Lily interrupted indignantly. "Please, Kurt, don't pay attention to things like that, that people say. Maybe they're just jealous."

Kurt shook his head. "It's not just the other hybrids at New Directions -- at the pet store. I've heard it all my life, except from my parents."

"And me," Adam reminded him. "And Hugo and Lily obviously agree with me. Remember how you said Jessica and Tessa thought you were cute, and you didn't understand that either, why some girls thought you were cute, but guys didn't find you attractive?"

Of course Kurt remembered that conversation. "Yeah, I still don't quite get that." Then he looked at Hugo. "But you're trying to sell suits to men, not to ladies who might or might not think I'm cute."

Hugo said, "I think Lily is right, and perhaps the other hybrids were jealous. There's probably a certain amount of competition between hybrids at a pet store, because I'm sure everyone wants to be adopted as quickly as possible. Maybe trying to make you feel bad about yourself was a strategy, to upset you and make you look sad, rather than happy or confident, which might have gotten you adopted sooner."

"I never thought of it quite like that, but it could be." Kurt sighed, "I have a lot of things to think about. I need time to think this over." He looked at Adam, and saw a look of concern in his eyes.

"Thank you very much, Hugo, for all your help, and for this very intriguing suggestion. As Kurt said, he'll need time to think about it, and I need to check with the lawyer. Can I call you back and let you know maybe next week, if Kurt has made up his mind by then?"

"Certainly." Hugo stood up and came around the side of the desk. They all stood as well, and he shook their hands. "I look forward to hearing from you, but Kurt, I don't want to put any unnecessary pressure on you. If you really don't want to do this, I promise I will not bring it up again or pressure you in any way. But if you do want to do it, I really hope we can find a way to make it happen."

Kurt looked up at him. "Thank you." He was afraid to say any more, because he was sure whatever he would say would be the wrong thing.

"I'm sure Ted will have all of your things ready to go now," Hugo said. "I hope you enjoy yourself at the event tonight."

Kurt couldn't help beaming at the thought that he would finally see one of his favorite musicals of all time.

Adam put his hand on Kurt’s shoulder.  "I've already told him where we’re going, and I'll do everything I can to see that this is only the first, not the last, musical he gets to see."

Kurt knew he probably looked ridiculous, but he couldn't help grinning in delight at the thought of getting to see more shows.

Hugo pointed to the mirror nearby. "Kurt, look in the mirror please."

Kurt looked quickly, and blinked. That was weird. He did look different, and not quite as silly as he thought.

"Now do you have a better idea, why I think yours is the face I want to represent my store?"

Kurt shrugged. "I'm still not sure I'm seeing the same thing you're seeing, but I thank you for the ego boost."

As Adam gathered all the bags that held their clothes, he handed a couple of the lighter ones to Kurt to carry.  He was a bit tired, but they wouldn’t be hard to carry.

They walked out towards the car.  "Well, Kurt, are you ready to shop for makeup, or are you too tired?" Lily asked.

Oh, right. They were still going to Lush.  The day was looking very bright again.

“No, I’m fine, Lily.  We’re still going, right?” he asked Adam anxiously.

“Of course we are.  I think when we get home, you could use a short nap.  I’d like to leave for the theatre by 6:30, so we have plenty of time to be seated by 7:30.”

“That sounds good.”

Lily looked at her watch.  “We still have plenty of time, I think.  If it starts getting too late, we can always come back another time.”

“Really?  ‘Cause I could probably spend hours at that store!”

Adam sighed quietly, probably thinking Kurt couldn’t hear him, but he smiled bravely anyway.  Kurt wished there was a way he could just go with Lily, and Adam could do something more entertaining.  Hopefully Adam wouldn’t be too bored.


	50. Chapter 50

Adam and Kurt were having a little bit of difficulty handling the bags and the leash as well, so Lily took a couple of them from Adam. He started to protest, but she insisted.

“We don't want anything to get dropped or lost, do we? None of these are heavy, just awkward."

"Thank you," Adam said, getting a better grip on the leash.

They added the bags to the trunk of the car.  Adam had finally gotten used to thinking of it as the trunk, rather than the boot, though neither really made a lot of sense to him, when he really thought about it.

They got settled in the car again, and Adam looked at the map he had printed out to find the Lush store. In a way, he would've liked to cut the afternoon short and just go home.  He wanted Kurt to rest and have time to process the day so far, before going out for a very sensory stimulating evening. But Kurt was really looking forward to this, so hopefully it would at least keep him in a good mood. Not to mention, the whole purpose of the trip originally had been to get some type of makeup for Lily that Kurt felt would be more appropriate, and hopefully Lily would agree.

He didn't even want to think yet about Hugo's suggestion for Kurt. There was enough to consider with Burt's upcoming visit.

When they got to their destination, they were able to find parking fairly easily. When he walked in, he was aware of a lot of different scents, many of them fruity, flowery or herbal. He was relieved to note that the smell was not nearly as overpowering as at some similar types of stores he'd walked past in the mall. He wondered if it was going to be a sensory overload for Kurt. However, Kurt was grinning from ear to ear and breathing deeply, so it didn't look like it was a problem.

There were two sales clerks, and one of them came over to greet them. Adam was a little surprised to see that the clerk was male. For some reason, he'd assumed that it would be mostly women shopping and working in a cosmetic store.

"Good afternoon! I’m Roger.  Have you folks ever been to Lush before?" The salesman looked at all of them, and he didn't seem to be fazed by Kurt's collar and leash.

Lily and Adam both admitted they had never been there before.

"But Kurt here has been, although it was a few years ago and in another state," Adam explained. He turned to Kurt, and said, "Please feel free to ask Roger for whatever it is you're looking for." To the salesman, he said, "Please go ahead and speak to Kurt directly. He's trying to help our friend Lily find some appropriate makeup. She’s probably got her own ideas of what she wants.  Kurt's looking for moisturizer and I'm not sure what else for himself."

"I see," Roger said, smiling at Kurt. "It always makes it a little bit easier when someone is already familiar with some of our products. But it sounds like it's been a while since you were last at one of our stores, and we've had a lot of exciting new products since then!"

Adam wasn't surprised to hear that, and would be even less surprised if Kurt wanted to try everything out.

The sales clerk turned to Adam, and said, "And what about you, sir? Is there anything you're looking for?"

Adam was about to tell him, “no, thank you,” but Kurt spoke up briskly.

"Maybe a shower gel or soap," Kurt suggested. He turned to Adam, and said, "it won't hurt to at least look. You might find something you like or want to try."

Adam was thinking, _I doubt it_ , but was too polite to say so. "We'll see," he compromised.

"It looks like you've got so much more here than just cosmetics," Lily commented.

"Well, we've actually just recently expanded our line of cosmetics and perfumes."  Roger was very enthusiastic about that information.

"Oh really? I might be interested in the perfumes as well," Lily spoke up.

"Would you like to look around on your own, or –" Roger looked again at the leash and bit his lip. "I'm sorry, perhaps it would be best if we all stick together, and I can explain everything to all of you at once."

"That would be best," Adam agreed. "Or maybe you can tell us about the general categories of things, we can look around on our own, and let you know if we need some help."

"No problem. We have products for baths and showers, like soaps, bath gels, bath bombs – which are large balls of condensed powdery ingredients with different scents, that can be tossed into a hot bath. Most of them produce bubbles and sometimes different colors. Some people like to use a ladies' stocking to put the bath bomb in first, to make it easier to clean up. Some of them contain little bits and pieces of things that can get stuck in the drain." That didn't sound too appealing to Adam, though Kurt seemed interested. Fine; he could clean up his own bathtub.

"We also have cleansers, facial masks to deep clean the skin, and also cosmetics. Some of our new lines include solid perfumes and a new concept for lipstick, blush, and eyeshadow, where you go by the mood you want to express rather than the color. We also have solid shampoos, and hair dyes.

"Everything we have is as organic and natural as we can make it. We don't test any of our products on animals, and actively fight animal testing, some of the money for certain products goes towards charities, and we do have some products that are vegetarian and others that are vegan."

"Wait a minute," Adam interrupted. "You have food here, too?"

"No, although some of our products do smell good enough to eat, we really discourage that. We do use a lot of herbs, vegetables, fruit, and plant extracts in our products. Some people appreciate knowing that there are no ingredients that would conflict with a vegan lifestyle, in some of our products. They're clearly marked."

Lily spoke up. "I'd like to start with looking at some of the soaps and facial cleansers. Kurt, do you think that's something you can help me with, or should we ask Roger to stick with us?"

Kurt sounded very decisive as he said, "I think I can explain how the products work, and I can tell you which ones I've used and liked and some that my mom liked."

Roger nodded, and said, "Feel free to try anything that's marked as a tester. If there's anything else you would like to try, just let me know. Just browse as much as you'd like, and if you have any questions, let me know." He walked away to let them explore on their own.

Adam resigned himself to just being patient until Kurt and Lily were ready to leave. But he had already decided, a maximum of an hour should be plenty of time to do their shopping.

He tried to pay attention to Kurt, who was already telling Lily about some of the products he thought she would like.

"The reason they have so many products for skin care, and so few actual cosmetics, is that it's actually more important to take good care of your skin, and then you shouldn't need heavy cosmetics to hide damage from a poor skin treatment routine."

Adam hoped Kurt was listening to himself, because he really didn't think Kurt needed much cosmetic enhancement, if any. He had clearly been taking good care of his skin, and Adam had no objection to buying him some products for a good skin care routine. Maybe it would be a good idea for himself, as well. He tuned in again, as Kurt was explaining the merits of some type of cleanser.

"This is a facial scrub that you can use several times a week to exfoliate. It smells really good, and is very refreshing, it's got sea salt in it, so it's a little bit abrasive, but it doesn't really hurt.”

There were several open containers of different cleansers, and a small bowl of clean water. Lily took a small amount of the light blue scrubby cream on her finger, and rubbed it on one cheek bone.

"Oh, this smells good! Adam, isn't this nice?"

He dutifully sniffed the container she held up, and was pleasantly surprised at the fresh, clean, salty smell.

"Huh, I do like that." He watched as Lily rinsed off the cleanser with a little bit of water. He took an even smaller amount than she had, and rubbed it into his chin. "I think I could get used to that!" he said in surprise, then rinsed it off.

Kurt spoke up. "I love this, Adam. Could we maybe get a large jar and share it?" He indicated the much larger size container behind the small one they were sampling. Adam glanced at the price and blinked, but stifled his sigh. It was a damn sight more expensive than he was used to paying for the soap he used on his face, but it felt and smelled so much better, and if it made Kurt happy, why not?

Roger came up to them and replaced the bowl of water with a clean one. "Did you like the Ocean Salt?"

"Yes," Adam told him. "We'll take one large container."

"And I'd like a small one, to start with," Lily said. There were no baskets to carry things around in, but the salesman took one of each size and set it on the counter for them.

"We can sort out what belongs to who later," Lily suggested.

They moved on to body soap, body wash, lotions, and shower gels. They had some moisturizers as well, though Adam winced at the prices of most of them. 

Kurt suggested an orange shower gel, which turned out to smell pretty similar to the ocean salt.  He suggested if they bought a large bottle, they could share it. Adam was debating about suggesting they get two smaller bottles, one for each bathroom, but had a feeling that Kurt was trying to subtly move into his bedroom and bathroom with him. He didn't entirely object, but thought there would probably be times when Kurt would use his own bathroom, and would want some things there as well. On the other hand, he could always use the products he already had in there.

Adam agreed on the large bottle, and Lily decided she liked the same kind of body wash that Kurt's mother had preferred, a jasmine scented one called Flying Fox.

They all kept finding more things, and Lily added them to the pile at the checkout counter. Adam was very surprised that Kurt didn't request the expensive moisturizer, but instead went for something much more reasonable. Adam was shocked to realize he _had_ found a few things he wanted.

Kurt had been wavering on the Rock Star bubblegum-scented soap, which was bright pink. Adam was trying to talk him out of it, but Lily decided she wanted one and would pay for one for Kurt as well.

Kurt and Lily finally decided on the following things for her: an all purpose makeup remover and cleanser; a facial mask for occasional deep cleaning; a moisturizer for older skin that was reasonably priced; a skin tint that could be used as a foundation, as well as a translucent color to be used either on its own or over foundation. There was also dusting powder, perfume, and some Popcorn-flavored lip scrub to smooth out her lips. For lip tint she got the Latte color, just a little light bronze color for all skin types; a soothing toner/moisturizer mist, and several shades of lipstick.  One was a dusky rose, another a golden orange to wear with the dress Kurt would be making for her.  Lastly there was a mascara that claimed to actually be good for the eyelashes.

On Kurt's suggestion, the salesman let her try a combination of liquid gold eyeliner and copper eye shadow. Lily seemed quite surprised at how good they looked together. She said she hadn't thought, at her age, to try such different colors, but even Adam could see that they made her brown eyes more striking, and again, would look very good with that one dress. He hoped Lilly didn't object to buying makeup for one particular outfit, but then, maybe she had other items in her wardrobe it would match or complement.

He told Kurt for now to just stack up the things he wanted on the counter, and they would go over them later and see if there were any that were redundant or not really necessary. He hadn't expected to find so many of them necessary, and it didn't take a lot of talking on Kurt's part to convince him.

There was the banana and oatmeal mask for dry skin, and a jasmine-scented bath bomb amusingly called All That Jas. Kurt found a seaweed facial mask that was also some sort of moisturizer, and one more item that was combination moisturizer and aftershave balm.  He was rather intrigued when Kurt also wanted the tiny jar of Popcorn lip scrub.  Kurt’s lips, and his own, were a bit chapped, and he supposed kissing might be even more fun if they both had softer lips. He tried a bit on his lip, rubbing it in, then licked the excess off.  Adam wasn’t sure it tasted exactly like buttery popcorn, but he certainly didn’t mind the taste.

Not too surprisingly, Kurt also wanted some of the eyeliner, and eyeshadow. There was one jet black eyeliner called Independence, which Adam thought was a good sign, and a royal blue liquid eyeliner called In Charge, and a navy blue liquid eyeliner called Control. Adam wasn't ready yet to look at why he found those two so appealing for Kurt.  They certainly did look good, when the salesman let Kurt try one on each eyelid, when paired with Motivation, a two-tone peacock blue cream eyeshadow.

Kurt was visibly disappointed when Adam told him he was sorry, but he couldn't wear any eye makeup to the theater that night. He did promise to find some place he could take him in the future, where he could wear them.

Adam preferred shaving with a razor, rather than an electric shaver, but he really didn't like the canned foam. Kurt found a shaving cream called Shave the Planet, that was made with bamboo, lavender oil, wheat germ oil, and pumpkin seed oil, among other things. But he had tried a little on his face, and it did feel and smell very pleasant. 

There were a few things that they discussed, that both he and Kurt wanted, that they should be able to share, such as a combination soap and hand lotion. But Adam thought the two best items were the massage bars. This was something they could both enjoy, either giving or receiving a massage. The one Kurt picked out was called Bewitched, and was supposedly good for helping bring lovers closer together, which contained lime, chamomile, and violet; and the one Adam liked was called Soft Coeur, also known as The Honeymoon, and was made primarily with chocolate and honey.

Kurt found something he really wanted for his dad, but of course he had no money. Adam didn’t mind paying for the hand moisturizer that was supposed to be good for men who worked with their hands a lot, but he wasn't sure Burt was the kind of man who cared that much about the state of his hands. When Kurt reminded him that Burt had remarried, and his wife probably cared whether his hands were rough or soft, Adam agreed.

By the time they were through, the counter was almost full, and they were the only customers left in the store. Roger seemed very pleased with all of their choices, although he and Kurt had a rather lively discussion about some of the items. Kurt was, of course, more familiar with his own skin, and with Adam’s, and Adam trusted his judgment over the salesman's. As he’d expected, his credit card took a bit of a hit, but he supposed it would have been much worse if Kurt had just arbitrarily chosen the most expensive of each item. It looked like most of the things they bought would last for quite a while, and Kurt was happy and relaxed, so it was definitely worth it.

Lily didn't spend quite as much money, although Adam was willing to bet it was more than she had originally counted on, but she also seemed to trust Kurt's judgment, and seemed happy with her choices. 

Before they left, Roger leaned over the counter confidentially, and said quietly, "Kurt, you really seem to have a gift for understanding our products. I wish you were allowed to work, and I would offer you a job here in a minute. Or rather, try to talk my boss into it," he added with a small laugh.

Kurt looked startled, but contained his answer to a simple "thank you." Adam knew that, in a different world, a fully human Kurt would probably enjoy that type of job. At least, it would be fun, if not an actual profession he would follow forever. He wished for Kurt's sake he could have him fill out an application then and there, but there was no point in upsetting him with things he couldn't have.

As they left the store and headed towards the car, Kurt was quiet and thoughtful. Once they were settled inside the car where no one could hear them, Lily said, "Isn't it amazing, Kurt, that two different individuals in very different stores felt you would be a good employee, if only you were allowed to work. I'll bet that's something not a lot of hybrids hear."

Adam realized she was trying to cheer Kurt up, and hoped it didn't have the opposite effect.

"I guess so," Kurt sighed, "I guess if I look at it that way, I'm not as worthless as certain people seem to think."

"Anyone who thinks that," Lily countered, "obviously doesn't know you very well."

Kurt laughed. "I'm sure Mr. Will at the pet store thought he knew me pretty well, after five years."

"And how much time do you think he spent out of that five years, actually talking to you, or rather listening to you?"

Kurt was silent for a little while, probably calculating. "Certainly less than an hour."

Adam was beginning to lose count of all the many ways he hated Will Schuester.

By the time they got home, Adam was more than ready to join Kurt in a nap.  They agreed to only put the clothes away for now, and they would deal with the rest the next morning, unless Kurt wanted to use some of his cosmetics to clean up.

“We’ve got maybe an hour to nap, then we need to either get ready and grab some food on the way, or fix sandwiches here before we get ready.”

Kurt opted for food first, and nice, clean, brand-new clothes afterwards.  Adam agreed he’d rather not wear any part of his dinner that night.

Adam didn’t think he’d really be able to fall asleep, but was looking forward to just resting with Kurt in his arms.  He was very annoyed, when it seemed like just a moment later, the alarm went off, and it was time to get ready for the play.


	51. Chapter 51

Kurt woke up quickly. Even though he knew he'd only slept a little while, he must've slept deeply, because he felt refreshed. They fixed sandwiches with whatever they could find in the refrigerator, and Kurt finished eating first.

"I'm going to go take my shower now, if that's all right with you," he said.

"Sure, go ahead. I'll clean things up here." 

Kurt started to protest, but Adam reminded him that he probably wouldn't take nearly as much time to get ready.

He looked through their Lush shopping bags for the shower gel, the Ocean Salt exfoliant, and the combination moisturizer/aftershave. He only had an electric shaver, but hopefully he could get a decent razor soon. But he did want to shave before they left. He ignored the fact that he barely needed to shave every day as it was, he wanted to look his best tonight.

He did like the shower gel. Not only was it a pretty color, and it felt good on his skin and seemed to do its job, but it smelled nice, too. He wasn't sure yet if Adam had noticed that he was a bit of a sybarite. Kurt didn't know whether it was the cat in him or the human, or more likely both, but he definitely preferred to be surrounded by things that were pleasing to his senses, and made him as comfortable as possible. Some of the others at New Directions had made fun of him for that, but he couldn't understand why everyone didn't feel the same way.

Kurt dressed very carefully in his new clothes, and took his time combing his hair, but still didn't think he'd taken more than 45 minutes altogether.

Adam was waiting for him, and looked perfect. Well, no. Not quite perfect.

"Adam, I want to try something. Come look in the mirror with me." Adam followed along willingly enough, and they stood in front of the full length mirror on the back of his door.

"You see how well our colors go together?" Kurt asked.

"Yes, they look good."

"Well, I have an idea. This will just take a minute, I think. Why don't we trade ties and pocket squares?"

Adam looked puzzled, but traded his accessories for Kurt's.

"Okay, now look at us."

"Oh, I get it. Now it looks like our outfits are intentionally meant to go together."

Kurt agreed. Even if they weren't standing right next to each other, and he was pretty sure they would be for the next few hours, neither outfit looked bad on its own, they were just more striking when seen together.  The maroon tie and white pocket square looked good with Kurt’s dark blue suit jacket, and his blue tie and patterned pocket square seemed to go very well with Adam’s jacket.

"You're right, now we both look fantastic!"

[ Other models wearing similar suits ](http://www.buzzfeed.com/sophie7999/jensen-ackles-and-jared-padaleckis-epic-bromance-awqx?sub=2272146_1218784)

The doorbell rang, startling them both. Adam looked through the peephole, then let Lily in. She had her camera with her, and a paper bag.

"I'm glad I caught you still at home," she said rather breathlessly. "I was hoping to get another picture or two, and I also brought you some snacks for intermission, because I'm sure you both – and Kurt especially -- will be hungry and thirsty, and you won't need to fight the crowds at the concession stand."

“Thanks, Lily!” he said with genuine enthusiasm.

"Lily, thank you, that's so thoughtful."  Adam kissed her lightly on the cheek, but Kurt wasn't worried. He'd figured out now that gestures like that were no threat to his and Adam's relationship. He was willing to put up with the pictures for the snacks, and he was pretty sure Lily had been counting on that.

She took just a few pictures, and complimented their matching outfits, then went back home, so she didn't hold them up any longer.

Adam went to the kitchen and opened the bag, and asked Kurt if he had room for the contents in his shoulder bag.  It currently contained his glasses, some Kleenex, a comb, throat drops, and breath mints. He had debated about slipping Harriet in there, but thought that perhaps the play might scare her, so he left her next to Bernard, figuring they could entertain each other, while he and Adam were gone.   He thought maybe he should spend some time with them soon. Kurt added the two bottles of water, and plastic bags of raisins, mixed nuts, and M&Ms, and was pleased to see everything fit, and it wasn’t too heavy.

Adam looked at his watch, and said they should be going. 

Kurt glanced at the watch and gasped. "Didn't you say we need to be there by 7:30?  We need to leave right away or we’ll be late!"

Adam grinned, and patted him on the shoulder. "You're right, I did say that, but the play doesn't start until 8:00. I wanted to allow for a little more time, in case you needed it."

“Thank you, I think," Kurt smirked. "But I guess we really should get going now anyway."

Once Adam had attached Kurt's collar, they were ready to go. The drive wasn't all that far, that Adam was glad he had planned for traffic. Obviously they weren't the only ones going out that night.

Before they got out of the car, Kurt checked his hair in the mirror again, even though it looked fine.

"You look great," Adam told him, patting him on the knee. “Don't mess with perfection."

"Kurt grinned. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he joked. Then he turned serious again, and asked, "Is there anything we need to discuss before we go in?"

Adam had given this some thought, but hadn't wanted to go over a lot of things at home, when they both had so many other things on their minds.

"Just stick close to me. I'd rather you walk a little closer than usual, and take my arm if you want, rather than take a chance on someone trying to get between us."

It reminded Kurt of a so-called comedy routine he'd seen on television once, where someone who wasn't really paying attention tried to get between a hybrid pet and their owner, as though there weren't a leash in the way to trip the intruder up.  It also threw the pet and owner off balance. And there really were some people who didn't pay as much attention as they should, too focused on their own mission to look closely at those around them.

"If you need to talk to me about anything,” Adam advised, “just keep your voice down. You can call me Adam, but if you need to address anyone else for any reason – which you shouldn't – remember to call them Sir or Ma'am. But any conversation should go through me."

"Okay," Kurt said, trying not to sound annoyed. It certainly wasn't Adam's fault that they had to follow these stupid rules. He'd always thought they were stupid, even though he grown up with them. It just seemed very inefficient. Which reminded him –

"Adam, your kitchen is very inefficient. I'd really like to reorganize it some time, if you don't mind."

"What?!?” 

Adam looked so flustered, Kurt wished he hadn't brought it up. "Never mind, I'm sorry. Bad timing.  We can talk about it later."

"Yes, later," Adam agreed. 

He was looking at him so strangely, Kurt would have wondered if he had something on his face, if he hadn't just seen himself in the mirror.  "I'm sorry, just a stray thought. I guess we'd better go in and find our seats."

Kurt waited for Adam to let him out of the car, so they could arrange his leash properly, and he slung the bag over his other shoulder. He had checked before they left, and the bag looked good with his outfit. He wondered sometimes, how Adam could get by with just whatever he carried in his pockets. It's true, Kurt didn't have to worry about a wallet, but how could Adam get by without a comb? Especially with his unruly hair? And how did he survive without carrying tissues at the very least? He shook his head, deciding these were things he could contemplate later. Besides, whatever Adam might need, Kurt probably had in his bag.

He did have to occasionally lift his eyes from the ground, to keep up with Adam, and make sure he didn't run into anything or anyone, but he was very careful not to make eye contact with anybody. He did finally take Adam's arm, when someone brushed particularly close to him, although he was sure it was by accident. Even though the leash meant he technically couldn't lose Adam in this crowd, he still felt safer being as close as possible.

They got in line, but it moved pretty quickly, and Adam moved up to the Will Call window to pick up their tickets. It wasn't much longer before they were inside the building, and their tickets were being torn in half, with Adam retaining both ticket stubs. Kurt really wanted to look around him at the building, and to see what everyone around them was wearing, but he knew it wasn't a good idea to do that now. Maybe during intermission.

“Ah, there’s the restrooms, over there,” Adam pointed out.  “I strongly suggest you try to pee now, even if you don’t think you have to.”

Kurt resented the idea that he couldn’t hold it, but found that he suddenly, through the power of suggestion, did need to go. There wasn’t much of a line, and they let others go ahead of them until there were two urinals side-by-side that were free. They got a few curious looks, a couple of smiles, and only one hostile glare, but the man didn’t say anything, just walked around them like he was afraid of contamination. Kurt wasn’t sure whether it was because he was a hybrid, or because the man correctly deduced they were a couple, though there was certainly more discrimination against hybrids. It was more than a little awkward, and Adam finally let go of the leash and draped it over Kurt’s shoulder.

When they were back in the lobby, an usher came up to them and handed them two programs, and offered to help them find their seats.

Kurt noticed most people seemed to be finding them pretty well on their own. He supposed it was because he was a hybrid, and he doubted very many people brought their pets to see a Broadway show, so it probably wasn't a very common sight. Maybe the usher wanted to get them seated quickly, before too many people saw them, and started objecting.

Adam stopped abruptly, as soon as he heard the man’s voice.  He’d been looking around the room and hadn’t actually seen him, and Kurt had to be careful not to walk into him.

"Jesse?" Adam asked incredulously.

Kurt glanced up cautiously, trying to look up through his eyelashes, rather than look directly at the usher.

"Adam! I thought that was you," the other man said, keeping his voice down. "I'd love to talk to you for a minute if you have time, at intermission, or after the show." He glanced at Kurt, and smiled.

Adam seemed at a loss for words, which was unusual. He finally stammered, "I – I – I'd like that, very much." 

Kurt tightened his grip on Adam's arm.

"It's okay, darling, Jesse is an old – friend – and we haven't seen each other in a long time."

Kurt could see well enough to take note that Jesse was good-looking, and confident. He wore a black suit, and his brown, wavy hair was neatly brushed. He looked like he was the same age as Adam, or close to it. Kurt kind of hated him on sight.

"Kurt, it's okay to look up. This is Jesse St. James. Jesse, this is Kurt, my pet and boyfriend."

Those extra two words went along way towards mollifying Kurt's feelings. He was both gratified and ashamed, to see a look of hurt and disappointment in Jesse's eyes.

“Hello, Kurt,” he said politely.

Adam nudged Kurt, so he muttered, “Hello,” as graciously as possible.  He deliberately didn’t add “Sir” but neither Adam nor Jesse objected.  Very irritating of them to not notice the snub.

They had reached their seats, and once they were in their proper places, Jesse turned to go.

"Jesse," Adam called, keeping his voice as soft as possible, "I really would like to talk to you – _we_ would really like to talk to you sometime soon. Perhaps we can get together for lunch or coffee or something. We've got a busy few days, but perhaps sometime next week --"

Jesse closed his eyes very briefly, then smiled. "That sounds great, Adam, and it was nice to meet you, Kurt. Do you still have my phone number, Adam?"

Adam hesitated slightly before replying, "No, I thought you might change it when you moved. But mine is still the same."

"Good, then I've got it.”  He hesitated a moment.  “I’d like you to meet someone, too. May I bring --”

Adam was clearly startled, and his lips tightened.  “Of course, certainly.”

Kurt bit his tongue to keep from saying anything.

“See you soon.” Jesse left to see if there were more patrons who needed help.

Kurt couldn't say he was sorry to see him go, but he had to admit that now he was very curious. He hoped Adam would fill him in some more, before he – or they – saw Jesse again. He did feel much better, however, that this man wasn’t going to steal Adam away from him.

“Kurt, don’t worry, please.  I’ll tell you all about it later, at home.  Maybe tomorrow.”

At least Adam realized this was something they really _should_ discuss, so Kurt tried to put it out of his mind.

They had the last two seats in one row, and there were still a couple of empty seats between them and the next nearest audience members.

The play wasn’t sold out, and nobody claimed the empty seats. Kurt made himself as comfortable as possible.

Adam told him, “We’ve still got a few minutes. I’m going to look over the program. I’ve seen this production before, but sometimes they change the cast.”

Kurt took out his glasses and read the program as well as he could. “Oh my God, Adam!” he hissed. “April Rhodes and Shelby Corcoran? I love both of them, especially Ms. Rhodes. Did you know she and I have the exact same range? At least in my upper register. And I had a massive crush on her when I was 12, but she was the only girl I ever felt that way about. I wouldn’t even say it was sexual, just that I worshipped her.”

Adam smiled, but warned Kurt to keep his voice down. “They’re both wonderful. I’ve seen them in these roles here before.”

Kurt didn’t see what the big deal was, everyone around them was talking fairly loudly, about all kinds of things. It was very distracting. He stared at the picture of Shelby Corcoran. She looked so familiar. He couldn’t be positive, but –

“Adam, look at the picture Ms. Corcoran. Does she look familiar to you?”

“Of course, I just told you I’d seen her –“

“No, no, I mean --  Look at her face. That dark hair, the cheekbones, the, er, prominent nose?  Haven’t you seen a face a lot like hers, very recently?”

Adam looked again, and drew a breath in and held it. “I see the resemblance, but I don’t think – it’s got to be just a coincidence.”

“Maybe, but I wonder – don’t you think, if Rachel is her daughter, Ms. Corcoran would want to know where she is?”

Adam turned in his seat, and held Kurt’s hand firmly. “No. In this case, I don’t think it’s our business to tell her. What if we’re wrong? She could be terribly insulted. And I don’t think we’ll be able to get backstage to see her, anyway.”

“Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but who’d have thought we’d have found Donna?”

“Sweetheart, we can’t be responsible for reuniting every hybrid with their birth family, you know that.”

Adam looked around uneasily, but no-one seemed to be paying them much attention. 

Kurt knew it was very unlikely, but it was such a strong resemblance. But he was confused, because he remembered Rachel talking about her two gay dads. She’d said one was a hybrid, and one was human. Was this Broadway star somehow Rachel’s surrogate mother? Even if she were, would she want to meet her hybrid daughter? Could they even arrange for that to happen? Would Rachel want to meet the woman who gave birth to her, but had nothing to do with raising her?

“Darling, the play is going to start any minute,” Adam reminded him, squeezing his hand. He ran his thumb over the back of Kurt’s knuckles, which was oddly soothing. “Please just relax and try to enjoy it. We’ll talk about this again later, and if we decide to try to talk to her, we can do it another time. I promise.  Though I really don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Kurt knew Adam wouldn’t deliberately go back on his word, and it was possible he was getting worked up over nothing. He took a few deep, calming breaths, and practiced his relaxation exercise. He was about to see his first Broadway show, and it was _Wicked_ , starring the iconic performers who perfectly embodied the main characters.

The lights dimmed, and Kurt and Adam made themselves as comfortable as possible.

Throughout the play, Kurt was enthralled. He knew every word of every song, even though he hadn't heard them in years. It was all he could do to keep his mouth shut and not sing along. But he also wanted to hear every glorious note, without being distracted by his own voice.

The whole time, Adam held his hand, until the intermission. As people around them started to head toward the concession stand and bathrooms, Adam reminded Kurt that they had snacks right there. "I'd like to stretch my legs, and I imagine you would too, but shall we wait until there's not such a crush of people in the aisles?" Adam asked. 

Kurt shrugged. "You're the boss," he reminded Adam with a smirk. "You're the one who gets to make the hard decisions."

Adam frowned and lightly tapped his nose with the rolled-up program. Kurt automatically reacted, and lowered his head and stared at the floor as he mumbled, "I'm sorry, sir. I apologize. I won't do it again."

"My God, Kurt, what brought this on?"

Kurt glanced at the rolled up program in Adam’s hand.

"What, this?" Adam blinked.  “Why?”  

Kurt explained quietly, “They did that at New Directions, a lot, with a small rolled-up newspaper, if any of us misbehaved, in a minor way.  Whether we were human or in our animal form.”

Then it seemed he realized what he'd done, and how insulting it was. "I'm so sorry, Kurt. I'm the one who should apologize. I was just trying to tease you, I didn't mean to chastise you. I wasn’t even thinking about your cat form. I’m sorry.  You didn't do anything wrong."

Kurt kept his voice low, knowing Adam was listening carefully. "No, sir, I'm sorry to correct you, but I erred in talking back to you. I shouldn't do that." In even lower tones he added, "in public."

"Oh, I get it. I've still got a lot to learn."

Not bothering to look around for anyone's reaction, Adam hugged Kurt briefly, and whispered, "I'm sorry," into his ear.

Kurt said, "Me too."

Adam looked around and saw that there were very few people left in their seats. "Come on, let's just walk up and down the aisles a minute or two, and then will have our snack, before the play starts up again."

Kurt was a bit conflicted over walking up and down the aisle with Adam. A few people glanced at them quickly, then looked away. There was a time he would have been proud to be seen in public with his owner, being walked to give him the exercise he needed, attached to him by the leash. But just this short time of living with Adam was making him realize that Adam saw things very differently than he did. The leash annoyed him, not because he was ashamed of Kurt, or ashamed of owning him in particular. It was because Adam seemed to feel that owning anyone, even a hybrid, and walking them like a pet, was wrong. One more thing to think about later.

They found their seats again, and ate the nutritious snacks Lily had provided. They went easy on the water, though, not wanting to have to get up during the performance.

Adam turned slightly in his seat to look at Kurt. "It's going to be pretty late when this gets out. It'll probably be 11:30, or midnight or so, before we get home. I think were both going to be very tired. We've got some time tomorrow before Nancy comes to clean, so we'll find some time to talk then, all right?"

Kurt nodded. "When we get home, do you want me to change? I'd like to sleep with you tonight –" he could feel himself blushing, but he forced himself to continue talking. "I mean, sleep in your bed with you. If that's all right with you, would you like me as a human or a cat?"

Adam looked up at the ceiling, as though he would get his answer there, before facing Kurt again. "That's up to you. Yes, of course you can sleep in my bed as a human, or on it as a cat. I’d like to keep the fur off the sheets. I'll let you decide which you prefer tonight."

"Thank you." Kurt settled more comfortably into his seat, and tried to stretch his legs out a bit. He would've been much more comfortable on the sofa at home, or the recliner chair, or better yet in cat form, but he wasn't about to complain.

He thought he would be tired enough to just change his clothes and fall into bed. He knew he would have a few hours at least, the next evening, to be a cat and stretch his limbs and expend as much energy as he could.


	52. Chapter 52

The musical was everything Kurt had hoped it would be, every bit as wonderful.

Jesse found them again before they reached the lobby. "So, Kurt, how did you like the play?" He scrunched up his face and gritted his teeth.  "I'm sorry, I forgot.”  He turned to face Adam.  "I hope Kurt enjoyed the play."

Adam rolled his eyes, but responded as expected. "Thank you. Kurt, Jesse wants to know what you thought of the play. You have my permission to tell him, as long as we don't hold him up long enough to get him in trouble."

Kurt took that to mean he'd better keep it short and simple. He was sure he could blather to Adam as much as he wanted later.

"I loved it, sir. I've been wanting to see that play for years. I have all the songs memorized. I'm so glad we were here to see Ms. Rhodes and Ms. Corcoran. Is there any chance we could go backstage to talk –" he stopped when he realized Jesse was shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, I don't think so. It's going to be very crowded and Ms. Corcoran won't – Ms. Rhodes might speak to you, if you really want." He looked at Adam rather than Kurt for the response.

"I'm not sure – Kurt would love to see Ms. Rhodes, I'm sure, if it's at all possible. But we totally understand if she's too busy."

"If you'll wait over here," Jesse said, pointing to a couple of now empty seats in the front row. "I'll go ask."

"Thank you," Kurt and Adam said simultaneously.

There was hardly anyone left in the theater, except for a janitor cleaning up at the very back of the room.

"I'm sorry, Kurt," Adam told him, looking embarrassed. "Shelby Corcoran is, shall we say, not well known for having patience in dealing with hybrids. I’ve heard that on the rare occasions that a hybrid and their owner try to speak to her, she gets away as quickly as she can, and seems very upset. I don't think it's anger so much as something else, that's probably none of our business. I don't think she's prejudiced against hybrids, but I think they make her very uncomfortable."

Kurt started to open his mouth, but Adam interrupted him, holding up a hand before he could speak. "You may be right about her reasons, or maybe not, but I'm telling you again, it is none of our business. It's not our place to try to change her mind or make her feel guilty or anything like that. She has a right to her feelings, whether we would feel the same in her place or not. The same as you have a right to your feelings, even if I disagree with them. But I'd rather avoid any unpleasantness, or anyone getting upset, when it's really not necessary to bring any of this up."

He had kept his voice very low, though of course Kurt could hear him perfectly. He wanted to pretend he hadn't heard him, but the more adult part of him understood. Whatever her reasons, they were her own, and just because his dad missed him, and Donna's family missed her, he'd heard from Jerry and Daniel that not everyone, hybrid or human, wanted to be reunited with their birth family. Rachel had never said anything about actually wanting to meet her mother, now that he considered it.

Adam interrupted his thoughts.  "Now, have you thought about what you might say to Ms. Rhodes, if you can speak with her for a couple of minutes, at most?"

Right, another reminder to keep it brief. Kurt understood, he really did, that she was a very busy lady, and there were no doubt many other fans who wanted to talk to her, so he couldn't take up very much of her time.

"I have no idea Adam, I don't know what I'm going to say. Oh my God, what do I say, what if she –"

Adam held his hand and again ran his thumb over the back of it in a soothing manner. "Calm down, sweetheart. Maybe you should just tell her how much you admire her and how much you enjoyed the play, and that might be enough." Then he paused and put a finger to his own lips. "I will give you permission at the very beginning, to speak directly to her and for her to speak directly to you, so that won't be a problem."

"Oh, thank you, Adam!"

There were so many things he wanted to say, but what did he really _need_ to say?  He didn’t want to waste her time, saying the same things she’d heard from hundreds or thousands of other fans. Kurt thoughts were interrupted by Jesse's return.

"Adam, I checked and Ms. Rhodes said you and Kurt may come backstage and talk to her for a few minutes. I'm afraid Ms. Corcoran isn't feeling well, and has already left the building. If you'll both follow me please."

He led them to the backstage area. There were some other fans and well-wishers gathered outside the dressing room door marked ‘April Rhodes’, but Jesse managed to politely get through them and to the large man standing right in front of the door. Kurt presumed he was a bodyguard of some type, or a bouncer.

It was so crowded, it was impossible not to accidentally brush against other people. A few people looked up to see who was cutting in front of them in line, but when they saw Jesse, they settled down. He spoke very quietly to the man at the door, but Kurt could hear him.

"These are the two gentlemen Ms. Rhodes wanted to speak to."

The bodyguard nodded, and opened the door, but stood there in such a way that he was blocking anyone but Adam and Kurt from entering. Jesse added, "I'll be right out here, when you're ready to go. I'll walk you to the nearest exit so you can get to your car."

Kurt couldn't understand why Jesse was being so nice to them, and downright polite to him. It made him feel bad for his negative thoughts towards him earlier.

Adam thanked Jesse, and then the door was closed behind them. Kurt had thought there might be several people in the room, like maybe a personal assistant or someone like that, but instead, April Rhodes was the only person there. She had changed out of her Glinda costume into more normal street clothes, and taken off the heavy stage makeup, and was very pretty.

She was so tiny in real life, she made Kurt feel tall in comparison. She barely came up to his nose.

Adam gave her a brilliant smile, and held out his hand to shake hers. "Ms. Rhodes, it's such a pleasure to see you again. I'm Adam Crawford. I don't know if you remember, but we've met once before, at an earlier show."

To Kurt's surprise, she did remember Adam.

"That's right, sweetie, I've seen you before. How many times have you been to this show?"

Adam blushed, as he admitted, "I've lost count actually. I think it's been seven or eight times now."

"Well, you must really love it!"

Adam confirmed that he did. "And may I present my hybrid pet and boyfriend, Kurt? This is the first time he’s ever seen a Broadway show. But I knew he loved the soundtrack. You have my permission to speak directly to him, and Kurt, you have my permission to speak directly to Ms. Rhodes."

The tiny blonde started to reach for Kurt like she wanted to shake his hand, then pulled her hand back. "It's so very nice to meet you, Kurt. Did the show live up to your expectations?"

"Oh yes, ma'am, it was wonderful! _You_ were wonderful!" He put his hands in his pockets, so he wouldn't just hug her the way he was tempted to. He was horrified at the thought, because he could get in so much trouble if he did that.

"Thank you, sweetie."

"I've had the entire soundtrack memorized since I was 12 and first heard it. I've been singing it ever since then. My voice is actually the same range as yours. At least, my upper range is the same."

Ms. Rhodes looked startled, but very pleased.

"Oh, you sing?"

Adam interrupted. "He sings beautifully. I've never heard anything like it."

Now she looked intrigued, and Kurt was alarmed. What was Adam thinking?

Ms. Rhodes clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, Kurt, I'd love to hear you. Would you please sing something for me?"

Kurt couldn't believe his ears, accurate as they usually were. Had April Rhodes really just asked him to sing for her?

"He does a beautiful version of Defying Gravity,” Adam offered helpfully. “I've heard it, and it's breathtaking."

Kurt started to panic, but Adam took his hand and squeezed it. "You don't have to if you don't want to," he said quietly. "Though you may never get this kind of chance again, and I would hate for you to regret missing the opportunity."

Ms. Rhodes nodded rapidly. "I don't mean to put any pressure on you, honey, but if you'd like to sing for me, I'd love to hear it."

Kurt knew he had to do it, or he would be mentally kicking himself for the rest of his life. He wasn't prepared, but he had certainly sung under pressure before, with no preparation, because that's how Will Schuester rolled.

He handed Adam his bag, so he would be unencumbered. Adam opened it and found one of the bottles of water. Kurt didn't care if it was his or Adam’s, and he kind of figured at this point, Adam wasn't too worried about his spit. He handed the bottle to Kurt, who had a couple of sips, then handed it back.

Kurt wasn't sure he should look directly at Ms. Rhodes, but it seemed like she was trying to look directly at him, so he made it easy for her. He opened his mouth and sang. He forgot about the fact there were other people outside the room, or that there was anyone else in the world, other than the two people with him at that moment. He put every ounce of feeling he could into the song, letting his voice soar, not even worried about hitting the high F.

Kurt was looking into Ms. Rhodes's eyes, but he realized he hadn't actually even been seeing her, his mind filled with so many memories. He realized as the song ended, that she was crying, and he was horrified. Had he been that bad?

Adam handed her some tissues, and she mopped up her face. "Goodness, I wasn't expecting that! Kurt, that was perfect! Please don't take this the wrong way, but I sure wish I could have you as my understudy, because I think you could sing the role beautifully.”

Without pausing to consult his brain, his mouth opened.  “I guess I’d have to be Guylinda.”

“That’s not a bad idea!  Thank you so much, Kurt, for letting me hear you. It's a damn shame that they won't let hybrids act or sing, because honey, you were born to be a star."

Kurt looked uncertainly at Adam, and was surprised to see tears in his eyes as well.

"Thank you so much, Ms. Rhodes,” Kurt finally said. He didn't know why she was trying so hard to make him feel good, because she couldn't possibly be telling the truth. He wasn't that good.

Maybe she saw the uncertainty on his face, because she suddenly looked and sounded rather fierce. "Now you listen to me, Kurt, I don't care what people have told you in the past to make you doubt yourself. You know the words to that song, and I can tell you understand them. It seems to me you need to really live them."

She touched her fingers to her lips, and looked at Adam, her eyes wide. "I probably shouldn't have said that."

"I'm glad you did. I've been trying to teach Kurt the same thing, but you expressed it better than I ever have."

She wrung her hands, as though she wasn't sure what to do with them.

"Adam, if it's all right with him, as well as with you, do I have your permission to hug Kurt and give him a kiss? I don't mean anything romantic by it, but I just feel this overwhelming need to do that."

"I quite understand," Adam said with a small laugh. "It's okay with me, if it's okay with Kurt."

Kurt had no idea what to say, so he didn't say anything, just opened his arms and waited, hoping it wasn’t some kind of trick. He didn't have long to wait, before his arms were full of a tiny, talented blonde whirlwind who seemed intent on squeezing the life out of him. Not that he objected; at the moment he couldn't think of a better way to go. He hoped he wasn't being too forward, in putting his arms around her, and his hands on her back, returning the hug, though he was very careful to not hurt her.

She leaned up, and kissed him on the cheek.  She seemed reluctant to let go of him, but finally did. "Just a sec." 

She rummaged around in her handbag, and took out a pen. "If you have anything you want me to autograph, honey, let me know, while I remember.”

Adam took the flatter of the two programs from Kurt’s bag and held it out.

April scribbled a rather lengthy message, and Adam helpfully gave Kurt his glasses so he could read it.

_ To Kurt, I absolutely adore your voice, and you! Don’t let anybody bring you down. Defy their expectations. Love, April Rhodes. _

“Thank you so much!”  It was so sweet of her to lie like that.

She’d been writing something on a small piece of paper while he read the note, and handed it to him.  Kurt looked at the business card, and saw there was a phone number on the back.

“Love those glasses, by the way, and those shoes!” she told him. “You’re both so stylish. I love it when people take the trouble to dress up to go to the theater.”

She saw Adam leaning over Kurt’s shoulder to see the card.

"Whoops, I guess I should've asked you first," she giggled, looking up at Adam. "I’m sorry.  I'd like to keep in touch with the two of you, and see what else Kurt is capable of, vocally. I'm not sure I could stand to just let you walk out of here, and never hear your voice again."

Kurt was stunned. It must be a dream. He pinched himself, afraid he would wake up, but he was still there, and she was still there, laughing at him, but not in a cruel way.

"No, sweetie, it's not a dream, this is real." She looked at Adam again. "If the two of you want to see the show again sometime, give me a call and let me know, and I'll make sure you get really good seats, no matter where you may officially be sitting."

"Thank you, we just may do that.”

“You’d better.”  She grinned at them and settled against the edge of the dressing room table. “Can I get your number, in case I get the urge to call and have Kurt sing to me again?”

He couldn’t believe she was real, that any of this was real, but Adam dutifully entered his number into her cell phone. But it looked like he entered it as Kurt Crawford. Weird.

Adam’s voice sounded falsely jovial, as though he were reluctant to interrupt. “Well, we won't take up any more of your time, but thank you so much for meeting with us, Ms. Rhodes, and for listening to Kurt."

"Oh, it was my pleasure, believe me. And call me April, you too, sweetie," she said to Kurt.

Kurt managed to mumble, “Goodbye, April, it was so lovely to meet you," while Adam gently tugged on his arm, then took his hand. 

“Goodbye Kurt, and Adam. I’m so happy to have met you both,” she called after them.

Adam opened the door, and again the bodyguard or bouncer kept anyone else from getting in, until April was ready to see them. Jesse was waiting, and took Adam by the arm, and led him out to the exit. They could hear a number of people mumbling about a private concert, and how did they rate having April sing to them? But Kurt did his best to ignore them. He had far more important things on his mind. 

As soon as they were outside, Jesse stopped. "I'll walk you to your car in just a second, but I just have to ask. I know April's voice, and that wasn't it. I know Adam's singing voice, and that wasn't it. Kurt, was that you singing Defying Gravity?"

Jesse's manner was intense, though he didn't appear to be angry. Still, it made Kurt nervous, and he started to tremble a bit. Or maybe it was just shock over everything that had just happened, he wasn't sure. 

Adam came to his rescue. "I'm not sure if we should talk about that, Jesse, I'm not sure it's something April – Ms.  Rhodes wants to become general knowledge."

Jesse looked hurt. "I'm not gonna tell anyone, I'm just amazed, and trying to confirm what I heard. And I think everybody near that door heard it too, but I think some of them thought it was April. I just had no idea hybrids could sing. I mean –" He looked apologetically at Kurt. "I'm sorry, I just mean I've never heard a hybrid sing. Most of the few I've actually heard speaking weren't all that articulate, so I guess I wasn't expecting it."

Adam seems to have regained his composure. "What did you think of it?"

"You mean the quality of the singing?" Jesse asked incredulously. "It was fantastic. I'm kind of glad Kurt wasn't in Vocal Adrenaline when I was, or I'd have had some serious competition." He explained to Kurt, "Vocal Adrenaline was the name of my show choir in high school. I was the lead singer, and I won us quite a few competitions, including Nationals a couple of times."

Adam murmered to Kurt, "He means a nationwide competition of all of the show choirs who had competed at their State level, and the next level with a number of other show choirs in the geographical region. It's quite an honor, and Jesse is very talented. But I think," he looked at Jesse, and shrugged his shoulders in apology before continuing, "you have a much better range than Jesse, which is really saying something.  And I think if you'd had the training he had you would have wiped everyone else off the map."

"You mean if I wasn't a hybrid," Kurt reminded him needlessly.

"I tell you, man," Jesse interjected, "if my old vocal coach from Vocal Adrenaline had heard you, she'd have found some way to enroll you in our high school and get you to sing lead for us, hybrid or no. Our best coach, I mean, Shelby Corcoran."

Kurt blinked a few times before he found his words. "But it sounds like she wouldn't even want to talk to me now, so why would she have given me a chance before?"

"I've known her about 9 years now, and I wouldn't say her attitude has changed during that time. There are things I know I can't tell you, but she would have been impressed with your talent. As I'm sure April was. 

"By the way, that's how I got this job, Shelby put in a good word for me."

"But Jesse, I always thought you would end up on the other side of the stage," Adam said with some concern.

"Long story. I'll tell you when we get together next week."

"Well, I've enjoyed talking to you, but I think we'd better get home before it gets too late. Kurt has had an incredibly busy day – a very busy couple of weeks, and he really needs to get some rest." 

"Okay. So what direction is your car in? Or did you choose valet parking?"

"I should've done that, but I just wasn't thinking. We're over in the next lot." They were all quiet as they walked over there. Even though it hardly seemed necessary, it was nice of Jesse to walk them over there and make sure they got the car safely. 

Adam spoke to Jesse, probably realizing Kurt could hear the conversation clearly.

"I really am glad we ran into you, and I do want to hear how you're getting on. I know things didn't end well, but I think we’re both glad to say it ended."

Jesse nodded decisively. "Yeah, you could say that. I'm sorry I didn't handle it better, but I think it all worked out for the best."

Adam shook Jesse's hand, and said, "Call me Tuesday or Wednesday, and we’ll set something up."

He opened the passenger door for Kurt and handed him the end of his leash, and closed the door, walked around to the driver's side, and let himself in. He waved to Jesse once more before they pulled out into the street.

"God, it's been a busy day for me too," he mumbled.

Kurt wasn't ready to start a conversation yet, but he thought he should clear one thing up. "I'm just going to say for now, at first I think I hated Jesse just for existing, for being some part of your life before you even knew me. But now I feel kinda sorry for him, and he was really nice to both of us. So I'm not jealous." He wondered if Adam knew how much that admission cost him.

Adam chuckled. "Yes, Jesse does have that sort of effect on people."

They didn't speak after that, and Kurt thought he must've fallen asleep at some point, because Adam was shaking him gently by the shoulder, and saying, "We're here, Kurt. We're home."

Those were very welcome words. Adam took a slight detour to go into the main lobby of the building and collect his mail for the last few days. He thumbed through it quickly, then stuck it all under his free arm, while they went back upstairs to their apartment.

Kurt took the time to remove his nice new clothes very carefully, and determined that, with the exception of the shirt, the suit could be worn again without being washed. Despite his nervousness, the suit was still miraculously sweat free. He took a very quick shower, and made sure that he and Adam could comfortably sleep in the same bed without him embarrassing either of them, then changed into his pajamas before going to Adam's room. 

He found Adam laying in bed, in his pajamas, reading something on his Kindle. Kurt was still fascinated with the concept of entire books, even series of books, all being available on one small device. But he thought it would be a long time before he would be comfortable enough to try to read anything that way. Regular books were challenging enough for the moment. Adam closed the cover of the Kindle and took his glasses off, and smiled at Kurt. "Did you have a good day sweetheart?" He held out his arms to Kurt, who gratefully snuggled into them, and drew the covers over them both.

"It was the most incredible day of my life, especially the last few hours. I can't thank you enough. I think it's going to take a long time for me to process all of this, but if it weren't for you I'd not only never have seen the play, but I'd never have met April."

“She is a very special lady, isn't she?" Adam asked, though surely he knew the answer.

"She is," Kurt agreed. "But I thought, I read a while ago that she had kind of a drinking problem. But she seemed fine when we saw her."

Adam shook his head. "I don't know what happened, but she cleaned up her act, early in the run of Wicked."

Kurt sighed heavily. "There are so many things I want to talk to you about, and things I need to think about, but were not going to have a lot of time before Dad gets here tomorrow." 

"We’ll definitely take some time to talk tomorrow," Adam promised. "But I would like you to rest as much as possible, just relax, do whatever you need to do, to settle your mind before he gets here. And after he leaves, you're going to have even more to think about, I'm sure. 

"Aside from getting together briefly with Jesse and whoever he's bringing, and I told Jessica and Tessa they could come over sometime soon, I don't think we'll plan for much else next week. But maybe I can set up an appointment for you to talk to Dr. Hanover. I think you might need someone besides just me to talk things over with, though you can certainly talk to me about anything you'd like."

“I think I'd like that," Kurt agreed sleepily. "Can you maybe set that up tomorrow? I mean, call him sometime tomorrow, and schedule an appointment for me? I don't care when, just whenever you think would be good."

Adam nodded, and petted Kurt's hair absently. "I'll do that. But for now, I think we both need a good night’s sleep.” He kissed Kurt tenderly on the forehead, then reached over and turned off the light on the nightstand.

Kurt didn't remember anything else until he woke the next morning.


	53. Chapter 53

Adam was surprised how late it was when he finally woke up. He hadn't set an alarm, but usually he was awake long before now. He looked at Kurt, slumbering soundly next to him, and decided to let him sleep as long as he needed. That was probably the absolute best thing for him right now, plenty of rest, not having to think about so many new people, concepts, and opportunities. Adam hadn't really had time to process most of it himself, he realized. He wondered if he should make an appointment for himself with Dr. Hanover as well, or add a joint session or something.

He got up carefully, trying not to jostle or wake Kurt. He was reluctant to run the shower and maybe risk waking his boyfriend, so he decided to shower in Kurt's bathroom instead. He really didn't think he would mind. He grabbed his own soap and shampoo, and decided he could spend most of the day in sweats. As far as he knew, they weren't going out anywhere.

He left both bedroom doors open, and Kurt's bathroom door slightly ajar, in case Kurt needed him for something. But he thought there was still enough distance it shouldn't wake him up.

He changed his mind about the soap when he saw that Kurt had already opened the bottle of Slammer, the bright orange shower gel. He squinted at the list of ingredients again. Lime, lemon, fresh sea water, and honey. The bottle claimed it was good for helping to wake you up NOW, so it seemed like a good choice. He doubted anything could have kept Kurt from sleeping last night, though.

He decided he really liked the scent, as well as the feeling of the shower gel. He had noticed that Kurt was very sensual, even downright sybaritic, in his tastes. Adam decided there was no comparison between his usual bar soap from the grocery store and this rather luxurious, very foamy shower gel. Maybe he could learn a few things from Kurt, as well as the other way around.

He opened the shower door and reached for the towel before stepping out. He supposed he shouldn't have been as startled as he was to see kitty!Kurt sitting on top of the closed toilet lid looking up at him quizzically.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. I hope you don't mind me using your shower. I didn't want to wake you." 

Kurt nodded graciously and Adam grinned as he deliberately petted Kurt's head and back with his still damp hand.

Kurt squawked, and tried to rub himself against the towel Adam was wearing, before jumping down and running out of the room.

Adam was slightly ashamed of himself, wondering why he gave in to these petty impulses to annoy Kurt. Hopefully he hadn't been too offended.

By the time he got dressed, Kurt was waiting patiently in the kitchen by his food bowl. He'd finished off the crunchies that Adam usually left in the bowl, so he could snack whenever he wanted. He must be pretty hungry.

"I'll open you can of hybrid chow, unless you want to change and have some eggs and toast with me."

Kurt tilted his head, as though considering the offer, then shook his head.

"Okay, you did spend quite a bit of time yesterday as a human. You can change whenever you like, but don't forget you'll probably have a few hours in your fur this evening while I'm out at the airport picking up your father.”

Kurt ears twitched forward, and he looked very alert.

"I can't wait to meet him," Adam added as he opened the canned food. He added about half the can to the bowl, and picked up the water dish to freshen it. "I’m looking forward to meeting the man who is largely responsible for raising you to be the incredible person – being -- that you are today. I intend to tell him how very proud I am that you chose me to spend your life with, instead of some other bloke. I'm very lucky," he concluded, setting the water down again. Kurt had been paying attention the whole time, rather than attacking the food as soon as it was put in front of him.

Adam saw that Kurt's fur was relatively dry, though it was sort of sticking up at the back of his head, almost like a cowlick. He reached down carefully, commenting, "It's okay, my hand is dry and clean," and tried to smooth the cowlick down. Kurt permitted it, but looked a bit wary.

"Tell you what, when we’re both done with breakfast, since we missed it last night, how about a good, thorough brushing and massage? Does that sound good?"

Kurt meeped and rubbed against his legs.

"All right then. I'd like to spend some time just sitting and cuddling with you, as a cat, if that's all right with you."

Kurt stood up on his back legs with his front legs held up, his eyes wide, and a begging expression on his adorable little face. "I take it that meets with your approval," Adam smirked. He knelt down in front of Kurt and hugged him lightly, before setting him down on the floor again. "You just go and have your breakfast and I'll fix mine, and in a little while I'll make you all pretty and fluffy again."

 

 

Since Adam was still eating when Kurt finished his breakfast, he went back to his own room to visit with his friends and play in Buckingham Palace. He found them where he had last left them and spent a few minutes holding Harriet in his paws and trying to stroke her fur smooth. It wasn't working, so he used his tongue, and that worked better. He tried to hold Bernard against him, the way he sometimes wanted to hug Adam, but it just wasn't the same. It wasn't Bernard's fault, though, so Kurt hugged him and tried to groom him as well. 

He jumped around to various levels, going in and out of the tunnels and rooms, and working off some of his excess energy. Then he jumped down to look for Roo, who was easy enough to find because of the smell of catnip. Roo's shape was easier to hold against him. He gave in to his instincts to bite and kick and scratch, and roll around on the floor, wrestling with the toy. 

That continued for a little while, until suddenly the catnip wasn't that appealing anymore, and he lost interest. He picked up Roo in his mouth and found a good hidey-hole in one of the little rooms of his castle.

Wait, hadn't Adam said something about cuddling, and brushing and massaging him? Adam was late in getting around to these duties. But rather than chase after him, he decided to be patient and wait for Adam to come to him. Maybe he could take a nap. No, he still had too much energy, and he could always nap while cuddling with Adam.

Kurt found a nice comfortable spot to wait, in one of the highest rooms. He would have the advantage of being able to see Adam when he came in, and could maybe startle him by jumping down on him unexpectedly. That was usually a fun trick. Unless the other person had no sense of humor. So far, it did seem that Adam had a decent sense of humor, for a human.

He didn't have to wait very long before Adam came in looking for him.

"Alright, Kurt, I know you're probably in here somewhere. Speak up or something, so I know where you are."

Kurt had a better way of letting him know his whereabouts. He prepared to leap, but Adam had been looking around, and spotted him, and had his arms already out to catch him.

Well, that wasn't so bad either. Kurt landed as gracefully as possible in Adam’s arms, and allowed his human to hold and cuddle him for a minute. Adam rubbed his chin, and then his face against the top of Kurt's head, and kissed him between the ears. Kurt blinked and twitched his ears, but it felt nice. He kind of understood why Misty liked it when he did that to her.

Adam was mumbling soothing baby talk to him, and Kurt decided the "soothing" canceled out the "baby talk". He purred in response.

Adam carried him into the bathroom and set him down on the counter near the sink. "I'm going to try something different today, and see if this works better.” He moved aside the bottles of products that might get knocked over by Kurt's tail or by him moving around, and put them on the far side of the counter. "I'm sorry, but you can reorganize that stuff later."

Kurt cared less about it as a cat than he probably would have as a human, so it didn't really bother him. This way he would have more room to stretch out and roll around while Adam brushed him. Adam found the comb and brush in the drawer, a separate drawer from human Kurt's comb and brush, naturally.

He stood while combing Kurt, who allowed himself to be moved around in order for the comb to reach everywhere. It felt very nice, but when Adam switched to the brush, that was even better. He loved the feeling of Adam’s big hands on him, sometimes holding him close to his body with one hand, so he could rush with the other. Kurt purred happily the whole time, wanting to encourage Adam with positive feedback.

In return, Adam kept up with the silly baby talk, interspersed with compliments and praise. Kurt really didn't care what Adam was saying, he just liked listening to the rumble of his voice, and the knowledge that he had Adam's full attention, even if it was only for a little while.

When they were done, Adam reminded Kurt that Nancy would be coming at 1:00. They could certainly go in another room and talk while she worked, but once she was done, it would be time to get ready for Burt's visit.

"I think there are some things we still need to discuss, like sleeping arrangements. And I need to call Dr. Hanover and Ms. Devereaux, and see if maybe they want to come over for dessert on Sunday night. I’ll schedule an appointment for you to talk to him, and maybe one for me as well. At any rate, obviously there are still some things to do, and I need to make a list to make sure we don't forget anything important."

Kurt looked up at him, wondering if Adam meant he should change back to human, but he was really enjoying this time together. He felt better when Adam added, "But for now, how about you and I go cuddle on the sofa for a bit? Then later I can make some phone calls, go through the mail, check my email, all those boring things. You can do what you want, as a cat or human, while I'm doing that. That's up to you. But if we’re going to find time to talk, it's going to have to be while you are human, because I want your input on some of these things."

Kurt nodded, and rubbed up against Adam's arm, to show him he agreed. He jumped off the counter, and started to run out of the bathroom, but Adam didn't follow him. He had gotten out the liquid cleaner, and was starting to wipe down the countertop.

Kurt meowed at him to get his attention, and waved his tail, trying to tell him "later".

Adam sighed. "I guess you're right, I can do this later, or you can, while I'm doing other things." Kurt meeped and nodded, and continued out to the living room, confident that Adam would follow.

Adam sprawled out on the couch, and patted his stomach for Kurt to jump up. Kurt started walking up and down Adam’s body, trying to find the best spot, but he had to admit, Adam's legs and knees were bony, and his stomach and chest would be the best place to lay down. Adam was looking at him in exasperation and protesting quietly, but not in an angry way, so Kurt wasn't worried.

He turned around three times on Adam's stomach, before laying down, resting his head on Adam's arm.  He held him securely within his arms, and rested his chin on Kurt's back. He enjoyed the feeling of Adam's fingers carding through his fur, scratching and massaging him gently. He supposed he would have to remind Adam, when he was human again, that he was going to get one of those cat massaging brushes. They probably have them at most pet stores.

Kurt wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but he was pretty sure he must have fallen asleep at some point. He suddenly woke up, realizing it was time to change back to human. He tried to communicate this to Adam, who wasn't quite as fluent in cat as he would've liked. He had to try several different types of vocalizations before he got the message through.

"So, getting restless, are you? If it's time to change, go ahead and do that. I'll go make those phone calls now, while I think about it."

Kurt leapt off of Adam's stomach, and ran back to his room to change. He decided he had plenty of time to shower before he needed to go out and talk to Adam. It would give them both a little time alone to think about things.

One of the things Kurt enjoyed about being a cat was that he could, for the most part, turn the human part of his mind off, and not worry about all the many things that crowded his poor brain when he was human.

By the time he had showered and cleaned up the bathroom, he dressed in sweat pants, a T-shirt, and Adam's NYADA sweatshirt. It wasn't all that cold in the apartment, but he zipped it all the way up and pulled the hoodie over his head. He didn't bother putting on shoes, just thick, cozy socks.

When he found Adam again, he was just finishing up a phone call, so Kurt made himself comfortable at the end of the sofa. He remembered that he should maybe write down things he wanted to talk to Adam about, or to his dad, or things he needed to do before Burt got there. He found a notepad and pen, and started writing. After a little while he got annoyed, and went to his room to find his glasses. That would make things much easier.

He saw the autographed program, and read April's message again. Maybe she really did mean it. He decided he would have to find a good place to keep that safe, maybe even a nice frame for it. He didn't think Adam would mind buying a frame. He also took out the card with April's phone number on it, and set it on his desk where he could easily find it again. 

It occurred to him that he should maybe have a place for the various business cards he was accumulating. He had them from Dr. Hanover, the gym, Hugo's store, and now April. He wondered if there were others he had forgotten about, but he figured Adam was probably keeping track of all that. Maybe they should both have access to all those numbers?

Kurt didn't have a phone of his own, but he knew Adam wouldn't mind if he used the landline in a sort of emergency situation. He wasn't about to ask for a cell phone, because it really wasn't necessary. He and Adam weren't separated long enough or often enough to really justify it, but it might be worth discussing later.

Kurt went back to making his list. So many, many things. He remembered when he was younger, it seemed like he was able to cope a lot better with having a lot of different thoughts, his mind running in different directions at once. But he'd been safe then, in his father's house, until he'd been taken away and eventually sent to New Directions.

There hadn't been a lot to think about there, because mostly the days were very similar. And when he got too scared about Dave bullying him, he decided it was easier to just stay a cat as much as he could. He attracted less attention that way. Luckily for him, someone had adopted Dave not long after. But there was always somebody there who really didn't like him, who seemed to make it their mission in life to make his life unpleasant.

He had it so much easier now. He knew he was safe with Adam, who wouldn't let anything happen to him, if he could help it. But now, there was hardly any routine to his days. He knew Adam was trying to help with the brushing at night, but there were still so many other things, so many appointments, and all these new people, new experiences, and he didn't have time to process anything that happened before something else came along. It was getting pretty overwhelming. But it did seem to help to write things down, because he could sort of transfer it out of his brain and onto the paper, temporarily at least. That way, he wouldn't forget anything important.

He realized Adam had finished with his phone call, and was tapping away at the laptop again. It was okay, he wasn't quite ready to talk just yet. But then he thought of a good way to distract himself, at least it'd always worked in the past.

"Adam?" He asked softly, not wanting to disturb him. 

Adam stopped typing and looked up. "Yes?" He turned slightly, so he could see Kurt more easily. “Do you want something? Do you want to talk?"

Kurt shook his head. "Not quite yet, I don't think. But soon."

"Alright. What can I help you with?"

"I was thinking, could I maybe try out the sewing machine? I'll need to get started on the dress for Lily pretty soon, maybe after Dad leaves."

"Good idea," Adam approved. "Maybe you can work on an outfit for Bernard, first, to get some practice in."

"Yeah, I like that idea."

"Do you need any help setting up the sewing machine? Do you know where you're going to use it?"

"I was thinking, maybe the kitchen table for now."

"Or maybe the dining room table," Adam suggested. “You’ll have more room to work. Maybe we can put a blanket or something on top of it so it doesn't get scratched, but we need to make sure the sewing machine will sit on it smoothly, and not get tipped over."

"That would be great," Kurt agreed. "Would you mind helping me set that up? I don't think it'll take more than a few minutes, then I can get started, and get out of your hair."

"You're not disturbing me," Adam assured him. "I'm just making some notes about things I don't want to forget."

"I was doing the same thing," Kurt said. "It helps get things out of my head but so that I don't forget them."

"I agree. I think we'll get overwhelmed now and then by too many things going on, but I know it's much more difficult for you to adjust right now. I was thinking, I’ve thrown so many new situations and people at you, without intending it to be nearly as chaotic as it's been. You've handled it really well, but if you wanted to spend most of the next week hibernating and thinking about things, I'd understand."

Kurt opened his eyes wide as he contemplated this. "Do you think I should?"

Adam shrugged. "I don't know, you need to figure out what's best for you, to help you transition into this new life. And it is your life, Kurt," he emphasized. "I'd like to help you in any way I can, but I don't want to impose too much of my life on to you. I want you to have some say in how you spend your time, what you do, who you see. There will be times we don't have much choice, and we just have to adapt to what comes at us, but you need to have some say as well."

Kurt appreciated the thought, but at the moment he didn't know how to do any of that. He just wanted to start sewing, so he could focus on one thing, and get it done. In this case it would be practice for Lily’s dress, and he knew it was important that he do a good job on that. It was something that was within his control, so he wanted to do as good a job as he could.

"Thanks, but for now I think I'd better just get started sewing."

All right." Adam closed his laptop and got up. "Let's get the table covered, then set up the machine and everything else you’ll need. If there's anything you need help with, just let me know, though I think I'm all thumbs when it comes to sewing needles."

"That's all right, I think I'll be okay on my own once I get it set up. I'd better get my glasses so I can go through the manual first."

“Good idea. Some people like to just get started with a new machine, and figure it out on their own, but I've always thought it's smart to at least glance at the manual first, in case there is something important that doesn't seem obvious."

In a short time, they had an area set up for Kurt to sew, and all the things he needed. He had retrieved his reading glasses and his sketchbook and pencils, and measured Bernard for pants and a shirt. He started sketching some ideas for a simple outfit at first. He could add little accessories later, but for now, that would do.

Kurt had been so involved with his sewing, he hadn't even paid attention to the rumbling of his stomach. He only became aware he was hungry when Adam called to him from the kitchen, to tell him lunch was ready.

He blinked, and looked down at the small shirt that was almost finished. It just needed may be three tiny buttons and button holes. He thought he might even have time to finish the pants before Adam left.

He turned off the machine, and washed his hands at the kitchen sink. He was amazed that Adam had been able to put together a chicken salad and soup, without him even noticing Adam had entered the kitchen. He wasn't sure whether that was a good sign or not. He was usually so hyperaware of Adam's presence – but on the other hand, Adam wanted him to be more independent, and didn't necessarily want them to be attached at the hip. Maybe he didn't want an invisible leash between them, any more than the physical one. It was another thing to think about at another time.

They ate quietly for a while, and when they were done, Kurt insisted on doing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. "If you want to talk, I guess now would be a good time," he suggested. 

Adam brought a few things to the sink, and started cleaning up the counter. "I know there's been a lot going on, so is there anything in particular you want to talk about?"

"Oh, that reminds me, did you schedule an appointment for me with Dr. Hanover?"

"I did. He's going to see us both Tuesday. You at 10 o'clock, me at 11. You'll be able to wait in that resting area while I'm talking to him."

“That's good," Kurt agreed. "And what about Sunday night?"

Adam nodded. "Yes, he'll be here at 7 o'clock, I guess for an hour or so. I also invited Ms. Deveraux, and she'll be here too. I really think your dad should get to know both of them, and I want you to know her. She's another person that I think we can trust with your best interests. But I really do need to get a will going and figure out whom to leave you with if anything happens to me. Not that I expect anything to, but just in case." 

Kurt had stopped washing the dishes while he listened to this last part, but he went back to scrubbing. "I agree, that's a good idea. But I just don't know – well, I guess it's not up to me to decide anyway."

Adam put a hand on his shoulder to turn him gently around. "But I do want you to have some say in this, Kurt. If you can think of anyone specifically that you want me to ask about adopting you, or that I can leave you to in my will, I want to know."

Kurt shrugged his shoulders helplessly, and said, "I have no idea. I really don't. I've met so many people recently, but I don't think any of them would want the added responsibility of me on top of whatever they have going on in their lives."

"Well, it's not something I'm going to just spring on somebody," Adam pointed out. "I'm going to want to make sure that they are in agreement, and they're able to do it."

Kurt sighed, and said, "Let's hope we both have some more time to think about it, then."

"Okay." Adam let him finish up the dishes.  "But I also wanted to talk to you about your father. As you know, it's sort of a long drive back from the airport, and depending on traffic, I'm not sure exactly what time we'll be back. But we’ll have some time to talk, without you being there. I think it's important that he and I have some time before he sees you. I wanted to let you know that I'm not planning on saying anything that will embarrass you or upset you, but I'd like to be able to speak my mind, without you worrying about what I might say."

Kurt dried his hands on a dish towel and turned around, leaning against the sink, as he looked at Adam.

"I trust you," he said simply. "You can say whatever you want to my dad, whether I'm there or not. I can't guarantee he won't tell you some embarrassing stories about me, but that's also out of my control." He suspected by the glint in Adam’s eyes, that he was rather hoping for some embarrassing, or at least cute, stories from his childhood.

"I've been trying not to get too excited about it," he confessed. "There's so many other things going on, but I know the closer it gets to him being here, the more my emotions might get out of control. So I think it would be a good idea for me to be a cat for a while before he gets here, and just run everything out of my system. I promise I'll be careful not to break anything!"

"You've been really good about that so far," Adam mentioned. "I was thinking, I know you've got your sewing project right now. But would you maybe like to play the piano for a little bit and sing? Or maybe sing while your sewing? I was thinking you can do that even while Nancy is here, though you’ll probably be interrupted when she's vacuuming."

"That's a good idea," Kurt agreed. He glanced into the dining room at everything spread out on the table. "I'm not sure, should I clean everything off the table so Nancy can clean in here? I’ll try to get it all put away before Dad gets here."

"If you don't mind her being in here and dusting or whatever, she can do that while you're working. I think you’ll probably have time to maybe dust and polish the dining room table, if you want, before your dad gets here. If it's not that important, just leave it, and run a cleaning cloth over it, and we can always throw a tablecloth on it later."

"That sounds fine," Kurt agreed.

"Have you given any thought to what kind of dessert to serve on Sunday night? Should I get something from a bakery, or –"

Kurt looked at him as though he had suggested serving the food on paper plates.

"No way! I was planning on making a cheesecake."

"Okay, that's fine. I might have to run to the store for a little bit to get some of the ingredients if we don't have them, so just let me know what you need. I can do that while you and your father spend some time together. It's not like he's going to kidnap you and run away to Ohio with you," he joked.

"I already told you, I wouldn't go if he tried. Not only would he get in trouble, but I wouldn't do that to you. I won't leave you for anybody."

Adam hugged him tightly for a moment, then kissed him briefly. "That's good, because I don't intend to lose you. Not without a fight." He didn't seem to be teasing this time.

Kurt went back to his sewing, and Nancy showed up shortly after that.  

She told them how thrilled her parents had been to see Donna again, and they were impressed with Jerry.  “He’s such a nice guy, and he really loves Donna a lot.  We’re all going to spend more time together soon.  I just wanted to let you both know how much we all appreciate what you did, bringing us together.”

“It was our pleasure,” Adam assured her.  “I’m glad things worked out so well for you.”

Nancy turned more business-like.  “Is there anything specific you want me to do, anything special that needs to be done?”

Kurt had returned to his sewing after hearing things had gone well for Donna.

Adam glanced in his direction.  “I think Kurt is going to continue sewing until he finishes the project he’s working on, then he might want to use the piano.  If you would vacuum and clean in here and the dining room first – just let him know to stop and get out of your way for a few minutes – then you can do all the usual things elsewhere.  I’m just going to sit out here for a bit and work on the computer.”

Nancy agreed, and by the time she’d finished her tasks, Kurt had also completed the outfit for Bernard. He was eager to see how it fit him.  He was realizing he should have used Velcro for the shirt, fastening it at the back, rather than putting the buttons on the front, but it was good practice.  The pants were done with Velcro, so it should be fairly easy to get everything on him.  He hoped his bear liked the outfit, but if not, he could make him some more things later.  Besides, bears were used to being naked anyway, so he might not care that much what his clothes looked like.  He hoped Harriet wouldn’t be jealous.  He’d have to figure out if there was any way to make a dress tiny enough to stay on her rather oddly-shaped body, but he liked a challenge.


	54. Chapter 54

Kurt found that the little outfit for Bernard fit him well. The blue pants and blue and gray striped shirt with gray buttons made him look somehow more bear-like than without any clothing. He thought maybe at some point he might make some little boots for him, to keep his feet warm.

He left the door open, but Adam knocked anyway, and waited for him to say, "come in."

"Oh, you've finished Bernard's outfit. May I see it?"

"Sure," Kurt said, handing the bear over.

Adam looked it over carefully, noting the seams, buttons, and other details.

"You know, I think this is better than the outfits they sell at the store. I didn't look at them too closely, because I figured you might rather make your own rather than just have me buy something random. But this is very nice work."

He handed the bear back to Kurt, who set him on a little shelf, leaning against a post. He moved Harriet so she was sitting next to him. He hoped she wouldn’t get too jealous of Bernard’s fine new suit, before he could make her own outfit.

"Thanks! You know, I figured out, it's much easier, and everything that comes out much better now that I can see clearly. A lot of times in the past I would think I was doing okay, and then I would look at the hem later, and have to rip the thread out and start over again, because it was uneven or something was just off. I didn't realize it was my vision that was off."

"I'm so glad to hear that it helps in that way, too. It just might open up a whole new world for you, being able to see details up close. I really hope it will help your reading comprehension, too."

Kurt nodded. "I think so. I haven't really tried much, but I could read April's note. By the way, can we maybe get a frame or something to put the program with her note to me in it? I want to keep it safe."

"Sure, that's no problem. We can do that next week, maybe. I think there will probably be a few things we need to go out and get together. I'm just hoping it's not as busy as the past two weeks."

Kurt took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "You know, even though it's been really crazy, and there's so much going on, almost all of it is good stuff. I can't say I want every day to be as busy as it's been, but it really hasn't been all that bad. It's a lot better than some hybrids have it, their first couple of weeks, because sometimes they're left in a strange house, pretty much on their own, and it might've been a few years since they've lived anywhere but the pet store. It can be difficult to get by, especially if the owner pretty much ignores you unless they want you for something.

"I like having choices, even though it's still kind of difficult for me, I think I'm getting the hang of it. I do think I might need some time to myself maybe, after Dad leaves, but I'm hoping I can sort things out, because I'm going to keep having new experiences and meeting new people. I'm going to have to adjust more quickly, I think."

He paused, and Adam said, "That's true, but I will try to do a better job of scheduling things, so we don't have too many things in one day."

"That sounds good," Kurt agreed.

"The reason I came in,” Adam explained, “was I wanted to ask you before your dad gets here, what you want to do about the sleeping arrangements."

Kurt shrugged. "It shouldn't be too difficult. Dad can stay here in my room, and use my bathroom, and I'll spend the nights in your room. Either as a cat or human, whichever you want."

"That's fine with me, but maybe we’ll ask your dad to close the bedroom door, so you don't run in there to play in your tree house and wake him up. I don't know whether it's something you would remember, that late at night. I know I don't think that clearly if I wake up in the middle of the night."

Kurt thought about it. "I think I'd remember something like that. I can always go play in the living room, and try to keep it quiet. It's kind of hard to explain, sometimes I just want to be a cat, with none of my human thoughts interfering with things, but most of the time I do need to be aware of rules or boundaries that have been set up. Anyway, I think I can remember for just a couple of nights."

"Okay. I just don't want to upset him. I'm sure he probably already thinks were sleeping together, but I just didn't want to offend him. But there really isn't any place else for him to sleep. The loveseat in the TV room does fold out to a bed, supposedly, but it's the most incredibly lumpy, painful bed I've ever slept on. I wouldn't want to subject anyone to that."

Kurt shuddered at the thought. "I think it'll be okay. You can always ask him when you see him. I'll go along with whatever you decide." He wondered how Adam would respond to that, but he seemed to accept it. Kurt figured there was always going to probably be some balancing out in decision-making. Sometimes, probably a lot of times, Adam would want him to make his own decisions. There were other times, however, that it just made more sense for Adam or someone else to do that. Like with Adam setting up the doctor appointments. He would have a much better idea of his schedule than Kurt would. He was relieved to have one less thing to worry about.

"Well, I still have some things I need to do. If you want to go play the piano, I think Nancy is done with the vacuum cleaner." He moved out of the way, to give Kurt room to get out the doorway, then followed him out.

"That sounds good, I think I'll do that." He stopped and turned towards Adam. "I really wanted to thank you again for last night. It was wonderful, and I'm so glad I got to meet April. And I really want to thank you for kind of pushing me into singing for her. I would never have dared think about it on my own, but it seemed to go pretty well, don't you think?" He wondered, from the look on Adam's face, if he'd said something wrong.

"Kurt, I'm not sure if you fully grasp just how impressed April was with your singing. I'm sure she doesn't encourage everyone who wants to sing for her to do that. But I had faith that once she heard you, she wouldn't regret it, and neither would you."

"No, I don't regret it. I kind of wish I'd been more prepared, but it went all right anyway."

Adam shook his head. "I've been singing pretty steadily for the last nine or ten years, and I don't think I could have done as well if someone had put me on the spot like that. You have every reason to be proud of yourself, and I want you to know that I am proud of you. But in this case, what you think is more important than what I think."

"I kind of wish I'd recorded it," Kurt joked. "I barely remember the details. But I do remember feeling like I did pretty well, until I focused on April again, and saw she was crying. I thought maybe I was so bad I had upset her, like ruined the song. I had a hard time accepting that she really liked what she heard. But today, looking back on it, I really do think she meant all the things she said."

Adam looked directly into his eyes. "Oh, I'm sure she meant it. I really don't think she gives that kind of encouragement to everyone. She seems like a very sweet person, but I think there was something about you that she really liked, and a big part of it is your incredible voice."

"Well, I'm glad you like it, and she likes it. I guess that's really all that matters."

"What about you, Kurt? Do you like your voice? Just push aside everything everyone else has ever told you. It doesn't matter what they think. What do you think of your own voice?"

"I think it’s like you told Jesse last night. If I'd had the proper vocal training all these years, I could probably be good enough to be a professional. But I think even without all that I sound pretty damn good." For a moment he looked smug, then the façade fell, and he giggled, his entire face scrunching up adorably.

"Well, I certainly hope you're going to sing for your father while he's here. I'm not sure what kind of music he likes, but I'm sure he would like to hear your singing voice now."

"He doesn't care much for show tunes, he likes Springsteen and Mellencamp and those guys, but I think he likes hearing whatever I want to sing. I'm so glad he never tried to shut me up, or discourage me. Every now and then he'd tell me to turn the volume down if I was listening to music too loud without headphones, but he never told me that I shouldn't sing, because I think he realized how much it meant to me."

"Well, I'm sure he'll be very impressed when he hears you. I'm going to get back to work." He patted Kurt rather awkwardly on the shoulder.

Kurt moved closer and hugged Adam tightly, and was gratified to feel the hug returned. "It's okay to hug me, you know. I promise, I'm not going to be expecting sex or anything every time you hug me. But I just like it."

Adam sighed into Kurt's hair, then smoothed it out in case he had ruffled it too much. "I'm sorry, it's going to take me a while to get used to being more openly affectionate. Some of the Apples are very demonstrative, others aren't, but for the most part, I don't go around hugging people that much. And it's been a long time since I've had a boyfriend."

“How long?” Kurt asked, wondering if it was any of his business.

"Over two years. I promised I would tell you about Jesse, and I will, before we see him again."

"I'm sorry he hurt you, it seems like you haven't had very much luck with relationships. But whatever happened, I'm sure it wasn't your fault. You're such a good man, Adam. Anyone who would leave you, doesn't really deserve you."

Adam chuckled as he held Kurt tighter. "I'm glad you think so, love, but at least I don't think I have to worry about the same problem with you that I had with Jesse. You have no reason to worry about him, or anyone else, coming between us. I promise. Now let's do whatever we need to do, before I go to pick up your father. I think Nancy's going to be leaving in a little while, if you want to say goodbye to her."

Kurt nodded, and reluctantly pulled away from Adam. "Okay."

 

 

Kurt spent much of the rest of the afternoon going back and forth between the piano and singing, and starting to work on Lily’s dress on the sewing machine. He normally liked to do just one thing at a time, focus on that, and get it done, and be sure he'd done it right. But for some reason, he felt like going back and forth between the two, like one activity was inspiring the other.

He did say goodbye to Nancy when she left, and said he was so glad that her family had wanted to see Donna again, and vice versa.

"Can you imagine how difficult it might be," he mused aloud, "if either the kid didn't want to see the parents, or the parents didn't want to see the kid, but the other one did?"

Nancy nodded. "I've thought about that before. I think that's probably one of the main reasons why they have the rules set up the way they do. That way it keeps you safe from that feeling of rejection. I guess it's better to know that you had to leave and your parents had no choice, rather than know that they don't care if you come back or not. Or vice versa. If the parents really want to see their hybrid kid again, and he or she learned too well not to get too attached, and they treat their parents like strangers? Can you imagine? I would hate that."

Kurt thought briefly about Rachel and Shelby Corcoran. He was beginning to think Adam was right, and that was a relationship they should not interfere in. Since Rachel had never talked about her mother, what if Shelby's discomfort around hybrids was because she wanted to see her daughter, rather than avoid her? He pushed the thought away, it was just too painful.

"I think you're right, but I'm still so glad that we tried with your family. But I think we need to think about the circumstances, and the people, before we do something like that again."

Nancy nodded vigorously, then smiled and said, "I've got a get to my next appointment. But I enjoyed talking with you, Kurt, and thanks again, so much, for helping out my family."

"I'm glad I could help."

Kurt went back to the piano, and tried to think about what he might play for his father. There was one song that was a given, but maybe he could find a few more, and do a little mini-concert or something. Or maybe he should just wing it, just see what he felt like playing at the time. Or even ask his dad what he wanted to hear? That might be an idea.

Dinner was not terribly inspiring, for either of them, he didn’t think, but Kurt really didn't care.

Adam asked, "What type of coffee does your father like, do you know? Is there anything specific I should get for him while he's here, any type of food he might enjoy?"

Kurt frowned as he thought back to his father's meal preferences.

"I think if he had his way, he'd eat nothing but pizza, burgers, fried chicken, well – fried anything, really. As long as it's greasy, and clogs your arteries, and is unhealthy as possible, my dad likes it."

"Got it. So I'll get our usual groceries, and he'll have at least a few healthy-ish meals."

"I hope Carole is fixing him things that are good for him," Kurt thought aloud. "I'm sure if she loves him, she's keeping his diet heart healthy, but maybe I should talk to her about it sometime."

Adam shook his head. "Kurt, I know this is hard to accept, but taking care of your father isn't your job anymore. In a way, it never was, or rather, you shouldn't have had to be the one – the only one – to take care of him when he was ill. But now he's got Carole, and he's a grown man, so however he normally eats or lives his life, is up to him, not you.

"I can see there is a control freak in you that's just dying to get out and wreak havoc over everyone's lives," he joked, "but really, you don't need to take on responsibility for so many other people. For now, why don't you focus on taking care of yourself, and I'll help you, and we’ll let the rest fend for themselves."

Kurt knew there was some sense in that, but he wasn't sure he could just turn off that switch that made him want to help other people. "Can we compromise on that?"

"What you mean?" Adam asked.

"Well, can I take care of you, as well as me?"

Adam shut his mouth abruptly, and was quiet for a moment as he thought. "Tell you what. Why don't we try to take care of each other, as long as we both have respect for the other’s boundaries. It's going to take a while to work all these things out, like it would for any couple, but I think it's worth it."

"You've got a deal."

 

 

Adam had made all the phone calls he could think of, gone through his mail and paid the bills, checked his email and other online accounts, and now felt he was caught up with everything. There was nothing so urgent it couldn't wait a few days, while Burt was here. He wanted to give Kurt and his dad as much time alone as they wanted, but he also wanted to be available, to take them any place they wanted to go.

He had to admit, he was a bit nervous about meeting Burt. In some ways it was like meeting a potential father-in-law. Even though Burt might not be as involved in Kurt's life as he would in other circumstances, it was clear that he was a huge influence on him, and if he didn't approve of Adam, it might give Kurt second thoughts, or make him question his own ability to choose a partner for life.

Or maybe he was just projecting his own issues onto Kurt. He hadn't exactly had a stellar record in the past with boyfriends, and had consistently made poor choices, based more on emotion than common sense. He wasn't used to diving into new situations emotions first. Most of his life he had kept his feelings in check, hidden behind high walls, the way he had been raised. But as part of his youthful rebellion, when he'd come to New York, he decided to do things differently, and let his heart advise him, rather than his head.

He supposed it could have been worse, if he had let his dick guide his decisions, who knows who he might have ended up with, so he supposed he should give himself some credit for that.

He rather envied the relationship Kurt had with his father, who sounded absolutely nothing like Adam's own father, who was as rigid and proper and dull as an upper-class Brit should be. But the man belonged as a character in a book, rather than someone who lived in the real world, because he had reacted as though Adam's admission to being gay was equivalent to admitting he had AIDS. His father couldn't seem to tell the difference, how one didn't automatically lead to the other. He wondered what it might have been like to grow up with someone more like Burt, who seemed much more understanding of his son's differences.

It sounded like they had very little in common, but Burt had at least tried to keep his son close, had allowed him to spend time in the garage with him, taught him to work on cars, and didn't discourage Kurt's more theatrical interests, the way many fathers might have. He was definitely looking forward to meeting this singular man.

Kurt volunteered to clean up the dishes and kitchen again, and Adam decided to let him. He would probably have several hours to kill while Adam was out, and he might need to do something mindless, in his human form, while he figured out what to say to his dad.

"I'm leaving now, Kurt," Adam called out.

Kurt came back in to listen to him.

"I don't think we'll be back any earlier than, 10:00 but it could be closer to 11:00. There's plenty of time for you to take a nap, but do whatever you like, whatever you need to do to be able to enjoy some time with your father when he gets here. I suggest we kind of keep it short, as we'll probably all be tired. It might be better to get a good night's sleep, and start fresh in the morning. There will still be plenty of time for you to visit, and I promise, it won't be the last visit. You don't have to tell him everything you've done in the last five years in two and a half days."

"Good, because I'm not sure even I can talk that fast," Kurt quipped. "Go on, you better get going. I'll be fine."

"If your dad's flight is late or were going to be delayed for any reason, I'll call and leave a message on the machine. If you hear it as a person, you can answer it, and if you're a cat, you can just listen to the message. I just don't want you to worry."

"It's okay, I'm not going to worry. The universe wouldn't be that cruel anyway, to take both you and my dad away from me at the same time, not after –" He started to breathe a little faster.

Adam hugged him tightly. "It's okay, Kurt. Please don't think about anything like that. I promise I'll be very careful. We'll see you in a few hours, all right?"

Kurt took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and breathed out heavily. He opened his eyes again, and they looked calmer, not nearly as wild. "You're right. I'm okay. I'll see you later."

Adam did drive carefully, if not exactly slowly. He needed to keep up with the rest of the traffic, after all. But he was now used to driving in the city, and as long as he didn't get too distracted by his thoughts, he should be fine. He turned on the radio to his favorite station, and sang along, letting the loud music drown out any stray distracting thoughts.

By the time he arrived at the airport, he was fairly relaxed, all things considered. He had decided to meet Burt at the gate, and go with him to pick up his luggage. He parked as close as he possibly could to the correct airline entrance, after determining it wouldn't be very far to walk, even carrying baggage.

He'd rarely had a reason to go to the airport, especially at night, but everything was brightly lit, and there were clear directions everywhere. He checked the board to make sure Burt's flight wasn't delayed, just as he'd done on the computer shortly before he left. Good, it was still on time, so that meant he had a little while to wait. He debated about whether coffee was a good idea, but decided tea made more sense. Tea and a croissant or cookie or something, and he'd have plenty of energy.

While he enjoyed his snack, he checked his email, and glanced again at the latest message from Burt. It acknowledged getting the latest photos, so he would know what Adam looked like, and also gave him the chance to see his son looking grown-up and handsome in a suit.

Well, he supposed the "handsome" part might not matter so much to Burt. But it had to be a shock to last see your child as, according to Kurt, a chubby 13-year-old, and now see him as a taller, slimmer, graceful young man. He supposed that Burt probably wouldn't mind what Kurt looked like, as long as he was healthy.

When Adam finished his tea and croissant, he found the correct gate and took a seat. He wondered how many of the other people sitting near him were waiting for someone arriving, or were waiting to get on the next flight. He tried Kurt's breathing technique. He was fairly calm, but still….

If it were his son who had been taken away from him, and bought by some total stranger, no matter how well-intentioned that stranger might be, no matter how pleasant and well-meaning and caring he might be, Adam wasn't sure he could restrain himself from punching the bastard in the face, at the very least.

He decided to be as Zen about it as he could, and whatever happened, happened. Burt seemed like a reasonable man, so maybe he was worrying for nothing.

He sat up straighter as he saw the plane taxiing in and pulling up right outside the window. In a few minutes, Burt Hummel would walk off that plane and into the airport, and back into his son's life, after so many years apart. Adam wanted to make everything as easy as he possibly could on everyone, but he hardly knew where to start.

He peered carefully into the crowd as people started getting off the flight. He recognized Burt immediately, as he seemed to be wearing the outfit Kurt usually associated with him, jeans and a flannel shirt, probably over a T-shirt, a tan jacket over that, and a baseball cap jammed onto his presumably bald head.

It looked like Burt had spotted him at the same time. Adam stood up to meet him. Burt had a small carry-on bag in his left hand, and when he got to Adam, he stuck his right hand out.

"Burt Hummel. I guess you’re Adam Crawford."

Adam smiled as benignly as he could. "Yes, sir, that's me. How was your flight?"

"Less annoying than some," Burt allowed, as he looked around, presumably for the baggage claim sign.

"We need to go this way, to the left, and down to the first floor, to get your bag. I'm assuming you have more than that," he said, indicating the bag in Burt's hand.

"Yeah, had too much stuff for one bag, and some things I couldn't carry on the flight that I knew the kid would want." He looked around again. "Guess he's not with you, huh?"

Adam was slightly startled, as he thought they had already discussed this.

"No, he's at home, hopefully playing and running off as much energy as he can. I'm sure he'll change back once you get there."

"This is going to sound kind of funny,” Burt said hesitantly, “but I miss his furry little face almost as much as his human face."

"I completely understand. I know he can't wait to see you. I told him it would probably let be late when we get in, and we'll all be tired, because I didn't think we should be up too late. Might be better to get a fresh start in the morning."

"Good plan," Burt approved. "If I know my kid, he's gonna practically run me down as soon as he sees me, and talk my ear off for half an hour before I can get a word in edgewise. And I can't wait."

Adam heard the slight waver in Burton's voice, and the not-so-subtle throat clearing that followed.

"I just hope you're not –" Adam tried to formulate his thoughts. "I know you already know this, but he's not 13 anymore, he's almost 19. It's probably going to be a shock to see the differences anyway."

Burt sighed heavily. "Yeah, but it helps that you've been sending so many pictures already. I want to thank you for that, by the way. I've been showing them all to Carole. She's seen all of his baby and kitten pictures and everything I had of him growing up, but it’s hard not having any pictures from all that time in between."

"They might have a few pictures at New Directions, the pet store," Adam pointed out, "but they probably won't be the sort of candids that you would've taken."

"So," Burt said, his voice low and suddenly dull, "did you see a picture of him first, or just see him in the store? I know different stores handle things in their own way."

Adam tried to answer as carefully as he could.

"No, I didn't see a picture of him. But I was looking at the paper and saw an ad for the store, and thought that it might be nice to get a hybrid pet, so we could have an actual conversation, not just me talking to an animal that has no clue what I'm saying."

"So in a way, you wanted someone to talk to, maybe a relationship?"

"Um, yes. I wasn't sure exactly what type of relationship I wanted yet. I looked at the pictures and descriptions of the hybrids in the ad, but none of them looked appealing. I decided to go to the store and check it out. I knew I probably wanted a cat hybrid as opposed to a dog, although I think in Kurt's case, it probably wouldn't have mattered if he'd been a dog. I think we'd still get along just fine."

They were almost at the correct luggage carousel, but Burt wasn't really paying attention to the other people around them.

"So how did you see Kurt? Why’d you pick him, instead of somebody else?"

"Well, actually, I hadn't liked anybody else I'd seen, for various reasons, and I didn't much like the attitude of the owner of the place. I was almost ready to leave, when I heard the most gorgeous voice. Which was quickly drowned out by several other voices. I looked over and saw Kurt very briefly before he changed from human to cat. I'll be honest with you, my first thought was that he was as gorgeous as his voice. But when he saw me, he got scared, and changed into a cat. I went over and tried to talk to him and calm him down, and the owner's wife – Emma, the one who called you – tried to talk me out of adopting him. She seemed to think no one would want him, and he wouldn't want anyone.

"Now I'm wondering what the logic behind that was. If they really thought they would never find a home for him, why did they kept him all that time?"

Burt looked at him angrily, grinding his teeth.

"Don't misunderstand me,” Adam placated him, “I'm just saying I don't know what their reasoning was. But the more Emma tried to talk me out of spending time getting to know Kurt, the more determined I was to talk to him. And some of the other hybrids were saying some pretty nasty things about him, and that was making me angry on his behalf. When Emma told me how the others picked on him, but Kurt always just got more stubborn and continued to be himself, and wouldn't give in to their bullying, the more respect I had for him. And this was before he'd ever spoken a word to me. I finally got a chance to talk to him privately – or as privately as you can get in those places. At first he stayed as a cat, but he did come closer to me, and jumped up on my lap and eventually settled down to take a nap."

Burt's eyes were wide. “What? Kurt never in his life jumped up on anybody's lap like that, who wasn't family. I guess he must've really liked you."

"The feeling was definitely mutual. I liked his stubborn streak, and the fact that he wanted to do things his own way, instead of doing exactly as he was told. I didn't understand much about hybrids at that time, and I wanted a pet who would be fairly independent. I had no idea just how different Kurt was from the others around him."

"Yeah, you can say that for him, Kurt always knows how to stand out in a crowd."


	55. Chapter 55

Burt identified his luggage pretty quickly, and they were free to leave the airport. Adam offered to take one of the bags, but Burt insisted he could handle them both.

When they got to the car, Burt admired it, and asked a few questions that Adam really couldn't answer.

"I'm afraid I'm not that much of a car enthusiast,” he explained. “I like keeping it looking nice and all that, but I don't know much about what actually makes it run. I was hoping Kurt could have a look at it once he's got the right tools to use."

"I did bring his old toolkit," Burt commented, "but I was thinking of getting him something nicer, that would probably fit his hands better now." Perhaps anticipating Adam's automatic offer, Burt added, "I've got a hell of a lot of birthdays and Christmases to make up for. Can't catch up on all of them, but I want to get him something to help him remember his old man."

"Well, I don't think there's any chance of him ever forgetting you,” Adam reassured him, “but I certainly understand the sentiment. And you would probably know, far better than I, the types of tools he actually needs, and the best ones… I'm more likely to just assume the salesman knows what he's talking about, and let him sell me the most expensive tools."

Burt grunted, but didn't correct his assumption.

Once they were settled in the car, Adam pulled out from the parking lot and drove towards home.

"If there's anything you need while you're here, or you and Kurt want to go anywhere, I'll be happy to take you. I'd like him to be able to spend as much time with you as possible, as much as you both want."

Burt's manner was still gruff, but starting to thaw a tiny bit, Adam thought.

"I appreciate it. You’re being awfully nice about all this. I really never thought I'd even know what happened to him, let alone be able to see him again.” He turned to face Adam, his voice low and intense. "Look, I want to make sure my boy is going to be taken care of. Some of the stories I've heard, they'd make your hair stand on end. If I had any hair," he chuckled. Then he turned serious again. 

"I was so worried that either nobody would want Kurt, because they couldn't understand him, or if they did, they'd want him for the wrong reasons, and he'd have a miserable life. Doesn't sound like that's the situation here, but I just gotta see for myself, you know? I gotta know he's happy, and you're not gonna get bored with him in a few years or something, and just give him away or sell him or something." 

Adam took a deep breath. He was trying to focus on his driving, but he knew these were important things to discuss before they actually got to the apartment.

"No sir, that’s not my intention. I'm in this for the long haul. I really didn't know what to expect when I first started thinking about it.  But once I met Kurt, and we connected, I couldn't bear the thought of anyone hurting him, or taking advantage of him, or even not knowing what kind of person might have adopted him. I know it's nothing like what you've been through, but I do have a little bit of an idea of what it must've been like for you.

"If I were you, I'd probably be furious at me for having the temerity to even want to own a hybrid, to own another human being. But I have to tell you, my perspective on hybrids has changed quite a bit since meeting Kurt. I've learned a lot of things, and I don't like most of what I've learned about how they're treated. They're worse off then full animals, and it's not right.

"That's why I was hoping you would have the opportunity to talk to a couple of the people I've met who do want to make a difference, and want to see hybrids treated with the respect they actually deserve, and are making an active effort to do what they can to help them."

Burt nodded. "You mean the vet and the lawyer?"

"Yes. They're both going to be coming to the apartment on Sunday night around 7:00 for dessert. I didn't want to take up too much of their time or yours, but it seems important to me to establish these connections, just in case there's anything you can do to help them, or vice versa."

"I got no problem with that. Much as I'd like to spend every minute I can with Kurt, this is really important. If I can keep in touch with them after I leave, we don't necessarily have to take a lot of time on Sunday. But I appreciate you setting this up. I’m glad you’re taking more of an interest in Kurt's welfare then most owners ever seem to."

"Kurt's welfare is vital to me,” Adam assured him. “I want to see him grow, and learn, and challenge himself, and become as independent as possible. I want him to reach his full potential, as much as society will allow him to do. It seems to me he's very different from the other hybrids I've heard about or the few I've met, in that he's not totally convinced he's inferior to everyone around him. That resilience of spirit, his basic character, his strength and courage in the face of adversity, those are qualities I cherish in him, and hope he can expand on. But I don't want to push him too far or too fast.

"We were discussing earlier today, that so many things have happened since I adopted him, in just these two weeks. I've unintentionally introduced him to far more people and new situations then he was really prepared for. But he's adapted very well, and just about everyone who has met him has fallen in love with him a little bit, it seems. He's starting to realize that not every stranger he meets is going to automatically hate him, whether because he's a hybrid, or gay.

"There are a lot of good people out there, and he needs to know as many of those as possible. We can't entirely avoid the jerks and creeps and bigots out there, but maybe there aren't quite as many as I've been led to believe."

"Huh. Well, they’re out there, all right,” Burt commented, “let me tell you. I don't think I've seen any big shift in public opinion about hybrids in all the years I've been dealing with them. But it's about time that more people learned to give them the basic respect they would give another human being. I guess in some cases that doesn’t amount to much, either."

Adam was relieved to see they were making good time, and there shouldn't be any reason for Kurt to worry. "I'd like to see people's attitudes change,” he explained, “and I'd also like to see more hybrids develop the basic self-respect that they should have, but it seem to be practically beaten into them from the time they start school, that they’re inferior, and they can't expect any sort of a normal life, unlike the other people they see around them. You seem to have raised Kurt differently, which is probably the main reason why his attitudes are so different."

Burt rubbed his face with his hand, and stared out at the traffic around them. "Well, I guess like you, I didn't know that much about hybrids. I'd never actually known anybody who had one. I saw them on TV or movies, or actors playing hybrids, I guess, but my family never had that kind of money, and we didn't hang around in those kinda circles, with people who could afford hybrid pets.” He glanced over at Adam and added, "Sorry."

"It's all right, no offense taken. I'm just glad that I did have the means to afford Kurt. I've heard of some other situations recently, where people who really couldn't afford them, ended up with a hybrid that was almost like a rescue situation, where they were close to being euthanized, and the store decided it was better to make a little bit of money than lose their entire investment." His mouth turned down and his voice was bitter as he continued, "Thank God that there are those kind of people out there, who are willing to take in a hybrid that, for whatever reason, didn't have much of a chance."

Burt was quiet for a little while, and admitted, "It was kinda like that with Elizabeth, Kurt's mom. I was in the mall, walking past the pet store, and I made the mistake of looking in the window. I saw this beautiful cat, and went in and asked about her. And I’m really more of a dog guy than a cat guy. The woman said the cat I was looking at was gonna be put to sleep soon if nobody wanted her. She had her change to human for me, and yeah, I guess I kinda had the same reaction to her that you did to Kurt.

“But I knew hybrids were expensive, and I didn’t have that kind of money lying around. She said if I could come back the next day with a thousand dollars, I could adopt Elizabeth. Well, I didn’t have that kinda money lying around, but I took it out of my savings account. Couldn’t stand the thought of that sweet girl being put to sleep because nobody wanted her.

“It was weird enough dealing with an adult hybrid, who changed into a cat pretty often. And when Kurt was born a couple years later, I can't begin to tell you what that was like. Part of me, part of her, but he was someone new, entirely his own person. And when he eventually started changing, he was the most adorable little kitten you ever saw." 

Adam chuckled, not wanting to interrupt the story, but he could well imagine a tiny kitten Kurt.

"And I guess I did a few things wrong, and I didn't treat Elizabeth quite the way you were supposed to, ‘cause I gave her a little more freedom than usual. She'd gone to the store with me, walked over there with me, and they knew her. I gave her some cash and she was gonna go get just a few things so I could watch the football game, and she’d be back in a few minutes.

“But she didn't come back when I expected her to, and I was trying to figure out whether to leave my eight-year-old alone at night, and go out looking for her, when we got the call. Drunk driver. And my Elizabeth was gone.”

“I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been.” Adam waited for Burt to compose himself again.

Burt cleared his throat and was quiet for a couple of minutes before continuing. “I just wanted to kind of fall apart, but I couldn't, because I had this sweet, trusting, vulnerable little kid, who was sometimes a kitten, depending on me. There was nobody else to take care of him while I was busy. I loved my son, and I wasn't gonna let him down. I didn't understand him, but I think I tried. And then they just took him away from me a few years later. 

“I just need to know he’s gonna be alright, that you’re gonna take good care of him.”

Adam sighed quietly. “I understand your concern, Burt, I really do. I’m hoping this weekend will help show you what Kurt’s life is like, and how I feel about him, and put your mind at ease. And I want him to know you’re okay, someone else is taking care of you so he doesn’t have to keep worrying.”

Burt chuckled.  “I can’t wait for him to meet Carole. She’s a nurse, so she’s as uptight as he ever was about my diet and all that. Yeah, I’m fine, he doesn’t need to worry.”

Adam was quiet, letting Burt’s own words sink in.

Burt leaned his head back against the car seat. “If you love Kurt as much as Carole loves me, he’ll be alright.”

Adam felt like he’d passed some kind of test. “I’m not sure how I can prove it to you, but you can talk to Kurt about anything, and I’ve told him he can tell you anything. We aren’t keeping any secrets from you. You’ll have to decide for yourself if I love Kurt enough to ease your mind.”

“Not that it’ll do me any good if you don’t,” Burt sighed, “but I can’t think of any reason for you to go to all this trouble to let me see Kurt if you didn’t care. If you meant him any harm, you could have just never contacted me at all.”

“True,” Adam agreed. “I wish you had more time, and could meet some of our other friends, because it’s not just me. There are a lot of people who care about Kurt and wish him well, and want him to be happy.”

“I wish that wasn’t so hard to believe, but yeah, I guess he’s more likely to find folks here who will accept him than in small-town Ohio.”

"If you want to say anything to me without Kurt overhearing it, now's probably the time," Adam suggested.

Burt scratched his head. "I dunno. I've been thinking a lot about what to say when I got here, and I'm still not sure." 

"I know the feeling," Adam sighed.

"What about Kurt's health? You took him to the vet, so I guess he's doing okay?"

"Physically, yes. He's a little thin, but I'm hoping proper diet and good exercise will help with that. We've joined a gym that is very accommodating to hybrids and their owners.

"I'm going to take Kurt to see Dr. Hanover again next week, in his capacity as a psychiatrist. It's a pretty stressful transition under the best of circumstances, when the hybrids are adopted, and Kurt has had so many things on his mind, without much time to process anything before the next thing happens. I didn't realize how many different things we were doing or people we were seeing at first. It's a lot for me, let alone for Kurt, so I think it will help them to have someone objective to talk to about it."

"So you're trying to take care of his physical health, physical fitness, and mental health? I guess I can't complain about that."

They were getting close to the apartment now, so Adam said, "We're almost there."

"I gotta admit, I'm nervous. I know he's changed. It's been so long, he has to have changed. But I'm still thinking of him as my little boy, and I'm still not sure what to expect."

"I would say your thought about him throwing himself at you when you walk in the door, and talking your ear off, is probably pretty accurate. Not sure if he'll be in human or cat form, but I think it’ll be about the same either way.”

Burt laughed. "Yeah, I think you're right." They were quiet for a few minutes as Adam pulled into the garage and his parking space.

This time, Burt allowed Adam to help him with the smaller suitcase. They detoured to the front lobby, and Adam informed Security that Burt would be staying with him and Kurt for a few days, and leaving on Monday.

On their way to the elevator, Burt looked around, and commented, "Wow, swanky place here. I'm glad there's good security, ‘cause this ain’t the safest city."

He seemed startled to realize they're going all the way up to the penthouse floor.

"The penthouse, huh? I bet Kurt likes that. He always did like fancy places."

"Well, the apartment has been divided into two,” Adam explained. “My next-door neighbor, Lily, is also our landlady. Her cat, Misty, and Kurt have become good friends."

Burt shook his head. "It always broke my heart that he couldn't find any other kids or hybrids to play with. Only the neighborhood cats wanted to be his friends."

"Well, I would say Kurt has gotten a good start on making friends here. He's got quite a little harem of women that adore him."

"Harem?" Burt asked. "I don’t get it."

Adam shrugged. "I'm not sure why, but women of all ages and backgrounds seem to be drawn to him, and think he's cute, or adorable, or something. I think most of them know he's gay, and with me, so it's not necessarily romantic interest. They genuinely like him for who he is. I’m just amused that he manages to charm almost every woman who meets him. And he’s not trying, he has no idea why they like him."

"Imagine that," Burt said in wonder.

The elevator stopped and they walked towards Adam's apartment. He got his keys out, and made sure to rattle them around and make some noise so Kurt would know they were coming in. "Here we go. After you, Burt." He opened the door, and Burt was barely able to set his suitcase down inside, before kitty Kurt leapt up off the chair near the door, and into his arms. He started a combination of meowing and purring and meeping that Adam had never heard before, but there was no question they were happy sounds.

Adam managed to squeeze in behind Burt, and set the suitcase down.  He barely got the door closed behind them. "Kurt, darling, at least give your father a chance to sit down. He might want to freshen up a bit first."  Kurt ignored him, as he fully expected.

"Nah," Burt said, his words muffled by Kurt's fur. "I'm good."

Adam decided to leave well enough alone, and simply took both of Burt’s bags into Kurt's room. He set them inside the door, so Burt could unpack them at his leisure. He had asked Nancy to change the sheets and make up Kurt’s bed for Burt’s visit, and the room looked fine.  He looked around for Bernard and Harriet, and saw them laying against the pillow, like a small, plush welcoming committee. He smiled at them and walked back out to the living room.

 

 

(2.5 hours earlier)

Adam had just left, and Kurt knew he needed to both wear himself out and calm down before his dad got there.

He went into his room to make sure it was ready for his dad. He trusted Nancy to do a good job, but he still needed to make sure.

Yes, she had made up the bed with clean sheets, there were plenty of clean towels in the bathroom and he had ensured there was plenty of room in both the closet and the dresser, for his dad to store his clothes.

He decided to put Roo in the desk drawer for now, so his dad didn't trip over it. He looked at Buckingham Palace to make sure it was out of the way so his dad wouldn't walk into it in the middle of the night. Not that he could move it by himself, but he could at least make sure his dad knew it might be a tripping hazard. He glanced at it again, and. decided it was big enough for his dad to figure out on his own. He took Harriet and Bernard off of the little ledge they were seated on, and put them against his dad's pillow, to welcome him. He looked critically at the structure, and realized that it really needed to be vacuumed. He got out the small hand vacuum from the hall closet, and ran it over every surface he could reach, cleaning up his own fur, dander, and whatever dust had fallen. As far as he knew, his father wasn't allergic to any of those things, but why take a chance?

Then he remembered what Adam had said about not obsessing about cleaning the place, so he figured he'd done enough there and should check the other rooms that Burt was likely to use. He put all of his skin care products into a box, to carry into Adam’s bathroom. They could always negotiate later whether Kurt needed to move any of them back to his own bathroom. He left some of the least scented soap for his dad.

Kurt was hesitant to go into Adam's bedroom and bathroom when he wasn't there, but it's not like he was snooping for anything. He just wanted to make sure there was some room for his own stuff. 

He found out that, aside from the few things that Adam had bought at Lush, he had very little in the way of products. Kurt tried to be considerate. A couple of things that he knew they would both use, he put in the shower, and others he put on the counter. The rest of his things, upon further examination, would all fit into one drawer in the cabinet under the sink. There were only a few odds and ends in there, so he added those to the drawer above. Adam could always change things back if he wanted to later.

He checked the other rooms, and they were all acceptable. He wondered about the kitchen, if he should clean it again, but he suddenly heard a voice in his head, that sounded a lot like Adam, saying "Kurt, be reasonable. You know Nancy just cleaned this room two hours ago. Leave it be." He decided it was handy to have a little mini Adam in his head, to give him good advice.

He was still restless, but not quite ready to change yet. He decided to work on a design for a little dress for Harriet. Something that wouldn't clash with her coloring, or emphasize her lack of a figure. He got his glasses and sketched for a while until he thought he'd come up with something suitable. She would most likely have to wait until after his dad left, but he thought she would be okay with that.

With that task off his mind, it unfortunately left room for lots of other things he wasn't yet ready to think about. Time to change, and put his cat brain in charge. He liked to think that his cat self was pretty smart, but that side of him didn't waste a lot of time on philosophical issues that maybe didn't even have an answer. The cat in him was more practical, more action oriented, more decisive.

With very little thought towards how he actually did it, Kurt changed, and stretched to the full extent that he could, nose to tail tip. He realized he was hungry, as he often was when he changed, so he ran into the kitchen to get a little snack. After some crunchies and water, he felt better. He thought about how much fun it might be to skid around the floor on the linoleum, but he didn't want to take a chance on knocking his food over or spilling the water. Instead, he ran from the edge of the kitchen, through the dining room, living room, and into the TV room, and stopped himself by leaping up on to the loveseat. From there he turned around and reversed the direction. He did that for a while, until he was bored. He debated about getting out the tennis ball again, but couldn't remember where he had hidden it. Had Adam found it and put it back with the others in the laundry room? He wasn't sure, but didn't want to take a chance on creating a mess.

He wanted the place to look good, because Daddy would be there soon, and it was important that he like the place where Kurt lived. Even more important, he needed to like Kurt's human. That shouldn't be a problem, because Adam was about as awesome as humans got. He couldn't ask for a better roommate or more loyal subject.

He wondered if he could talk Adam into buying him a little toy crown that he could wear as a cat. He was sure they must exist, though they were probably pink plastic rather than gold. He might even settle for a plastic tiara.

It had been a long time since anyone had really held him except Adam. He could barely remember the last time his dad held him in this form. He tried, but he couldn't remember what his mother's arms felt like when she was holding him as a human. Even as a cat, when she would comfort him and cuddle with him, it was too long ago, and the memory had faded too much.

But he didn't want to make himself sad, because that would make his daddy sad. He liked it so much better when everyone was happy. He did remember a number of times when he made his dad happy, and he had smiled or laughed. Maybe he could do that again.

He didn't care that he would probably look foolish. His dad wouldn't mind, and he didn't think Adam would either.

He ran into his room and crouched a few feet away from his tree house, his tail twitching as he plotted the perfect trajectory. He knew he should probably stay off of it so he didn't get fur all over it again, but he didn't think his dad would really mind. What was a little fur between relatives?

He saw that Harriet and Bernard hadn't moved from where he had put them on the bed. Which was a good thing, because he would be very worried if they had. He decided to leave them where they were, and he could just play in his tree house on his own.

He jumped up onto every surface, climbed up and down the stairs, went through the tunnels and bridges, and checked out every room until he found the right one, and decided it was time to take a little nap.

He woke later, and he had no idea how much time passed, but he remembered something very important. He needed to be elsewhere. He needed to wait at the door for Daddy. Who knew what might happen if he wasn't there?

He was glad Adam had put a chair near the door, because it really was more comfortable than just sitting on the floor. He sat in the exact middle of the seat, staring at the door with his tail twitching. He concentrated as hard as he could, and waited for the door to open. If he thought about it hard enough, wanted it badly enough, he was sure he could make it happen.

He waited some more, and was disappointed that the door stayed closed. There was no annoying ringing from the phone, so that was good. That meant they would be on time. He wished he could read the time on the clock, but it just didn't make sense to him. He sighed in frustration, and lay down on the chair, curling his tail tightly around his body. He put his paws over his tail to hold it in place, and his chin on top of his paws, and stared at the door.

The more he stared, the more it looked exactly the same, but it was also making him sleepy. He wasn't sure if it was okay to fall asleep or not, because he'd already taken a nap earlier. But his eyes didn't want to stay open. He knew he would be able to hear Adam in the hall, or at least his keys at the door, and that would wake him. He decided that made it okay to take another nap.

He woke up to the sound of voices – his dad’s and Adam’s! Adam was walking loudly and rattling the keys around, probably so he’d know they were there. Adam was the best human ever.

The door opened and his father walked in, and Kurt leaped at him, trusting his dad to catch him.


	56. Chapter 56

Burt held on to his son tightly, not wanting to drop him. It had been so long since he’d held Kurt this way, he was worried he'd forgotten how. But Kurt wasn't going anywhere, claws digging into Burt's jacket for dear life, body trembling.

Even though it had been years, Burt knew the difference between signs of fear and excitement. Kurt wasn't scared, he was just way too keyed up.

He buried his face in Kurt's fur, letting it soak up the tears. After a couple of minutes he realized that Adam had left them alone.

"Come on, Kurt," he urged, "let's sit down. Your old man ain't as young as he used to be." He lifted his head up enough to see where the couch was, and sat down on it with Kurt still in his arms. Kurt was still meowing loudly, interspersed with purring. Even though he hadn't had any practice lately in Conversational Cat, he'd been pretty fluent in the past.

"Yeah, Kurt, I missed you too, buddy. But it's okay, I'm here now, for a few days. Don't worry, we’ll have time to talk." He laughed. "We might even eventually have time to talk with you as a person, but I love this!"

Kurt was rubbing his face and head all over Burt, reclaiming him.

Burt settled a little more comfortably into the couch, and shifted Kurt slightly so most of his weight was on his legs, rather than his stomach.

"You've gotten so big, Kurt, and heavy! You're definitely not a kitten anymore. But you are a handsome cat, yeah, you are.” The long, fuzzy tail was whipping around like crazy, so Burt finally trapped it between his arm and Kurt's body, and wasn't at all surprised when the end of the tail immediately wrapped itself around his wrist.

He looked up when he heard Adam's voice.

"Burt, I'm on my way to the kitchen. What would you like to drink? I'll bring it in for you."

Burt realized he was thirsty. "Well, it's too late for coffee, unless you've got decaf?" he asked hopefully.

Adam shook his head. "Sorry. I’ll get some tomorrow, I should keep it on hand. We’ve got regular coffee or tea, and soda, fruit juices, and bottled water."

"I'll take a soda, whatever kind of cola you've got."

“Diet okay?"

Burt rolled his eyes, but agreed. "Yeah, story of my life. Carole won’t let me have the good stuff."

Kurt had looked up when Adam came in and his gaze followed him, but he stayed on his father's lap.

Burt petted and scratched Kurt, realizing just how much he had missed this. He’d kind of taken it for granted most of Kurt's life, but hadn't realized how much he needed that reassuring touch as well.

He didn't have a free hand available, so Adam just set the glass of iced soda on a coaster on the coffee table, and took a seat at the other end of the couch.

Adam grinned at Kurt, but didn't make any effort to draw his attention away. Kurt definitely knew he was there though, and reached out a paw towards Adam's hand. Adam stretched his fingers out, so they could lightly touch Kurt's paw.

"High five!" he said.

Burt noticed Adam had brought a glass of soda out for himself as well, but nothing for Kurt.

Adam saw his questioning look, and said, "I'm not sure if he's going to get around to changing tonight or not. When he does, he can get his own drink, whatever he wants."

Kurt's ears and whiskers twitched when Adam was talking about him, but he made no move to change.

Burt was unsure whether he should try to get Kurt to change or not. He usually let him decide for himself when he was ready, and it sounded like Adam wasn't going to make the decision for him either. But the tip of Kurt's tail was twitching again, indicating he was a little bit restless.

"Hey, kiddo, it doesn't matter to me, but maybe if you stay this way all night, you'll be able to stay a person longer tomorrow."

Kurt nodded in acknowledgment.

Adam offered, "He had some cat time this morning, then I guess the last couple of hours, but the rest of the time he's been human. I'd say he probably stays human a bit more than cat, but I haven't really been keeping track."

He looked at Kurt. "Your choice. I'm fine with whatever you want."

He looked at Burt again, and said, "I took the liberty of moving your luggage into Kurt's room. We have the bed made up for you in there, which will be much more comfortable than the sofa bed. Kurt's going to stay with me, whether as a human or cat. He's gotten much better about not waking me up in the middle of the night as a cat when he gets bored."

Burt laughed out loud at that, as Kurt looked indignant. "I remember those days, and how long it took to break him of that habit.”  He turned more serious. “After his mom died, whether he went to bed as a cat or human, he'd usually jump up onto my bed as a cat in the middle of the night, and try to cuddle with me, because he couldn't sleep. That was a lot easier to deal with than him bringing toys in, in the middle of the night, and dropping them all over me while I was trying to sleep, in a subtle hint that he wanted to play."

Adam grinned. “He hasn’t tried that with me yet…no, wait, he did one time, with Harriet, his toy mouse.”

Kurt’s ears and whiskers twitched, and his eyes widened.

“No, Kurt,” Adam patiently explained, “I’m not going to tell Harriet she’s only a toy. Why hurt her feelings?”

Kurt meeped in agreement, and went back to purring like a motorboat.

Burt was amazed that Kurt had managed to find someone who understood his strange attachment to certain inanimate objects. He took a minute to look around the room. He saw the fancy piano and expensive furnishings, and thought to himself that at least Kurt was in nice surroundings. And the piano, if he was allowed to play it, would be a real treat.

Adam yawned, and briefly covered his mouth with his hand. "Excuse me, I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm so tired except things have been very hectic lately."

"I'm pretty beat too," Burt commented. "I had a full day at work, then last-minute getting ready for the trip, and airports and airplanes always wear me out, I don't know why."

"Not to mention all the emotional components, the stress and all that," Adam added.

Burt looked down into Kurt's fuzzy face. He had just gotten here. He hadn't had nearly enough time to hold Kurt, but he really was exhausted, and he thought he'd handle everything better after a good night’s sleep.

"Sorry, kiddo, but I think I better get to bed pretty soon."

"I'll be happy to give you a better tour in the morning," Adam offered, "but hopefully you can find everything you need for now in Kurt's room and the attached bathroom. If you need anything from the kitchen, it's right this way," he pointed, "and please feel free to help yourself. In the morning I'll fix us all a nice big breakfast, unless Kurt wants to do that."

They both looked at Kurt, and he shook his head.

"I think Kurt wants to fix breakfast for you on Sunday,” Adam explained. “I usually get up fairly early, and normally so does he. I'll show you where Kurt's room is. Mine is at the far end of the hall from his, if you need anything."

Burt carefully moved Kurt in his arms so he could hold him steady while he got up. It was a little awkward to do, and Kurt didn't seem inclined to help.

Adam reached out and said, "I'll take him for a minute, so you can get to your feet."

A very small part of Burt’s mind said, ‘No, you can't have him back yet!’ but the more rational part appreciated the offer. He handed Kurt over, and noticed that he didn't protest in any way, just went willingly into Adam's arms, and snuggled up against him.

Burt didn't like having all these conflicting feelings. He was glad Kurt had found a good person to look after him, but it still hurt to let him go even for a minute.

He took a long sip of his drink, and picked up the coaster, bringing it and the glass with him. As he followed Adam, he was beginning to get an idea just how large this place was. And if this was just half of the original penthouse… He wondered how Adam could afford it. He really wanted some more information on how he spent his time and acquired his money. If Kurt had been a regular kid, and Adam the typical boyfriend, he would've felt perfectly within his rights to ask. But this was a totally different situation, so he decided to put his curiosity to one side for now. There were so many things in his life that he couldn't control, he’d decided long ago to focus most of his energy on the things he could change, and try not to worry too much about the rest of it.

He was amazed when he saw the size of Kurt’s room. He saw the bed first, because it was fairly close to the door. Adam pointed out the desk where Burt could set his drink down, so he did. And then he turned and stared at the biggest cat tree – cat condo – kitty gym – treehouse – what the hell ever, that he had ever seen.

"What in the world is that? I mean, I know what it is, but, my God!"

"That is Buckingham Palace," Adam announced proudly.

"Really? I'll bet he loves that!"

"See for yourself.” Adam set Kurt down on the floor, and they watched him run, jump, leap, and explore.

"You know, that's a damn good idea. The one I had for him at home was pretty small compared to this, but it's a good way to wear him out before bed."

Adam pointed out a couple of little stuffed animals on the bed. There was a tan-colored bear wearing a shirt and pants, and a mouse so violently pink he knew he'd have to hide it under the spare pillow or it would keep him awake all night.

"I think Kurt left you a welcoming committee or something. I'll let him introduce them to you properly tomorrow, but the big one is Bernard, and the little one is Harriet."

"Bernard and Harriet, huh? Kurt's always been weirdly formal for a kid."

They heard a loud meow, and watched in amazement as Kurt leapt from the topmost level of Buckingham Palace onto the bed, more than halfway across the room.

"Should've been an Olympic gymnast," Burt commented. “Not that they’d have let him, no matter how good he was. Probably say it was unfair advantage.” He reached down and petted and scratched Kurt, who walked back and forth in front of him, tail waving, purring up a storm.

"Well," Adam said briskly, "I'm going to go to bed. Kurt, you can join me whenever you want." He turned to Burt. "Good night, Burt. I hope you sleep well. I have no idea what all we’re going to do tomorrow after breakfast, but I'm sure Kurt will be happy to tell us." He didn’t even try to hide his grin.

It made Burt feel much better to see that Kurt apparently had the last word here as well.

"Good night, Adam," Burt said, turning to him though he was still petting Kurt. "And thanks. For everything."

"You're very welcome. Good night, sleep well." He left, presumably to go to his room. 

Burt looked down at Kurt, still walking back and forth on the bed. "Look at you. You're a big grown-up cat now," he chuckled. "And you pretty much own this place, don't you?" He lowered his voice, and said, "I'm beginning to wonder, who owns who."

He could have sworn that was a smirk on Kurt’s face. “I’m just wondering if he knows it yet.” He sighed. "I'm really pretty wiped out."

He patted Kurt on top of the head a couple of times, then went to get the overnight bag. He brought it over to the bed and set it down. "Most of your stuff is in the other suitcase. I'll give it to you tomorrow, okay?"

Kurt rubbed up against him, purring. Burt reached down and hugged him tightly. He got his pajamas out of the suitcase and closed it again. Kurt's eyes widened at the pajamas. He sniffed at them and looked up at Burt, puzzled.

"Yeah, I know, weird, huh?" They weren't too bad, a blue plaid flannel, because Carole was nobody's fool.

"Your stepmom got these for me – well sorry, I'm not quite sure what to call her. Not sure what she is in relation to you. But Carole got me these for the wintertime, and insisted I bring them with me here instead of, as she put it, parading around in my underwear and t-shirt. I figure, what the hell, we’re all guys, but I guess she's got a point, when I’m visiting somebody else. I'm gonna go get ready for bed, and I guess you better do the same. See you in the morning." 

He paused, then turned back to the cat on the bed. "I love you, Kurt. I've missed you so much, but you've grown up anyway, and it looks like you're doing alright for yourself." 

He went into the bathroom and closed the door. He blinked a couple times at the size of the room, and the rather luxurious fixtures, then shrugged. He was sure Kurt was happy to have his own bathroom, as well as his own room.

When he came back out the bedroom, like he'd expected, Kurt was gone. His heart hurt for just a second, not a chest pain, just a little bit of heartache. But he reminded himself that Kurt was just down the hall, and he'd have two and a half more days to spend with him. He was going to have a chance to get to know his son again. It wouldn't make up for all the years without him, but he'd never heard of anyone else having this kind of opportunity, this second chance.

They'd never gone to church, partly because hybrids weren't usually welcome, and he'd never been very religious to begin with. He'd never even really given a lot of thought to whether there is an afterlife or not. He'd kinda figured, once you're dead, you're gone, that's it. But after Elizabeth died, he found he wanted to believe, for her sake, that not only had she gone to a better place, but that she was somehow still around, and still cared about him and Kurt.

Of course, there was no grave to visit, but he'd insisted on being given her ashes when she was cremated. He tried not to think about the fact that he had no idea if they were actually her ashes, or how the hell anybody would know, but he still kept them in a sealed vase on the living room mantle. Carole had never objected or suggested he get rid of it. Every now and then, when no one was around, he talked to Elizabeth like she could still hear him. It made him feel better, anyway.

"Hey, Liz, if you're listening, what do you think of our boy, huh? I kinda get to meet him all over again tomorrow, too, as a person, but I know you'll understand when I say I'm pretty happy with the cat he's turned into. I can only imagine what the person is like, on the other side of that fur. This isn’t what we would've wanted for him, if we’d had a choice, but nobody asked us what we wanted. I think he's doing pretty damn good."

Kurt sat outside his room, tail thrashing, thinking about what he'd just heard. He knew Mama was gone, and she wasn’t coming back. But if Daddy still talked to her, maybe that meant she was still listening.

He walked leisurely towards Adam's room, and quietly talked to his mama, in the way that only she and he could understand. He didn’t want her to worry about him, so he told her he was safe, and happy, and loved.

Adam was waiting for him, though he was reading again. He put the weird not-a-book aside, and held out his arms. Kurt jumped up onto the bed and settled down on top of Adam, and was held safe in his arms all night. 


	57. Chapter 57

Adam was glad he'd set the alarm. He felt like he had so many things to do, even though realistically, there was nothing specific planned. When he reached out to turn it off, he tried to hold onto Kurt with one hand, so he didn't accidentally dump him out of the bed. That would even be an even ruder and more thorough awakening than the sound of the alarm.

Apparently Kurt wasn't going to take a chance on accidentally falling, as it seemed he had all of his claws sunk into the bedclothes.

"Sorry, darling," he soothed the cat. "I wanted to get up early and take a shower and get ready for the day before your dad gets up. Or did you want to take the first shower? If you do, give me a few minutes in the bathroom first, then it's all yours." Kurt retracted his claws and rolled over onto the bed, and stayed there, sprawled out, stretching.

"On second thought, let me go ahead and get my shower. Knowing you, you'll be in here for an hour, getting ready."

He ignored the glare he could feel directed at his back as he got up.

When he came back out, he had to laugh at the way Kurt was contorting himself. It really looked like he was doing some form of cat calisthenics or yoga or something.

"Show off," he teased.

Kurt jumped up and ran into the bathroom, so Adam focused on what he was going to wear that day. He decided casual was probably the way to go.

He was just starting to pull the breakfast ingredients together when Burt came into the kitchen, wearing pajamas.

"Oh, good morning. Didn't know anybody was up yet," Burt commented. "Just figured I'd get some coffee."

"I just put it on,” Adam told him. "I usually have tea to start the day, but I have a feeling this may be a good day for coffee."

He pulled three cups from the cupboard and set them on the counter. “Did you sleep well? Go ahead and have a seat, if you'd like. The coffee should be ready in a couple of minutes.”

"Yeah, not bad, thanks.” Burt sat at the kitchen table, but looked restless. “Guess maybe I should go take a shower and get dressed real quick," he suggested.

Adam shrugged. "It's up to you. But yeah, maybe better now than later. Kurt's taking a shower, and it usually takes him a long time to get ready in the morning. I'm sure if he's got any plans to go out anywhere today, we'll probably be going pretty soon after breakfast."

Burt nodded. "Sounds good. See you in a few minutes." He started to leave the kitchen, then said over his shoulder, "Takes me less than 10 minutes to get showered and dressed. But Kurt, even when he was younger, usually took longer than his mother to get ready."

Adam wanted to be a good host and give Burt a nice hearty breakfast of things he might not get at home, but he didn't want to upset Kurt, or give Burt anything really unhealthy. He finally decided to provide some choices. Burt could have whatever he liked, ignore the things he didn't want, and if Kurt wanted to argue about it, he was free to do so. And Adam would probably enjoy watching the ensuing show.

Burt did come back within about 10 minutes, and of course Kurt was still nowhere to be seen. He sipped his coffee and asked if Adam got a newspaper.

"No, sorry. I'm used to getting the news from the Internet. But I think Lily gets the newspaper, so maybe she can bring it over when she's done with it, or we can pick one up if we go out today."

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm probably not going to have time to read it anyway."

“I’ll bet you’re right.”

Adam hoped Kurt would help him a bit with breakfast, because he planned on fixing quite a variety of things . He’d already cut up the fruit and put it in a bowl in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic. On the other hand, Kurt want as much time as possible to focus on talking to his dad.

He sat opposite Burt. “I’m going to wait till Kurt gets here to fix the rest, otherwise it will likely be cold by the time he’s here. If you’d like some cereal or fruit or something while we’re waiting –“

“I’m good, thanks.” Burt leaned forward, his manner more serious. “I wanted to tell you, Kurt’s room and bathroom are pretty nice. I was worried he’d end up in a little closet somewhere, like that Harry Potter kid.” He hesitated, then added, “This isn’t at all the way I’d be taking care of him, but I think this is good for him, and he’s obviously happy here. I have to keep reminding myself, you didn’t just choose him, he chose you.”

“Thank you. I have to admit, at first I wasn’t sure where Kurt would sleep, whether on my bed as a cat, or maybe in my bed, but I didn’t feel quite right about that yet. I thought about getting him one of those pet beds, thinking he’d maybe prefer sleeping as a cat. But then I realized, I hardly ever have a use for the guest bedroom, so why not let him have that?

“I’m trying to make it better for him. He doesn’t like the bed, it’s too big. I’m looking at loft beds, where he can have maybe a twin bed and another above that, that he can climb up and sleep on as a cat. Or maybe have a futon sofa in the bottom part, that can pull out to a bed, for when he’s human sized, and the smaller one on top, since his cat side loves to get up as high as he can.”

“Yeah, that sounds like something he’d like,” Burt agreed, “but I don’t know it’s something he needs. The bed he’s got isn’t bad, even if it’s kind of big for a cat.”

“Well, he hasn’t managed yet to spend a single entire night sleeping in there. I think maybe he gets scared being alone, and the bed is certainly bigger than he was used to.”

“So, I guess he sleeps with you instead?”

Adam nodded. “Erm, yes, and for now it’s just sleeping. We both want more, but it hasn’t seemed like the right time yet to introduce that whole new level of complication into his life.”

Burt looked at him thoughtfully. “You know, most guys wouldn’t even think about it, they’d just expect sex right away, and I suppose the hybrids are trained for that at the pet store. But I’m glad you’re not that type of guy.”

Adam tried to explain. “Apparently Kurt wasn’t trained for that, whereas most of the others were. I guess they foolishly thought no-one would want him. Everyone kept telling him he was too much of a girl for a gay guy to want him, and girls would never want him. Ha, I’d love to have them meet my friends Jessica and Tessa, and watch them fawn all over Kurt. And obviously, I wanted him. Other men did, too, but Kurt didn’t want them, and made it clear he wasn’t happy.”

“Well, I gotta say, you’re being really patient, and I appreciate that.”

It was obviously difficult for Burt to admit that.

“I’ve been trying to get Kurt to understand,” Adam continued, “it’s not meant as a rejection, but I wanted to be sure he was fully capable of consenting, and truly understood that he could say ‘no’ and I’d respect that.”

Burt shook his head. “I’m glad to say I sort of misjudged you on that. I’m glad he ended up with you, rather than someone who really wouldn’t have even thought, let alone cared, about his feelings. You know, there are some people who think hybrids don’t have the same feelings as regular people do, even in their human form? They think they’re mimicking human behavior, things they’ve seen on TV or seen other people do. But you know, even if that were true, it would be pretty smart to figure that out, wouldn’t it? And to know when to use which emotion? So either they do feel the same emotions, which obviously we know they do, or they’re smart enough to be damn good actors. But either way it blows a hole in their theory that hybrids are just dumb animals that somehow can look human some of the time, and show their true selves the rest of the time. But nobody’s got an explanation for how they got here in the first place. Obviously, nobody mated with a dog and ended up with a kid that’s able to turn into either one at will.”

“I imagine a lot of people think that way, or they wouldn’t treat them as they do,” Adam commented. “I do know one person who has a horrible attitude, and used his hybrid just for sex, and presumably ignored him the rest of the time. I don’t know whether his family still has the hybrid, or if they gave him away or sold him when their son left home. But I blame the parents, at least partially, for him having that attitude in the first place. They obviously didn’t teach him to treat his pet with any respect.”

“I hate people like that! I’d like to see how they’d react to having their kid treated like some kind of expensive sex toy for someone else’s amusement.”

“I’m glad to say that person isn’t my friend,” Adam explained quickly, “just an acquaintance. I’d like to protect Kurt from being around someone like that at all, but I don’t think that’s possible.”

“While Kurt’s busy, I wanted to ask you a couple questions,” Burt said, straightening in his chair. “I know technically it’s none of my business, so you don’t have to tell me. I’m just trying to get a better overall picture of the situation here.”

“Okay.” Adam tried to at least sound calm, though he was starting to get nervous.

“This is a really nice place, and I’m trying to figure out how you can afford it. I’m hoping it’s not from anything illegal. Not that you’d tell me –“

Adam laughed. This was something he could handle.

“No, not at all. The short version is my parents disowned me when I told them I wanted to be an actor or playwright, and that I was gay. They told me I could do those things elsewhere. They gave me a good deal of money to go be a gay actor anywhere but England, and insisted I change my last name to my mother’s, and sign an agreement that I would never disturb them again, or try to take my younger brother’s rightful inheritance away from him.”

Burt was looking at him intently. “Wow, that’s taking it pretty far. Your straight brother, I take it?”

“Yes, my straight brother who intended to go into the family business and would never dream of besmirching the family’s honor. I was 18, and rather naïve, and decided to go be gay in America, New York specifically, and luckily I was accepted at the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts, one of the best schools of its kind.”

“Did you graduate?”

“I did, with honors. But, unfortunately, that doesn’t guarantee one will find work in the arts. I go to auditions when there’s a part I feel is within my range, and I write, but it’s a good thing I’m not trying to support myself that way.”

“So how do you support yourself?”

Adam sighed, and squirmed, as though it were his own father asking. “I invested the money pretty well, and I’m able to live on the dividends. I actually had to take out a large amount when I adopted Kurt, and I’ve maybe gone a little overboard with getting things for him, but that’s money well spent. I’d like him to be happy and healthy, and he certainly did without most things he wanted while at the pet store. But I’ve got plenty of money left to take care of us, and I’m hoping I will someday get a paying role, or be able to sell a screenplay or a book. I write just for fun at the moment, but I figure it’s good practice until I come up with something I feel I can sell.”

“So your family just kicked you out, they never want to see you again?” Burt looked annoyed.

“Exactly.” Adam shrugged, and fiddled with the packets of sugar. “They were so worried I was going to try to get more money from them, or try to cause trouble. I’d have settled for love, acceptance, something like that, but I’m not holding my breath on that ever happening. I have no idea what they told the rest of the family, or anybody else who asked. Probably the easiest thing would be to say I ran away, or I’m dead. Certainly dead to them. Even deader if they knew about Kurt.”

“They’re not hybrid sympathizers, then?” Burt asked shrewdly.

“Hardly. They have no use for them, therefore they don’t exist. But if I were to force them to acknowledge Kurt as a member of the family…my male hybrid pet, instead of a daughter-in-law or even son-in-law, and tell them any children we have will need to be adopted or something, I don’t know what they would do. Their social standing means everything to them.”

“You haven’t had any contact with anyone in your family for the last five years?”

“No.”

“Do you miss them?”

“Not really. I’ve trained myself not to.”

“Huh. I’d have done anything to keep Kurt, hybrid, gay, and all, and your family just threw you out like yesterday’s trash. I’m sorry they weren’t more understanding.”

“Well, they think they’re being very liberal and modern in giving me money at all, and allowing me to take my mother’s name.”

Burt’s jaw tightened. “I was always a pretty conservative guy myself, until I adopted Elizabeth. Then suddenly I found a lot of things looked different, when I tried to see them through her eyes.”

Adam nodded. “That’s one of the things I’m finding out from Kurt. He’s able to give me a different perspective, and it’s much needed and appreciated.”

“Well, it sounds like you’ve got plenty of time to spend with Kurt, which is probably good for him,” Burt commented. “He can do alright on his own for a few hours, but he seems a lot happier if he’s around someone else. Another thing I worried about was he’d end up with someone who, like that guy you know, would mostly leave him alone except when he wanted him for something specific. I don’t know how those hybrids cope, because from everything I’ve observed and read, none of ‘em seem to be happy if they’re left alone for most of the day. It was hard for Elizabeth, at first, ‘cause I work long hours at the garage. We’re open 7 days a week, but luckily I’ve got a couple of guys I trust to run things when I’m not there.”

“What did she do all day? Kurt mentioned she knew how to read.”

“Yeah, she could read a little bit, and liked it, so I got her some books meant for kids, you know, to teach them how to read better, and she got really good at it. She spent a lot of time reading. She insisted on doing the housework, too, cleaning, cooking, all that stuff. I don’t know why I felt kinda bad about it, because Carole does all that stuff, on top of her regular job, and I don’t think anything about it.”

“Maybe you should,” Adam muttered. He felt mortified when he realized what he’d said. “I’m sorry, it’s not my place to tell you how to treat your wife.”

Burt didn’t seem too annoyed. “You’ve probably got a good point there. I should let her know how much I appreciate everything she does. And Elizabeth really was my wife, in every sense but legally, and as far as everyone else was concerned, she was just my pet. I hated having to treat her differently when we were away from home, but I figured out pretty quick I had to, if I wanted to avoid upsetting her, or getting other people mad at us. She was confused that I treated her like a person as much as I could.

“I think it was easier on her once Kurt was born, because she had him to take care of most of the time. It seems to me, hybrids are natural caretakers, you know, they want to have someone to look after, like their own kid or pet.”

“I’ve had a lot of the same issues with Kurt,” Adam explained. “And it’s funny, because his little pink mouse toy, he really treats her more like she’s his pet, his responsibility, rather than just playing with her like I thought he would. I figured he’d throw her around, catch her in his mouth, bat her around the floor – good Lord, now he’s got me doing it.” Adam shook his head ruefully. “Now I’m convinced the toy mouse is a girl.”

“Probably that eye-searing pink color,” Burt commented. “I had to stick her under the other pillow so she wouldn’t keep me awake at night. And now I’m calling that toy a she.”

“Easy habit to get into. But sometimes he acts like she’s his baby or something, and it’s kind of cute, and kind of freaky, but as long as he’s happy, that’s all that matters. I don’t care if he plays with her the way you expect a cat to play with a toy mouse, or he wants to treat her like she’s a real mouse, a little pet. And it’s funny, he’s as protective of her when he’s human as he is as a cat.” Adam shook his head. “I never had a pet before, I mean, a regular cat or dog, so I’m not sure I’m all that good a judge of how he should be playing with her, but it really doesn’t matter. I bought her for him, on a whim, actually, and things just went in a very different direction than I’d thought. Which is kind of what my entire life with him is like, now that I think about it.”

Burt snorted. “Tell me about it. I had nothing to prepare me, either, for living with a lady who turned into a cat whenever things upset her too much, or when she felt like she needed to. One thing I gotta say, she never neglected Kurt, in any way. She was always there for him. I don’t know if they ever talked about it, sometime when I wasn’t there, but most of the time, when she’d change, he’d change, too. I guess it made it a lot easier for her to take care of him that way. Sometimes I’d look at them, and get so scared, because they had this thing together that I could never really understand. I was so afraid of losing them both some day, that they’d run away as cats and I’d never find them again. But instead I lost them both in other ways.”

They heard footsteps in the hall, and Burt stood up to greet his son.


	58. Chapter 58

Kurt hurried out to the living room, then slowed down as he neared the kitchen. He could hear Adam's and his dad's voices, though he really wasn't paying attention to what they were saying. It might be something they didn't want him to hear.

"Dad?" He asked softly as he entered the room.

Burt was already on his feet, and walking towards him, his arms open. Kurt ran into his arms, and hugged him tightly. 

His dad looked a lot the same as he had, but he seemed a lot shorter. From his cat viewpoint, he had seemed huge. Kurt was startled to realize how much he must have grown in the last few years. He buried his head on his dad's shoulder, and just hung on. He was almost afraid if he let go his dad would disappear, and he’d find out it was all just a dream.

"Kurt, I can't believe it, you've gotten so tall!" Burt hugged him tightly, then carefully stepped out of his embrace. "Let me get a good look at you. I haven't seen you in so long!"

Kurt looked at his father more carefully, and he definitely looked healthier than the last time he’d seen him. For a change, he wasn't wearing a hat this morning, but otherwise he was dressed as Kurt was used to seeing him. Kurt glanced over at Adam, who was still sitting at the table, watching them quietly, with a big smile on his face. He mouthed, "Thank you!" to Adam, then turned his attention back to his father.

"Adam was right, kid, you are pretty thin, but you look good. You're starting to look like a grown up."

"You look good, Dad. I think you've lost some weight, too. I guess Carole is taking good care of you."

Burt nodded, smiling, as he said, "Oh yeah, she is." He put his arm around Kurt and led him to the table. “Adam was going to fix breakfast, but he wanted to wait till you were here."

Kurt turned to Adam again. "Thank you for waiting." He tried to force his voice to sound light and casual. "Do you need some help?"

Adam shook his head. "No, that's fine. If I need a hand, I'll let you know, but I think you and your father need to get caught up on things. Why don’t you two go sit in the living room where you can be comfortable?" He handed Kurt a cup of coffee with two packets of sugar already mixed in.

They moved into the living room and sat on the sofa. Kurt supposed it was a good idea. His dad probably wanted a chance to talk to him without Adam being in the same room.

Burt kept his voice low. “Kurt, I need to know. Are you okay? Is Adam treating you well?”

Kurt was frustrated, not knowing how to convince his dad. But getting annoyed wouldn’t help. He took a deep breath, then smiled. “Yes, Dad, I’m fine. I really am. Adam is great, I really couldn’t ask for a better owner. Or boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend, huh? Really?”

“Well, when we’re here he treats me like a boyfriend.  And he’s introduced me that way to his friends.  He’d treat me the same way in public if he could, I don’t have any doubt about that.”

Burt nodded. “Okay, then I’ll take your word for it.” He sighed, and his voice was slightly thick. “I can’t get over how grown up you look. Adam has sent me pictures, but it was still hard to believe. I keep thinking of you as this barely 13-year-old kid, and here you are, almost a man.”

Kurt took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Dad, I hardly know where to start, and there are so many things we need to talk about! But first, tell me about Carole. How did you meet her? What's she like? I need to be sure she’s good enough for you."

Burt stared at him, and he realized what he’d said. “Oh! I’m sorry. I just meant, I’m worried, about you, and – I’ll just be keeping my mouth shut.”

Burt grinned. “You see why I kind of want to give Adam the third degree?”

Kurt nodded. Yes, he supposed his dad felt even more protective about him.

“This is a little complicated. I met Carole at a rally in Cincinnati to protest the expansion of the hybrid pet store there.

"I was really kind of torn about it, myself. I was thinking how ironic it was, and maybe if you had been taken to that store, I might've been able to see you. But I knew it doesn't work that way. I just wanted to go and find out more about it, see what kind of changes they were making, you know, were they just making room for more hybrids, or making things better for them while they were waiting to be adopted.

"Carole was one of the ones protesting. She didn't think hybrids belong in pet stores at all, but should stay with their families. She was one of the more vocal people there. And by far the prettiest. I knew I had to talk to her. So I invited her out for coffee afterwards, so we could talk a little bit more. She wanted to know why I was in favor of the pet stores. I told her I wasn't, but since the law provides for the hybrids that way, I'd rather see that it was a good place for them, and not some sort of jail, almost.

"I told her about you, and her attitude changed right away, and she was so sympathetic. I told her what it was like from my perspective, and why I figured, since there wasn't anything we could do right now about abolishing this type of slavery, the least we could do was make sure that the hybrids at the best possible living conditions in the stores, and would get whatever training they needed to be adopted by good people. I really think you guys need to be taught a lot more in school. I found out she was from Lima, too. We went out a couple of times after that, just regular dates.

"Then the Congressman in our district died suddenly, and they had a special election. There was a guy running who was totally against hybrid rights, he didn't want to see you treated like people, or given any more rights than you already have. If he had his way, the best way to deal with the issue of hybrids was to get rid of them all. You can imagine how I felt about _that_.

"I was amazed how many people seems to be behind that idea. So I decided to run against him, on a platform for hybrid rights. I figured somebody had to speak up for you guys. Carole was behind me every step of the way, helping me with my campaign. She's a nurse, so she's busy and she's got strange hours sometimes, but she spent a lot of her free time on the campaign, and helping me write down my ideas and figure out the best way to present them.

"I took a lot of flak for my stance, especially because of you being a hybrid, and that turned some people against me. But an awful lot of people thought it made sense that I would want to do something to help you.

"I couldn't ask, or get your permission or anything, but I had a bunch of pictures of you as a baby, as a kitten, as a kid, and a young cat. And I had pictures of your mother, and the two of you together. Some people said I was exploiting her death, and exploiting you, but I didn't think you'd mind.”

Kurt shook his head, enthralled by the story. "But you won, right?"

"Oh yeah. I won. By the slimmest margin possible. It really hammered home the idea that every vote counts. And I think once people saw your little face, and your furry face, and saw how normal you looked, and they heard some of my stories about you, and how smart you were, as a human and a cat, it kind of put a face on the hybrid issue. Your face."

It made him think about Hugo’s offer for him to model for his clothing store. Was there really something special about his face? Or had Hugo maybe seen his dad’s campaign? He decided it wasn’t the best time to talk to his dad about it yet.

“I’m glad it helped.”

“Yeah, it really did. I think a lot of people, like me before Elizabeth, didn’t really get to know any hybrids, other than maybe seeing them around town, or maybe someone they know has one. I think if people don’t personally know a hybrid, they either don’t know much about them, or have all these mixed up ideas about them, so this was showing them what one specific hybrid was like. Kind of like, you hear about all these people in a disaster, and when you hear individual stories, or hear about a few specific people, it can seem more real. Or starving kids in a foreign country, and then you see one of them, and it hits you harder than a mass of people you never really see.”

Kurt thought it might be a good idea to change the subject a little.

“Tell me more about what Carole's like," Kurt encouraged.

"She's great. She's a few years younger than me, but not much. Her first husband died in Iraq, and they never had any kids. She really wants a child. How would you feel if – would it bother you if Carole and I had a kid together?"

"Why would it bother me?" Kurt asked. "I think it would be great! You’re the best dad in the world, so why shouldn't another kid get the chance to have you as a dad? Sounds like Carole is really nice, and would probably be a good mom for somebody."

Burt reached over and patted Kurt's hand. "Thanks for being so understanding, Kurt. It's not like I'm trying to replace you, but – I've missed you a lot, and thought so much about what it would have been like to be able to keep raising you, like a regular kid, till you were 18 or so and could go off on your own, and I’d still be able to see you. But I wouldn't have given up the hybrid part of you, getting to know that side of you. And it doesn't matter anyway, because we can't change any of that, but Carole and I have talked about it, and we do want to have kids, or at least a kid."

Kurt smiled gently and squeezed his dad's hand. "I think it's great. I hope you do. And I would like to meet Carole someday, she sounds really special."

"Okay, son, enough about me and Carole. I want to hear about you."

Kurt didn't know where to begin. “I’m doing good. I didn’t like it at the pet store, but things are a lot better now. I really do like it here, and I love Adam, and he loves me. He’s done so many things for me, to try to help me adjust, and make my own decisions about things. At the pet store, about the only decision I was allowed to make was whether to be a cat or human, and when to change. Even then, if a customer wanted me to change, I was supposed to, whether I wanted to or not. Adam doesn’t do that. He sometimes reminds me of appointments or things going on, so I have an idea of how long I might have before we need to be somewhere, but that helps me.

“I was so scared of everything, when I was at the pet store, and when Adam first adopted me. I wasn’t all that scared of him, but I didn’t want to do something wrong and get him mad at me. I was afraid he’d try to return me.”

Burt frowned, obviously not liking this one bit. “What made you think that?”

Kurt sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, though it fell back into place perfectly. “Because I’d heard people do that, and the other hybrids were sure he wasn’t going to keep me, that he’d change his mind once he spent more time with me. But they were wrong. Even when he did get mad, mainly because I scared him by hiding under the bed and he couldn’t find me, he didn’t do anything to hurt me, or even yell at me. He just talked to me about it later and explained why he didn’t want me to do that. He said it’s okay if I want to be alone, but just to let him know instead of hiding.”

“He knows that’s a cat thing, right, the hiding?”

“Yeah, he figured that out. It’s not that he’s trying to change me, Dad, we’re just both trying to figure out the best way to live with each other.”

“That makes sense. You have to do that with anybody you live with, family, a roommate, spouse, or whatever.”

“I get really nervous sometimes, worrying about things, and it just escalates, and I have trouble breathing. Adam helps me calm down, he tries to find out what the problem is. But most of the time he’s really good at figuring out what I’m worried about, and what triggered it. He’s been helping me be more confident, not just around him, but other people. I was scared of his friends at first, thinking they’d try to talk him into taking me back, but then I realized they weren’t like that. They’re really nice people, and none of them knows much about hybrids, but they wanted to learn. They wanted to see me as a cat, because – it’s complicated, but I came out here looking for Harriet, and I’d already changed. Nobody was laughing at me or making fun of me, but they were curious. Adam asked if they wanted to pet me, and they did. I sat on the couch, and they came over one by one, and they’d just sit with me and pet me a minute and talk to me. I never thought I’d be comfortable in a situation like that, but Adam was there, and I knew he wasn’t going to let anyone hurt me. But they were really nice.

“One of the things I’m figuring out, Dad, is there are a lot more nice people than I realized. Everyone Adam knows seems to be really nice – well, there’s this one guy who’s not, but he’s not a friend, just someone Adam went to school with that we ran into.  But everyone he knows has been treating me really well. I’m not used to it, but I like it.”

He stopped and took a sip of coffee, and grimaced because it was cold. Well, that’s what he got for talking instead of drinking it.

“I’m glad you’re finding some nice people and making friends. That’s something Adam’s been able to do for you that I never could, so I’m grateful for that.”

Kurt nodded. “There are still things that upset me, but I’m getting better at handling it. And I can talk to Dr Hanover about stuff when I need to. I’m gonna see him next week.”

They heard Adam come out of the kitchen.

“Excuse me, but breakfast is ready, if you’d like to come in.”

The food was in bowls or on plates on the counter, and they served themselves, buffet style, then sat down at the kitchen table.

Kurt was rather annoyed to see bacon and sausage, along with scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast, fruit salad, and yogurt. But then he remembered that Adam liked that stuff, too. He glared until Burt took some fruit along with all the cholesterol. Burt looked resigned until he noticed something.

"Ooh, strawberries. This looks great Adam, thanks."

Kurt knew it wasn't his place to tell his father what to do, or what to eat, but it was just habit.

They kept the conversation very light for a little while, as they ate. Kurt stuck to fruit and yogurt, and a small amount of eggs. The problem with that was it left a lot more bacon and sausage for his dad and Adam, and he didn’t think they should eat all of it. He finally gave in and took two sausages and two pieces of bacon, but he only had a couple of bites of each. He supposed he wasn’t being very subtle, when both Adam and his dad looked longingly at the meat left on his plate, but neither asked to finish it.

He was glad for the chance to think about what things to tell his father, and what things to definitely not tell him. There was no point in upsetting him by telling him about Sebastard, for instance. But he wanted to tell him about all the kind people he'd met.

Burt offered to do the dishes, but Adam said it was necessary, especially when there were enough to justify using the dishwasher. He said he'd get everything taken care of in a few minutes.

Burt faced Kurt again. "So, kid, I know you spent a long time in that pet store, and I'm real sorry about that."

"Why are you sorry?" Kurt asked. "It's not your fault."

Burt sighed, and looked directly into his eyes. "I know, but I still wish you'd had it easier there. Was there anything good about it?"

Kurt thought for a minute. "Yes, that's where I met Adam. And then things got a lot better."

Burt glanced over at Adam. "I can see why that would be a really good memory. I bet you like living here, in New York, and especially this apartment. It's really nice."

Kurt nodded. "Yeah it's great! Adam’s been really great to me, and I've met a lot of his friends, and different people he knows. And everybody that I sang for liked my voice."

"Do you want to tell Burt about the play?" Adam asked.

"Oh yeah! Adam took me to see Wicked last night, and Dad, afterwards I got to meet April Rhodes! I got to talk to her and everything, and she hugged me, and kissed me on the cheek. She asked me to sing for her, Dad, and she liked it!"

Burt looked a little confused by all of this. "Wait a minute, isn't she that singer you had a crush on, that played the good witch?”

Kurt's mouth hung open in shock. "Wait, how did you know about that?"

"What, your little crush on her? Confused me for a little while there, but I knew you were crazy about her. Your old man might be dumb, but I ain't stupid."

"No, I never thought that. I just – I thought I was doing a good job of hiding that."

Burt chuckled. "You've never been all that good at hiding your feelings, Kurt, even when you try really hard. Or maybe it's just because I spent so much time with you, it was easy for me to figure out your feelings."

"I guess. But Dad, April liked my singing! She even gave me her phone number, and had Adam put his phone number in her phone, because she wanted to keep in touch. She wants to hear my voice again."

"Wow, that sounds like kind of a big deal. But don't go calling her and bothering her, you hear me? Let her call you."

Kurt shook his head in denial. "No, I would never call her. But I don't want to lose her number, either.” 

He looked over at his boyfriend. "Adam, I was thinking, we have all these business cards now. Do we have a place to put them all?"

"I've got sort of a binder thing for business cards. I'll put them all together in there. I think I'll put it by the phone, so we can both find it if we need to."

“What other kind of business cards do you have, Kurt?” Burt asked curiously.

“Let’s see, Dr. Hanover, Jerry from the Faster Fitness Gym, Mr. Hugo from Hugo’s Fine Fashions, um…the Lush store. I think that’s it.”

“He has private numbers for the first three,” Adam pointed out, “as well as Ms. Rhodes.”

“Really, their private numbers?” Burt looked worried as he turned to Adam. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, some of the things I’ve heard, that’s like an indication someone wants to “borrow” your hybrid.”

Adam joined them at the table again. “No, Burt, in this case, it’s because they genuinely want Kurt, or me, to call them if there’s a problem. At least, for Dr. Hanover, it’s for emergencies, and Kurt did a major favor for Jerry at the gym. I think if Kurt ever needed a bodyguard, for instance, either Jerry or Daniel at the gym would be happy to help out. And I’ve known Hugo for years. I think, before you leave, Kurt should talk to you about an idea Hugo has. I can be part of that conversation or not, whatever you want, Kurt.”

Kurt nodded, beginning to see why he should maybe wait to open up that particular can of worms.

Adam continued, “I also have a card I should copy for Kurt, from Ms. Devereaux. You should know, Burt, the numbers for Dr. Hanover and Ms. Devereaux can be used if Kurt ever feels in any way threatened by me, if he feels I’m mistreating him, anything like that. You’ll understand a bit more when you meet them, but they would be excellent advocates for Kurt were I to ever hurt him. I never had any intention of treating him badly, but this is sort of added reassurance for him that if I do, he has some recourse.

“Of course, I would hope we could talk about it first –“

Kurt couldn’t help it, he snorted at that. They both looked at him.

“Sorry, it’s just that Adam and I have spent a lot of time talking about problems, or potential problems. It doesn’t really bother me, I’m just not used to someone asking my opinion, or caring about what I think.”

“Well, it’s about time somebody did,” Burt interrupted. “It makes me respect Adam more, and trust him more, that he does care about you, and not just about what he wants.” He shrugged when Adam looked slightly offended.

“Sorry, Adam, but I’ve got to put my boy’s best interests first. You do seem like a really good guy, but you’re not the typical hybrid owner I’ve met, you know? Which is a good thing.”

“I’m not sure what else I can say, or how many times I can repeat it, but I love Kurt, and I only want what’s best for him. Believe me, if I thought he’d be better off on his own than with me, and he were allowed to leave me, and wanted to, I’d let him go. I’d be very unhappy about it, but I don’t want to be yet another person in his life holding him back from the things he wants to do.”

“Adam,” Kurt protested, “Even if I was allowed to leave you and live on my own…I don’t want to do that. I love you, and want to stay with you, as long as you want me. And how would I survive on my own, anyway? I’d have to depend on the kindness of strangers, even more than I already do, and that’s not the same as being independent, is it?”

“No, it isn’t,” Adam agreed. “And I want you to be as independent as you can, within the ridiculous limitations society has put on you. But I’m thinking, maybe things won’t always be this way. Maybe someday, hybrids in the future will be treated differently, will have as many rights as humans, will be seen as humans who can become animals, not animals who have somehow learned to become human.”

Burt was nodding in agreement. “And that’s the big argument of a lot of the hybrid opponents. They’re thinking, if your family pet, who has always been an animal, one day became human, they’re thinking they’d have the limited intelligence of that animal. Sorry, Kurt, but as smart as you are as a cat, you’re smarter as a human.”

Kurt didn’t take offense, knowing it was true.

“So they think of hybrids as animals that somehow learned to sort of talk, but they think they still have pretty much just an animal brain, and can’t ever be taught to be independent, to take care of themselves, any more than the family dog would if you put a business suit on it and gave it a briefcase. Even though hybrids are born as humans, some people persist in thinking of them as an animal that just looks human.”

“Well, they need to be educated, then, don’t they?” Adam asked indignantly. “I admit, I never gave it much thought one way or the other, but yes, I think at first I was thinking of getting a pet who would understand me when I spoke to him, and could have intelligent conversations and all that. I wasn’t exactly thinking of someone essentially just like me who could become a cat or dog. But I learned better,” he hastened to add.

“Maybe other people can learn, too,” Burt mused. “I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to do that.”

“Well, I think talking to Dr. Hanover will be an excellent start,” Adam suggested.

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”

Burt shook his head. “A lot of stuff to think about. But right now, I was thinking, Kurt, why don’t I show you all the stuff I brought from home for you?”

Kurt nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, please! I can’t wait to see what you brought me!”


	59. Chapter 59

"I have to admit I'm curious to see what you brought," Adam added.

"Well, I've got almost everything in the big suitcase. Do you want me to bring it out here, or –"

"Let's go in there, so you don't have to lug it out here," Kurt suggested.

While his dad was putting the suitcase on the bed, Kurt noticed something alarming. Bernard was resting against the second pillow, but Harriet was nowhere in sight.

“Harriet! What happened to her? Dad, do you know what –“

“Shhh, Kurt, relax. Here she is.” Burt reached under the second pillow and pulled the mouse out.

“Dad, how’s she supposed to breathe under there?” Kurt asked, taking her from his dad and cuddling her close. She didn’t look any different, but he had to make sure she was okay. She was his responsibility.

“Um, I don’t think the pillow killed her, she seems the same to me,” Burt said carefully. “I think I scared her and she wanted to hide under the pillow.”

Something about that statement seemed wrong, but he was too relieved to think about it too much. “Okay. I’m just glad she’s okay.”

“Ah, I think she and the bear both missed you. Maybe you’d better keep them with you tonight.”

“Maybe. Adam, is it okay if they sleep with us?”

Adam sighed, very quietly, probably thinking Kurt wouldn’t hear him. “Why not? It’s not like they’re going to take up much room. But they’re taking up space on your side of the bed.”

Kurt nodded eagerly, taking Bernard from his dad as well and cradling them both.

“Oh, Dad, I should have introduced you last night, or something. Maybe that’s why Harriet was scared. Dad, this is my mouse, Harriet, and my bear, Bernard. Adam got them both for me,” he announced proudly. “Guys, this is my dad.”

Burt cleared his throat. “Hi Harriet, hi Bernard.” He glanced at Adam, then back to Kurt. “I’m glad Adam got you some friends. I imagine he’s busy some of the time, and can’t always be there for you.”

“Exactly! How did you know?”

“I remember how you were about the stuffed toy cat your grandparents got for you when you were born. Hey buddy, why don’t you put your friends on Adam’s bed now, so you don’t forget later?”

“Good idea.”

“Remember, your side of the bed,” Adam reminded him with a smile.

Kurt rolled his eyes, because they took up almost no space, but he really didn’t mind.

 

 

Burt turned to Adam and explained, very quietly, “My parents thought it would be funny. They’re not exactly hybrid sympathizers, either. It was the only present they ever got him. They were always too busy to come and see us, or for us to see them. They only lived in Indiana, for Christ’s sake, it’s not like it would have been a huge trip, for any of us. But they never wanted to meet Elizabeth, let alone our “abomination” of a son. So I never found the time to visit or call them either.” 

He sighed with exasperation. “I sent them a picture of the three of us, me, my beautiful Elizabeth, and our incredible son, who looked just like any other baby. Well, cuter than most, because he was our son. But it’s not like he had cat ears and whiskers and a tail or anything that made him look different. And they sent us a stuffed cat. I wanted to get rid of it, but Kurt’s mom said to wait, and gave it to him when he was maybe six months old, so he’d have something to hold onto if he got scared or lonely. We told him when he was older it was from his grandparents, and he thought they were such nice people, to get him a pet of his own.”

Adam turned towards the door, and put a finger to his lips.

Burt raised his voice slightly. “He loved that cat, so of course, I had to bring it.”

 

 

Kurt got back to his room to overhear the fantastic news.

“Dad! You brought Phoebe?”

“Sure did, kiddo. Carole even gave her a bath, and brushed her for you. She’s all pretty again now.” He pulled the white cat, wrapped in a white, gray and blue knitted scarf, out of the suitcase.

“I haven’t seen that scarf before, that’s not one of mine,” Kurt commented. “But it’s pretty!”

“That’s from Carole. She wanted to make you something, and figured a scarf would fit you better than a sweater.”

Kurt slowly unwrapped the scarf, and set it aside for a moment to examine Phoebe. She looked the same as she always had, but maybe -- yeah, cleaner than the last time he’d seen her. He’d cried all over her when the Hybrid Control people said he couldn’t take her with him. He petted her and soothed her.

Adam had been very quiet, but he spoke up. “She looks remarkably like Misty, don’t you think?”

Kurt blinked, and looked again. Actually, she did. Phoebe was a Persian, too, with fluffy, long white fur and blue eyes. She was about the same size as Misty, too, about 18 inches long, including her tail. He wondered what Misty would think of her.

“Yeah, she does.”

“I wonder if that’s one reason you like Misty so much?”

“I didn’t even realize – it’s not that I forgot about Phoebe, but I think I put her in the back of my mind, with a lot of the stuff it seemed better to not think about, because it was too upsetting.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re reunited now. Do you want to put her on the bed with your other friends?”

“Yeah. I’d better introduce her. I’ll be back in a minute, okay, Dad?”

“Sure, son, that’s fine.”

 

 

Burt sighed, and looked at the scarf Carole had spent hours knitting. He guessed maybe Kurt didn’t like it after all.

“Give him a few minutes, Burt,” Adam advised. “I think he’s a little overwhelmed at the moment. He’ll notice the scarf when he comes back, I’m sure. It seems like he’s got some memories that are surfacing for the first time in a long while.”

“Yeah, I guess it’ll take him a bit to adjust. I’m really glad I didn’t throw anything away. I even tried washing the cat in Woolite and drying it with the hair dryer they wouldn’t let Kurt take with him. Then I just packed it all up in boxes, and labeled them really well. If there’s anything I didn’t bring that he wants, he can tell me, and I’ll send it. I didn’t even want to give the clothes away until I was sure he didn’t want them or couldn’t wear them.”

“I really appreciate you bringing whatever you could.”

“Yeah, well, there’s one thing – it’s actually two things – that you might not approve of, but we’ll see. If there’s anything you don’t want him to have, for some reason, let me know. You’ll know what I mean when you see them.”

“The pair of sensible heels?”

“Ha, I didn’t bring those, ‘cause they’re way too tiny for him now. And I didn’t bring any of his makeup, ‘cause it’s way too old, and Carole said it might be contaminated or something now, but she wrote down all the brand names and numbers and all that, in case he wants to replace anything. She’s been so wonderful about Kurt, and Elizabeth, and anything to do with them. She’s not at all jealous of Elizabeth, and I think they maybe could have been friends if they’d ever known each other.”

Kurt came back in, his eyes slightly red.

“Are you alright, Kurt?” Adam asked with concern, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He nodded. “I’m fine, just got a little teary thinking about stuff. But it’s okay now, ‘cause Phoebe said she was just resting all this time, waiting for me. She said Dad took real good care of her, and Carole did, too.”

He picked up the scarf Carole had knitted, and looked closely at it. “Adam, would you please get my glasses out of my bag for me?”

“Sure.”

Kurt stroked the scarf, and put it against his face, rubbing it against the material. Burt knew that was a good sign. He looked up at Burt, “Don’t worry, I washed my face and hands a couple minutes ago.”

He put on the glasses when Adam handed them to him.

“Hey, kiddo, those look great on you! They make you look a little older, maybe more…sophisticated?” Burt asked.

“I think so,” Adam agreed.

Burt thought Kurt was looking at the stitches or whatever they were called.

“This is really good. I can tell Carole put a lot of work into this. And a lot of love,” he added. He wound it around his neck, adjusting it until it fit the way he wanted. “I love it. Dad, please tell Carole how much I love it, and thank her for me?”

“I’ll be happy to do that, buddy. But you know what else she might like? You could maybe write her a thank you card, or a note or something.”

Kurt blinked. “Yeah, I can do that. But my spelling’s not too good.”

“She won’t care, son, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s important. Adam, will you help me with the spelling?”

Burt noticed Adam blinking rapidly, then he rubbed his eyes with one hand. “Certainly. We’ll do that maybe tonight, and Burt can take the note back with him. I’ve got some fancy stationary I bought on a whim, but I hardly ever have a chance to use it.”

“Yeah, that would be great, thank you.”

Burt found his own eyes stinging, so he figured it was time to start unpacking the rest of the stuff. And hope none of them got as sentimental over most of the rest of it.

 

 

Burt had the large suitcase turned in such a way that he was the only one who could see what was in there. He brought things out one at a time, and set them on the bed.

"First, I hope these didn't get too squashed. I figured maybe some of the hats might fit you, and I didn't know which of the scarves you wanted, so it just brought all of those."

Kurt jumped up and down excitedly, clasping his hands in front of him, as his dad brought the hats and scarves out. He immediately picked up one of the hats and tried it on, and found it fit reasonably well. He supposed his head probably hadn't changed in size nearly as much as his arms, legs and torso had. He put it back in the “keep” pile, which so far was everything.

His dad had brought all his favorites, including one he had almost forgotten about. He snatched it up and put it on, tying it below his chin, and twirling around the room.

"His mom insisted on getting him that Maria bonnet,” Burt explained to Adam, “after they saw The Sound of Music for the first time. We could barely get him to take it off for a while."

Kurt came back to the bed, and removed the hat, and started trying on some of the scarves. He had so many choices now! He had forgotten just how many scarves he had.

"Well, it looks like that's one thing we can cross off the shopping list," Adam joked.

"You can never have too many scarves," Kurt explained. "They can dress up just about any outfit." He looked up at Adam and grinned. "You can borrow any of these you want. I'm not sure the hats are your style, but you're welcome to those too."

"Thank you. I just may take you up on that."

Burt paused before taking the next item out. "I don't think any of your old clothes will still fit, but I brought these anyway." He lifted out the handmade kilt, including the jacket and sporran. "I thought maybe you could make some changes to this, let it out somehow, I don’t know. But I figured it was worth bringing."

Kurt was fighting back the tears. He had spent so many hours on that outfit, wanted to wear it to the Highland Games tournament that was held every year in Toledo. He had stubbornly ignored the fact that it would fall after his 13th birthday.

“I took him to see that Lakedancing or whatever it was show, like 4 times. He learned how to do some of those moves. Can you still do them?” Burt asked Kurt.

“Yes, can you?” Adam asked, a tone in his voice Kurt hadn’t heard before.

He blinked. “Um, I think so. I’d have to practice a bit.”

“I have the Riverdance DVD if you want to refresh your memory,” Adam suggested.

“It looked like pretty good exercise to me,” Burt commented.

"That kilt is beautiful, Kurt," Adam commented. "May I see it?"

Kurt quietly handed it over. Adam looked at it carefully, and seemed genuinely impressed with the end result. "I hope you can make this fit. We’ll have to find someplace you can wear this."

"Really? You wouldn't mind being seen with me in public in it?"

Adam shrugged. "No, why would I? We just need to find the right event. Or events. They must have some kind of Scottish festival or Highland Games or something in New York."

“There’s always Halloween, too,” Burt pointed out helpfully.

Kurt stared at him, not believing he’d just heard that.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that? It’d make a good costume.”

Kurt sniffed loudly, and said, “What else did you bring me?”

Burt brought out some other items Kurt had made or had altered from some thrift store finds. There were some he had definitely forgotten about. He showed each one to Adam, and put to one side the ones he thought were worth altering to fit him now.

Burt brought out a box, about six inches deep, and about a foot across and almost as wide. “And here's your old toolkit. But I don't think they're gonna fit your hands that well anymore, so I wanted to take you out shopping for better tools. For the car, and stuff around the house. I've got a lot of presents to make up for." He smirked at Adam. “I don’t suppose you’ve got stuff like that around here.”

“Of course I do! I have a hammer, and two screwdrivers, the straight one and the X.” He paused at Burt’s look. “What else should I have?”

Burt rolled his eyes. “What about nails?”

“Why would I need – oh. Yes, I think I have a few, to hang pictures with.”

“And have you ever had to use these tools for anything but hanging pictures?”

“Well, um, sure, of course – er, no,” Adam admitted sheepishly.

“Well, by the time I go home, the two of you will have some basic household tools, and a book on how to use ‘em, ‘cause I’m guessing that’s how you learn best?”

“By reading? Yes, of course.”

Burt shrugged. “Me, I’m more of a hands-on guy, I learn a lot of stuff by doing it. But books are good.”

“There must be a Home Repairs for Dummies or something,” Adam muttered. “I can’t be the only one who doesn’t know.”

“I’m sure there is,” Burt soothed.

"I'll be happy to drive us to the mall, or anywhere else, a home improvement store or wherever you want to go," Adam reminded Burt.

"Thanks, yeah, that would be great. By the way, while we’re at the book store, Kurt, I want to get you a copy of that book, that Martha Stewart Homekeeping book."

Kurt gasped, and hugged Burt. “I’ve been wanting to get another copy of that!”

“I’d have brought it, but it’s really heavy, and Carole’s been using it. I figured I’d get you one here.”

“That’s fine,” Adam agreed. “It’s probably something they’ll have at most book stores, right? Or do you think it needs to be special ordered?”

“I think they’ve got it at most book stores,” Kurt answered, slightly overwhelmed by all the things.

Kurt was looking through the tools, and it was hard to believe that at one point they had been almost too big for his hands. They were definitely too small now.

"I got one more thing here in this bag," Burt said.

"What is that bag, a TARDIS?" Adam asked, only half joking.

"No, it's a Samsonite.”

Kurt giggled and Adam just grinned, and Burt looked puzzled. “Must be a British brand,” he mumbled.

He picked up one more item, but didn’t bring it out of the suitcase yet.

"I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to bring these, even in checked luggage. If Adam doesn't want you to have them, I'll take them back."

Kurt gasped, knowing what his dad must be talking about. Sure enough, he pulled out the familiar leather case.

"What's that?" Adam asked.

"I'll show you. These are so cool," Kurt enthused. He unzipped the case, so Adam could see the Sai swords nestled in the felt interior. He really wanted to pick one up, but he wanted to see what Adam's reaction was first.

"Are these real, or toys?"

Kurt scoffed. “They’re real, of course."

"And you know how to use them? Safely, I mean?"

"Yeah, I do. But I probably better show you some other time." He looked up worriedly at Adam. "Can I keep them?"

"Let me think about it a bit. Yes, I mean you probably can, but I have to admit those sharp blades and points concern me."

"He was actually pretty good with them," Burt volunteered. "It might take some practice, but he never so much as broke a lamp or scratched himself, or me. And obviously, he keeps them in the case when he's not using them, so you don't have to worry about his cat self getting hurt."

"Well, we’ll keep them here. I just don't know anything about these, so – "

"You'd like to do a little research?" Kurt suggested, trying to pass it off as a joke. He wasn't really annoyed at Adam, he could understand him being concerned, but it's not like he didn't know what he was doing. He would have appreciated a little more faith in his coordination.

"I've got an idea," Adam said. "You can call Jerry at the gym, and find out if they have any sword fighting classes or anything like that, or know somebody who gives lessons. I'm not questioning your skill, but it's been close to six years since you've used anything like this, right?"

"Yeah, I guess you've got a point there. Maybe a class would be a good idea, but I don't think it would take very long to get back to where I was before. I taught myself from videos on the Internet. Dad had to sit with me and watch them, because we only had the computer at the garage, and I wasn't allowed to use it by myself."

“Yeah, I watched the same things he did, but I could never juggle those swords the way he could,” Burt admitted with pride in his voice.

"Okay, you can call him maybe on Monday after your dad leaves, or Tuesday, and see if they have an instructor there."

"Thanks, Adam!" Kurt zipped up the case again, and put it inside the top drawer of the dresser inside his closet.

"Okay," Burt said, "I've got a couple more things for you, but I put them in the carry-on, ‘cause I really didn't want to take a chance on losing them."

He opened the other bag. First he took out a small velvet pouch, that Kurt remembered making. He gasped. His dad still had it!

Burt brought out a very small object on a nylon string. "You remember this?" He held it out to Kurt, who took it carefully.

"Yes. I made this the first year after Mom died."

"What is it?" Adam asked.

"It's mom's perfume bottle. I turned it into a Christmas ornament. Meaning I tied a nylon string around it really tightly,” he laughed. “The perfume is all gone, but it still smells a little bit like her. I hope." Kurt removed the stopper, and sniffed the bottle. "Yeah, I can still smell it."

"Well, good, then we've got at least one Christmas ornament for the tree," Adam joked. “Let’s make sure to put that somewhere safe.”

Kurt put it in the same drawer as his Sai swords.

“You said there was something else?” Kurt asked, feeling very spoiled, and a little overwhelmed.

Burt hesitated. “Yeah, but I think that should wait for another time. Maybe tonight, or tomorrow morning. This has been a lot to take in, all these memories.”

“Okay,” Kurt sighed. He really didn’t mind waiting. It wasn’t like his dad was going to forget about whatever it was.

“Did you want to get the shopping over with now?” Adam suggested, “Or wait till later?”

“It’s up to Kurt.”

He bit his lip as he thought. “Let’s do the shopping, and any errands, now.”

“Oh, right, I should at least get some decaf coffee from the grocery store. Any other requests, from either of you?”

Burt shook his head, but Kurt reminded Adam that they needed a couple of ingredients for the cheesecake.

“Cheesecake?” Burt asked hopefully. “I really like your homemade cheesecake.”

“It’s for dessert on Sunday, when Dr. Hanover and Ms. Devereaux are visiting. It will need a few hours to set, so by the time they get here, I’ll just need to take it out of the refrigerator and serve it.”

“I have a feeling the dessert will derail the conversation, but I’m not complaining.”

“Hm, now I’m very anxious to try this cheesecake,” Adam teased. “But I suppose I can wait till Sunday night.” He added, looking at Kurt, “As soon as we get back, I think you’ll probably need a nap.” 

Kurt started to open his mouth in protest, but Adam over-rode him. “I’m sure you’re not tired yet, but I think you will be.”

“But I wanna spend time with Dad!”

“Tell you what, kiddo,” Burt said, “I think I’m gonna take a nap when we get back.”

He certainly didn’t want to wear his dad out, he needed to get plenty of rest, as well as good food. He was sure Carole would approve of a nap for Burt. 

“That sounds like a good idea,” Kurt decided.

“Good. Now, is everybody ready to go? Yes? Then let’s get started,” Adam said. “Kurt, you might want to bring your glasses for the book store. I have an idea, thanks to something Burt said, that might help you with your reading.”

“Really? Okay. I do want to get back to the Harry Potter books, eventually.”

“Right. Once we’ve finished the first book, we can watch the movie, while the book is still fresh in your mind. Then we’ll go on to the next book, and so on.”

“How many books are there in that series?” Burt wondered.

“Seven. It ought to keep us busy for quite a while,” Adam announced happily.


	60. Chapter 60

Adam thought things were going fairly well, all things considered. Burt seemed a bit more relaxed, and less worried about Kurt, and how Adam himself was treating him.

Burt also liked his car, but agreed it needed a tune-up. He suggested they go to Home Depot to get the tools, and said they might possibly have a book on basic mechanics there. Since he seemed to know what he was doing, Adam let him lead them up and down the aisles, putting various things in the cart.

Burt and Kurt discussed the pros and cons of some of the items, and Adam tried to just listen and absorb what he could. It felt very strange to him to be holding Kurt's leash, with his father right there. Aside from a tightening of his lips when Adam first put the leash on Kurt, Burt hadn't indicated this made him uncomfortable. Kurt didn't seem to react to it any differently than usual.

Adam thought that it was pretty fortunate that Kurt didn't look very much like his father, so no one looked at them strangely, as they might have done had there been an obvious resemblance. They agreed the easiest way to get around any suspicions would be for Kurt to call Burt sir, and try very hard to remember to not call him Dad.

By the time they were done, there was a metal toolbox, which would eventually be pretty much filled up with all the various tools and pieces and parts. Adam wasn't sure how useful it would actually be, aside from doing some things to the car, because he was used to just calling maintenance at the apartment complex if he needed something done. But if he wanted to make changes, and Lily didn't object, then he now had the means to do so. Or rather, he and Kurt had the means to do so, because he had a feeling that Kurt would be much better with this kind of handiwork. Hopefully he’d be able to learn enough from Kurt to feel competent on his own.

They did find a simplified book of home repairs, which Adam was determined to at least look through and try to make some sense of, in the near future.

Adam insisted on paying for the non-car-related tools.

They had also found some mechanic’s overalls for Kurt. The problem would be whether he would be allowed to do minor repairs in the garage, or if they would have to find someplace else to do that.

The next stop was the book store. Burt found a book on do-it-yourself car repairs. Kurt agreed that might be a good idea, because it had been so long since he last worked on one, and he wanted to be sure he knew what he was doing before touching Adam's car. 

They did find a copy of Martha Stewart's Homekeeping book, which made Kurt far happier than Adam thought a book like that should warrant, but he wasn't about to rain on Kurt's parade. Anything that made him that happy, was good as far as he was concerned.

While they were there, Adam and Kurt looked through the books written for grade schoolers, to find a couple of things to make it easier for Kurt to transition into reading the Harry Potter books, and anything else at a higher level.

Burt explained the theory behind that to Kurt. They had to be careful what they said, because other people were around. "The hybrid that I used to have wanted to spend some of her spare time reading, but as you know, only had a few years of schooling. So I bought her some of these types of books so she could learn to read better. She understood I wasn't making fun of her, or insulting her in any way, it just seemed the easiest way to teach her how to read."

Kurt nodded, and agreed. "That makes sense to me, sir. I appreciate Adam allowing me to read, and helping me to get better at it."

They stood in line, and bought the books, with nobody questioning them, or making any sarcastic comments, which they all appreciated.

"Shall we maybe go to a restaurant for lunch?” Adam asked.

Burt seemed a little uncomfortable with the idea. "You know, if you don't mind, and you already have the ingredients, I haven't had a tuna sandwich like Kurt used to make in ages. I've tried to make it the same way, but I just can't seem to get it quite right."

"I think we'd better stop at the grocery store first," Adam said, "and get some more tuna. And will also get some decaf coffee, and whatever you need for the cheesecake, Kurt. Can you think of anything else we need, or you want?"

Kurt mentioned a couple more things he thought they were low on, but they were still able to get out of the grocery store fairly quickly. They did pick up some more fruit, and Adam had already decided to broil chicken for dinner.

It had seemed like a fairly successful venture, and they were all getting along fine. Adam noticed that Kurt seemed to be more relaxed and happier than he had been, and if he'd had any doubts before about having Burt there, they were erased now. He wasn't sure how often, realistically, Burt could visit, but he thought if they could manage at least a couple of times a year, that should be fine, though he wouldn’t object to more frequent visits.

 

 

Once they were home, Burt helped Kurt make the tuna sandwiches, while Adam got caught up on some things on the laptop. Kurt suggested Burt write down each of the steps for the sandwiches. He found a notepad and pen for him to use.

"Kurt, I'm so impressed by the changes in you. You do seem a lot more grown up, and you're handling everything really well, probably better than I would in the same circumstances. I'm glad you and Adam get along so well. It would really hurt me if he ignored you most of the time, or didn't want to spend a lot of time with you."

"No," Kurt insisted. "He's really good about paying a lot of attention to me. Maybe not as much as I would like, but he really can't spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week with me. I'm starting to realize that it's probably not even healthy to want that. He really has been spending a lot of time with me, though, there’s probably only a few hours a day we’re not together.

"We've been trying to find things I can do, while Adam’s on the computer, like now. He's been encouraging me to do more clothing designs, and I'm working on a dress for Lily, our friend next door. She bought me a sewing machine, and the material, and I'm going to start working on it soon. So far I've only made the outfit for Bernard."

"Oh, was that your work?"

Kurt nodded.

"I thought that was one of those little outfits for the Build-A-Bears."

"The bear is from there, and Adam picked him out and stuffed him for me, and brought him home. But I designed and made the outfit for him. I'm also going to sew a dress for Harriet. I finally designed something that will work for her."

"What about Phoebe? I'm sure she'll want a dress or something, too. She's not going to want to be naked when her friends are dressed," Burt teased.

Kurt giggled, but agreed. “I wonder if she likes pink as much as Misty does? But I’m pretty sure it’s Lily who likes it.”

“I dunno, I was thinking she might want something that won’t clash with Harriet,” Burt suggested.

“That’s true. I’ll look through the material we’ve got here and see what works best for her.”

“Or show her the different colors and materials, and ask her what she likes,” Burt joked.

Kurt smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? They should have some choices, too.”

He tried to straighten out his hair. “Adam told me to stop doing that, that I shouldn’t be hitting myself when I think I’ve done something stupid, just because I think someone needs to.”

“That’s good advice. I’m glad he’s helping you with stuff like that.”

Kurt also put a salad together while they made the sandwiches. When everything was ready, he called Adam in from the living room.

They sat down to eat in the kitchen, and Adam told them about some of the e-mails he’d received.

“Jessica and Tessa want to come to have lunch with us here, on Wednesday, if that’s okay with you.”

Kurt thought about it. “When did you say we’re having our appointments with Dr. Hanover?” He pretended he didn’t notice the glee on Burt’s face when he saw the ranch dressing, or how much he dumped on the salad. Mainly because he only used a little less on his own salad.

“That’s Tuesday morning. 10:00 for you, 11:00 for me,” Adam recalled. “I think I need to put up a calendar on the refrigerator or something, since it seems like we’ve got a lot of things going on.”

“Seems like a good idea to me,” Burt commented. “I always have trouble remembering appointments if I don’t have ‘em written down where I can’t miss them.”

“Which usually means the refrigerator,” Kurt mentioned to Adam.

“Smart ass,” Burt muttered. “And for your information, Carole has the calendar on the refrigerator, but puts the reminder notes on the TV screen. Damn things get in the way so I can’t watch my shows without taking them off.”

“Where do you put them after that, so you’ll remember?” Adam asked.

“I stick them onto my wallet, because it seems I end up pulling that out every day.”

“I know what that’s like,” Adam muttered. “Anyway, Kurt, is it okay if the girls come for lunch on Wednesday?”

He was sort of looking forward to seeing them again. “Sure. That would be nice.” Then he realized what had happened. “Thank you for asking me.”

Adam shrugged. “I should ask you, for things like that, when they affect both of us. I didn’t know if you might want more time alone to process things. And I know Jesse will be calling, so maybe we can schedule lunch with him for Thursday or Friday, if not the next week.”

“I think I’m doing okay, actually. That’s something I want to ask Dr. Hanover about, if I should be trying to do fewer new things, or if I just need to adjust faster.”

Adam thought about it, then said, “That’s a good idea, to see what he says about it. But I really think you’re the best judge of what works for you. You might need to see how you feel about it. It seems to me it’s easier to add more things to our schedule than try to change them later.”

“I guess. I’m just tired of being scared, nervous, anxious, all that stuff, about new things. It’s like, that’s part of my old life, at New Directions, and now I’ve got you to help me figure things out, if they get too overwhelming.”

Burt had been silent, but Kurt was sure he’d been listening carefully.

“Seems to me you’re both doing a good job of adjusting to each other, but you’ll need to figure out what things to talk to Adam about, and what things to figure out for yourself. I mean, if Adam wants you to be independent.”

Kurt couldn’t tell from the expression on Adam’s face if he appreciated Burt butting in or not.

“I think there will be plenty of time for Kurt to develop his independence,” he explained to Burt, “but Kurt, I don’t want you to hesitate to talk to me if you really want to. I’m used to making most of my decisions on my own, because I really don’t have anyone to advise me, but it doesn’t mean I always like it that way. There are times it’s good to get someone else’s opinion, because they may have a different way of looking at the problem, and might see a different solution that wouldn’t have occurred to me.”

Kurt nodded, thinking about that. “It seems to me it’s good to get information from different sources, like when you do research on the computer, but then you have to make up your own mind in the end, right?”

“Yes. Except now, for things that involve both of us, I’d like to include you in the decision-making.”

“What happens if you can’t both agree?” Burt asked.

“Well, it depends on what it is. If Kurt wants to go to the gym and I really don’t, then he’ll have to wait, at least until I’m more sure he’s ready to go places on his own. If I wanted to go and Kurt really didn’t, he’d have the option of staying here while I went.”

“Speaking of that, Adam, when are we going to the gym next?”

“Hm, I’m not sure. Let’s think about that. I guess sometime next week.”

“Kurt, Adam said you did a huge favor for the guy at the gym, was it Jerry?”

“Uh-huh,” Kurt confirmed.

“What kind of favor was it? And what’s he going to do for you in return?”

“He doesn’t owe me anything,” Kurt protested. “And I really didn’t do it for him, but for Nancy. And she doesn’t owe me anything, either, it’s not like something I did specifically to have something to barter.”

“But what did you do?” Burt asked again. “I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to think of what kind of favor you might have done for this guy.”

“Oh, I helped his girlfriend, who’s his hybrid pet, find her birth family.”

After he and Adam had made sure Burt wasn’t going to choke to death, and Burt had drunk most of a glass of water, he told him about Nancy and Donna.

“That’s pretty amazing that you found her, and so soon after finding out Nancy had a sister.”

“I thought so too,” Adam commented, “but a lot of things seem to be working out in a way that makes me think there’s a reason for everything. So many things have happened to me that wouldn’t have happened if Kurt hadn’t come into my life.”

“Same for me, if Adam hadn’t adopted me,” Kurt chimed in.

“Like what?”

Adam looked at Kurt’s plate, and saw he’d finished eating. He’d noticed that Adam was very aware whether he ate or not, and he’d tried really hard to not bring up anything upsetting while they were eating. He appreciated that. He saw his dad was done, too.

“Can we go in the living room and talk about it? I think we’ll be more comfortable there.”

Adam stood up. “I’ll just rinse put the dishes in the dishwasher. If you can put the rest of the things away, it will just take a few minutes.”

“I can help, too,” Burt insisted.

They both protested, but in the end, things went faster with Burt putting the obvious things away in the refrigerator, and Kurt and Adam doing the rest.

A few minutes later, they were ready to relax in the living room. Adam made sure they each had a glass of ice water, as they might be talking a lot.

“I know I said I wanted to take a nap, and I do,” Burt reiterated, “but I’m really curious to hear what all you two have done for each other.”

It looked like Adam was debating this, so Kurt added, “We can consider this resting, right? I’ll take a nap later, when Dad does, and maybe we won’t all have so much to think about.”

Adam agreed. “I’ll go first, shall I?” 

Kurt nodded, and he continued.

“Well, aside from you being excellent company and keeping me from being bored, look at what you’ve done. I’ve known The Apples for years, since not long after I moved to this country. I’m the one who founded the group, and I recruited some, and others just auditioned. We all became pretty good friends. But I never realized, until you pointed it out, how uncomfortable I might be making them with the fancy dinners, when they couldn’t afford to host anything like it in return.” He explained to Burt about how he’d misguidedly been serving much fancier meals than his guests could possibly reciprocate.

“If it weren’t for Kurt, I wouldn’t have realized how it might be making some of them feel, when they were trying their best to feed a dozen people on a student’s budget. I think that will go smoother now. 

“You’ve taught me, and my friends, more about hybrids. We all had so many misconceptions, mainly from never really being able to spend much time talking to a hybrid and learning their point view.

“Lily and I have been on better terms – not that we weren’t before, but because I was trying to encourage you to be less formal with me, calling me Adam instead of Mr. Adam, it made me re-think how I’m addressing her. It seemed more polite to call her Mrs. Avery, but she wanted me to call her Lily, I just couldn’t get over the idea that it was rude. But I was expecting the same informality from you, so it worked out. And we’ve spent more time together, and become better friends, because of you, than we have in the last few years.

“And Nancy, I’ve known her for several years too, but we never talked about her sister.  I had no idea her sister was a hybrid, or I’d have probably asked her some questions. Or maybe not, if I’d really known the circumstances, I’d have probably tried to respect her privacy and not ask questions. But because she wanted to help you, she opened up to both of us about Donna. 

“If it weren’t for you, well, me wanting to get in better shape for you, I’d never have gone to a gym, or at least not that particular one. I wouldn’t have met Donna. If I had, I might have thought she looked familiar, but might not have made the connection to Nancy. Or if I had, and hadn’t known about her history, I might not have asked Jerry about her.” 

“I’ve gotten to know more about Hugo, as well, and again, I’ve shopped there for years without ever knowing he had a hybrid son. Because of you, I’m not only learning more about my friends and acquaintances, but the things I’m finding out about them are important.

“If I hadn’t taken you to see _Wicked_ , not only would you not have met April Rhodes, but I wouldn’t have met Jesse again.” He gave Burt a bit of the background, though the only thing new that Kurt learned was, as he suspected, Jesse was an ex-boyfriend of Adam’s. He did make it clear, though, that he wouldn’t want to get back together with him, even if it weren’t for Kurt.

“I don’t want any of my ex-boyfriends back, Kurt, though at one point Jesse was a good friend. There was a reason we broke up, and it’s rather complicated, but the end result is that it’s difficult for me to trust my judgment of men I might date, and it’s almost impossible to trust them, because of things that happened in the past.

“The difference with you is that I’ve spend enough time around you to know that your feelings are genuine. You’re not looking at me as some kind of experiment, or a rebound from a recent relationship. You love me, and want me because you love me, not because you just want sex, or because you’re trying to prove something.

“You accept me as I am, and aren’t trying to get me to change, to loosen up or be more proper, all these contradictory things different people want of me. I also enjoy being responsible for you, because it’s making me more confident in myself, and forcing me to look at some things I hadn’t wanted to before. Like what’s going to happen to all this -- ” He gestured to the apartment around them, “when I’m gone.”

He sighed. “Not to mention, you’re helping me to open up emotionally, and be more affectionate. It’s not natural to me, it’s not the way I was raised, but I think you and I are both just about equally starved for affection, just basic human touch. That’s something, again, that nobody else before you figured out I needed. And I didn’t recognize it in myself, either.”

Adam took a long drink of water. “I’m sure there are more things, but for now, that’s it.”

“What about you?” Burt asked his son. “Some things are obvious, but I’m curious what you think Adam’s done for you, that I don’t know about.”

Kurt took a drink of water, then a deep breath.

“Adam has done a lot for me, too.  I expected things to be pretty bad when I was adopted, maybe better, but possibly worse, than being at the pet store.  And I knew I might be euthanized if nobody wanted me, in less than two years.”

“What would they have told me, if they’d done that?” Burt interrupted, his voice a little hoarse.

“I’m not sure. Maybe they wouldn’t have said anything, just let you figure it out for yourself. Like, obviously, Miss Emma told you I’d been adopted, but nobody told Nancy’s family when Donna was finally adopted. Maybe that’s something that’s up to the people at the stores.”

“Maybe it’s because I raised so much hell when you were taken away from me. Maybe someone figured it would be better for her to tell me when you were adopted, than have me calling every pet store in the country, trying to find out what happened to you.”

“Did you do that?” Kurt asked in amazement.

“Well, I only called about a dozen before I realized they were all going to tell me the same thing, that they aren’t allowed to release that information. I got a strongly-worded letter from the Hybrid Control Department, not long after that, reminding me that it’s better for the overall health of the hybrid that their birth family not try to find them again. It sounded like some kind of threat, but at that point, I wasn’t sure what I could do that wouldn’t make things worse, so I quit calling. But I never stopped hoping I’d find you again some day.”

Kurt got up and hugged Burt, then sat next to him. “Thank you, Dad, for not giving up on me. I really never thought I’d see you again, but I’m so glad Adam cared enough to want me to be happy.”

“Stupid rules,” Adam commented, and they all laughed.

“What else has Adam done for you?” Burt asked, still curious.

“Well, at the store, I’d heard about most pets being neutered or fixed before leaving there, and I’d overheard Mr. Will saying there was no reason for anyone to leave me intact, especially in the unlikely chance they liked my voice, which he did say was pretty unusual, even in a human, let alone a hybrid. It sounded like my voice might be a good thing, but he never really wanted me to sing loud enough for anyone to hear me,” Kurt added bitterly. “But Adam wouldn’t let them neuter me, in fact I guess he got pretty angry about it.”

“Damn right I got angry! How dare they just assume I’d want that for him!” Adam interjected.

“I didn’t know that’s a normal thing they do,” Burt said heavily. “It’s not something they advertise.”

“I was told,” Adam explained, “That if I didn’t want to breed him to another hybrid, it would probably be best to neuter him. And I was thinking, best for whom? Not for either of us, certainly. So I told them I was taking Kurt as he was.”

Kurt was surprised to realize how much easier this was to talk about now that he knew Adam wouldn’t change his mind.

“I thought if anyone bought me, they’d just use me for sex, and keep me as a cat the rest of the time, and I was kind of resigned to that. But Adam didn’t do that. He treats me so good, I never expected any of this. He treats me like a person. 

“He gave me my own room, my own bathroom. He didn’t force me to have sex with him, right away, or at all. He gives me choices, and wants me to make my own choices. He lets me choose what I want to wear, what I want to eat. He’s letting me wear makeup if I want. I haven’t yet, because he says I don’t really need it, but he’s giving me the choice. He’s also letting me sing, or play the piano, whenever I want.

“He’s introducing me to his friends as his boyfriend, not just his pet. Taking me to the vet even though I’m not sick. The vet figured out I need glasses for reading and up-close work.  Dad, I can see so much better to sew!  I can read easier! I’d never have known what the problem was if I hadn’t gone to someone who checked. And Adam found the best hybrid vet, who not only treats both my human and cat side, but he’s a psychiatrist, too. I never thought about seeing someone like that, but I’m beginning to think it’s a good idea. He took a long time to examine me, Dad, and answer my questions, and asked me some of his own, so he can take better care of other hybrids.

“Adam got us a membership to the gym, and looked for a place I’d feel welcome.  A lot of owners wouldn’t do that, just go themselves. But he wants to get in good shape, for me, and wants me to be healthy, too.”

He drank more water, and Burt nodded.

“That’s great. I never even realized they had gyms that would let you bring a hybrid. Maybe it’s something new.” He looked thoughtful. “You know, I’d kind of like to see that place, meet these guys who seem to have such different attitudes about hybrids.”

“I think that can be arranged,” Adam mused.

“Thanks, that would be good. Sorry, Kurt, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Burt apologized. 

“It’s okay. Let’s see…Adam makes sure when he’s gone for a little while doing errands, that I’ll be okay here, or he takes me to Lily’s to play with Misty. He wants me to choose the type of bed I want. He’s getting me toys, as a cat, and a human. He even got me Buckingham Palace, so I’d have plenty of exercise and a place to play when I’m a cat. 

“He’s letting me work on my designs, paying for some of the fabric that was just for us, not Lily, letting me do designs for her, as well as him and me. She wanted to pay me for the work, and have Adam save it for me, but the lawyer didn’t seem to think that was a good idea. 

“I’d never have met April Rhodes, or been able to sing to her, if he hadn’t taken me to see _Wicked_. Dad, there are so many dreams that are coming true, that I never expected to actually happen. And it’s all because of Adam, because he loves me, and wants me to be happy.

“But most important of all,  he called you to let you know I’m okay, and so I’d know how you were doing. I’ve never heard of anyone doing anything like this, letting the original family visit, except what’s happening with Donna and Nancy.”

Burt squeezed his hand, and Kurt continued to hold onto it.

“I’m feeling better about myself, more confident when I make choices, and I’m learning that it’s not just you and Mom that can love my cat side as well as my human side.

“Adam loves me, Dad, and he accepts me, and he doesn’t want me to change, except to become more myself, and figure out everything I can do. He’s not going to hold me back, Dad, or keep me down.”

“He wants you to defy gravity, huh? Yeah, I remember that song, the one with the Hi-C or whatever?” Burt chuckled.

“Yeah. That’s the one I sang for April Rhodes, and she liked it.” He still had a hard time believing that, but if she’d been lying, she was an even better actress than he gave her credit for, but it didn’t make sense for her to be so supportive if she didn’t believe in him.

Burt sighed, and his whole body seemed to relax. “Kurt, I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see you like this, talking and acting as much like a person as I’ve ever seen you do. You’re not a kid anymore, you’re becoming a man, and I can see Adam’s helping you with that.”

He turned his attention on Adam.

“Thank you for everything you’ve been doing for my son, and all the things you’ll continue to do. I’m really glad he’s done so much for you. It seems like you two are really good for each other, and I’m so happy you found each other. I think you’ve both gotten the short end of the stick for far too long, so I’m glad things are looking up, for both of you.

“And I would really be a hypocrite if I complained about you adopting him. If you’re a pervert for adopting him and wanting to have sex with him, then so am I, for doing the same with his mother. I think in both cases they were better off with us than they’d have been with anybody else, or if no one adopted them.”

“That’s right, Kurt wouldn’t have even been born. I’d never have met him, and I might not even have realized how much emptier and poorer my life would be without him,” Adam concluded.

“Now, I don’t know about you two, but I’m pretty tired, so I think I’m gonna go in Kurt’s room and take a nap.”

“Yeah, a nap sounds good,” Kurt agreed.

“I wouldn’t mind some time to write for a little bit,” Adam said, “so that will work out. Kurt, are you going to stay as you are, or do you want to change for a while?”

Kurt hadn’t made up his mind. He was getting a bit restless, but he wanted to spend as much time with his dad as he could while he was here. He could put up with some discomfort for a couple of days. He’d done it for longer periods of time at New Directions.

“Tell you what, Kurt,” Burt suggested, “if you want to change, you can maybe take a nap with me. It’s been so long since we’ve done that. I kind of miss your snoring.”

“I don’t snore!” Kurt protested, an old argument.

“Yes, you do,” Adam traitorously confirmed. “But it’s very endearing, luckily for me.”

“Maybe later on I can brush you?” Burt asked. “I haven’t done that in ages, either.”

“Be my guest,” Adam murmured. “I have lots of time in the future to brush him.”

Kurt just grinned and squeezed his dad’s hand tighter. Then he let go.

He just stretched, and changed, and stretched some more, then trotted after his father, who once again seemed eight feet tall.


	61. Chapter 61

Adam had found he had so much more inspiration now to work on his novel. It was tentatively titled "Life with Kurt" until he could come up with something better. 

It had occurred to him, with all the misconceptions out there regarding hybrids, and so many people who never had a chance to have a conversation with one, it might be helpful to have a firsthand account of what it was like, at least for one owner and hybrid pair.

Adam realized that their situation was quite unusual, and that it probably wouldn't be a true reflection for everyone. But at least it would give people some insight into life with a hybrid, and sometimes that was all it took, as Burt had said, giving a face to the generally faceless hybrids.

For now he was using everyone's actual name, but he would probably have to change most of the names, for legal reasons. He was doing his best to keep things accurate, as tempting as it might be to slightly exaggerate certain things. But for now, at least, he wanted it to be as honest as possible, from his perception, anyway. He wanted to tell Kurt about the project soon, because he certainly didn't want him to feel like he was being used or exploited. He didn't need that.

But now he was getting so much more insight from Burt, and other people, and it just reinforced his desire to get the truth out there somehow.

He'd been able to type up quite a few notes and ideas, and do a little actual writing. The phone rang, startling him. He tried to answer it as quickly as possible, so it wouldn't wake up Burt and Kurt. He figured they both needed to get some extra rest.

"Hello?… Oh, hello, Lily, how are you?… Just fine, thanks. Kurt's father, Burt, is here visiting and -- no, don't worry about that. That's fine. What did you need?… Oh, no problem, we'd be happy to help. Did you need us now? Or -- okay. We'll be over soon."

He hung up, and went to Kurt's room. He really didn't want to wake them, but it really did sound like Lily needed their help. The door was wide open, so he just lightly knocked on it. He saw that Burt was awake, gently petting Kurt, who was asleep on his stomach, with his head resting on Burt’s chest. 

Burt glanced up, then down again at Kurt, probably worried about waking him.

Adam tried to keep his voice low. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but Lily just called."

Burt said, "Yeah, I heard the phone ringing, and it woke me up, but that's okay."

Kurt's ears were twitching, but Adam knew that didn't necessarily mean that he was awake.

"Lily is having a problem with her cat, Misty. She's supposed to take Misty to the vet, and not surprisingly, Misty has figured out what's going on, and doesn't want to cooperate. She's currently hiding under Lily's bed, and she can't quite get to her. She was hoping either I could get her out, with my longer arms, or maybe Kurt could sweet talk her into coming out."

At this, Kurt lifted his head, tilted it back, and yawned extravagantly, before pushing himself up and gently kneading Burt's chest.

"Stop that, Kurt, that tickles."

Kurt sighed, but crawled off of Burt and onto the bed, and walked over in Adam's direction. Adam met him at the foot of the bed, and scratched him under the chin, and around the sides of his face, before impulsively bending down and kissing him between the ears. Kurt's ears and whiskers twitched, and his tail started swishing rapidly back and forth.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Burt. If you'd like to go back to sleep, please do. Kurt and I will hopefully just be a few minutes."

"No, that's all right. I slept enough. If you don't mind, I wouldn't mind meeting this Lily, and Misty too. Unless it's gonna freak Misty out to have a stranger in the house."

"I don't know how she'll react, but I would like you to meet her and Lily. It might not be the best time, but you're only going to be here for a couple of days. If you want to take couple of minutes to freshen up, I'll go get Kurt's leash." Kurt jumped off the bed and followed him.

Burt came out to the living room a few minutes later.  "You know, every cat in the neighborhood liked Kurt, it's like he was the cat whisperer or something. Same thing with Elizabeth, really. But I guess that's really true, because he can't quite speak their language when he's human, but I guess he can understand what they're trying to say and somehow get through to them."

Adam asked Kurt, “Do you want to walk, or do you want me to carry you?”

The look he received in response made him wish he hadn’t even asked.

“Of course, sorry.” He opened the door and followed Kurt out, Burt just behind him.

In moments they were at Lily’s door. She answered it promptly.

“Hello, Lily, this is Burt Hummel, Kurt’s father. Burt, this is Lily Avery.”

She looked startled for just a moment, then relaxed and shook Burt’s hand.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Burt. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy Kurt’s company. And Misty just adores him.”

“I’m sorry, Lily, but I figured this might be your best chance to meet Burt, this trip.” 

“That could be true. I don’t have much time to visit now, though, even if we get Misty out right away. I’ve been chasing her all around the apartment.” They followed her inside. Adam unclipped the leash from Kurt’s collar. He was surprised Misty hadn’t already come out and pounced on Kurt. Then he heard her.

She was apparently still under the bed, but was clearly demanding they provide her immediately with her Purt.

Kurt ran into Lily’s room and raced under the bed. They could hear a heated “conversation”, though they could only guess what the two cats were discussing. They all stood near the door, and in a few moments, Kurt came back out from under the bed. He turned his back to the humans, and called to Misty again. His tone was clearly scolding. Misty whined, but slowly emerged from under the bed. Kurt rubbed his nose against hers, and walked with her over to Lily. Misty looked sadly over her shoulder at Kurt, then leaped into Lily’s waiting arms.

She didn’t stop complaining, however, that her beloved Purt wasn’t accompanying them. Adam was amazed at how easy it was to understand Misty.

"Is that cat trying to say my name?” Burt asked.

Lily smiled gently and said, “No, she's trying to say Kurt, but can't make the K sound. It seems she's rather in love with your son." 

“Ha! Fat lotta good that’ll do her.” Burt looked at Misty, hands on hips, and said "Sorry, kiddo, I don't see how that can work. Wrong species, and wrong orientation. Plus, he's taken.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder at Adam.

Misty started grumbling and growling, while Lily tried to soothe her. 

“All of which has been explained to her, repeatedly,” Adam sighed.

“She just doesn’t get it, huh?”

“Apparently not.”

“Women.”

Lily merely smiled, and thanked Adam for holding the pet carrier open while she deposited Misty inside. When the pink bag was zipped up, they could see Misty’s face through the mesh. Kurt walked up to it, and rubbed his face against the mesh. That seemed to calm her down, for some reason.

“Thank you all for coming over and helping out. I’m so sorry I had to disturb you. Sometimes Misty just gets so stubborn.”

“A stubborn cat? I can’t imagine what that’s like,” Burt said, with a pointed look at Kurt.

Kurt merely licked his paw and washed his face.

“We’ll let you get going, Lily,” Adam offered, leading the way out to the door.

“Thank you again.” She shook her head. “I hope this doesn’t become a pattern.”

A thought struck Adam. “Hm, you don’t suppose Misty did this on purpose, hoping you’d get Kurt over here?”

It seemed Lily barely restrained the urge to roll her eyes at his idiocy. “That could have been part of her motivation, yes.”

He sighed. “Sorry, Kurt.”

Kurt shrugged, and waited patiently while his leash was attached again.

“It was nice to meet you, Burt,” Lily said. “I hope you’re enjoying your visit.”

“More than I can possibly say,” he answered with a grin.

It only took a few minutes to get back to the apartment.

As soon as Kurt’s leash was put away again, Burt grinned. “Hey, you wanna see somethin’ funny?  I don’t know if he’ll still fall for this, but –“

“You know he can hear ever word you’re saying.”

Burt shrugged. “Do you still have one of those paper bags from the grocery store?”

“Sure, in the kitchen.” Burt and Kurt followed him as Adam got out one of the bags. He’d noticed that Kurt’s nose, ears, and tail were twitching. He was crouching, as though getting ready to jump.

Burt held up one of the paper bags, making plenty of noise with it, then set in on the floor on its side.  Kurt immediately ran into the opening.  Burt started tapping his fingers on the bottom of the bag, and Kurt batted his paws against it from the other side.  Burt moved his fingers to different locations, different sides of the bag, and Adam could hear Kurt running around inside, batting at the bag, trying to catch Burt’s fingers. He hoped for Burt’s sake that Kurt didn’t tear through the bag and scratch him. Eventually Burt was able to tip the bag so it was upright, and removed his hands and moved back quickly. Kurt leaped out of the bag, then slowly, casually strolled away, his tail waving.

Burt whispered something to Adam, so Kurt wouldn’t hear. Adam walked into his bedroom and retrieved Harriet, but she was pretty well hidden in the pocket of his pants. Kurt was sitting on the floor near the sofa, watching him.

“Burt, let me finish giving you a tour of the house.” Kurt followed behind them as Adam pointed out the dining room, his bedroom, and the laundry room. He told Burt about the tennis ball, and Burt nodded. 

“He did the same thing at home. It was too big to be a good toy, but he sure liked chasing it.” 

“This is the TV room.”

“Nice.” Burt was admiring the large TV screen. 

“And this ottoman works well for me, and Kurt as well. You want to show Burt?”

Kurt obligingly walked into the round opening in the ottoman and settled on the floor. Adam surreptitiously handed Harriet to Burt. Kurt startled both of them by standing up and pushing his paws against the cushion above his head. The top of the ottoman came off, and Kurt looked at them over the top of the box, a smug grin on his furry face.

“Ha, that’s a new trick!”

Kurt jumped out of the box, and Adam put the lid back on it. When he finished, he and Kurt walked out to the living room, looking for Burt.

“Hey, Kurt, where’s your mouse?  Where’s Harriet?” Burt asked.

Adam thought it was a rather cruel trick, but he waited to see what Kurt would do.

He started looking around the room frantically, racing from one end to the other.  He eventually looked under the sofa, and reached his paw in, but even reaching as far as he could, he couldn’t get to her.  He growled and hissed in frustration, and kept trying.  Adam finally stopped giggling and took pity on him.  He lay down on the floor, on his stomach, and reached his arm under the sofa till he could find Harriet and bring her out.  Before giving her to Kurt, who was standing on his hind legs and waving his paws in a ‘Gimme!’ gesture, he wiped the mouse on his shirt, to clean off any dust that might have been under the sofa. Luckily for the state of his shirt, there was none.

Kurt was clearly hissed off. He would have felt sorry for Burt, if he weren’t sure the man knew what would happen.

“Aw, I’m sorry, Kurt.” Burt tried to reach down to pet him, but to their surprise, Kurt moved out of his way. This happened a few times, before Burt sighed and gave up. 

Adam thought it was interesting that Kurt hadn’t run out of the room with Harriet in his mouth. He simply sat on the floor, with the mouse carefully between his jaws, and glared at them both. He thought it was rather unfair that he was included, since he’d been the one to rescue Harriet, but he had given her to Burt in the first place.

“Hey, buddy, I’m really sorry. How about you let me brush you, hm? Will that make you feel better?”

Kurt was considering it. He finally ran towards Adam’s room, and came back shortly without Harriet.

“Did you put her safely away on the bed?” Adam asked. Kurt didn’t answer him, just paused long enough to catch Burt’s eye, then trotted into his bedroom.

“His comb and brush are in the bathroom. I’ll show you which drawer, then I’ll leave you two alone. I’ve got some more writing to do.”

“Okay, thanks.”

When they reached the bathroom, Kurt was already waiting on the counter. He’d pushed Burt’s toiletry bag against the wall so it wouldn’t fall when he moved around.

Adam gave the comb and brush to Burt. “This will probably take longer than it used to,” he warned Burt. “He’s probably a lot bigger than the last time you brushed him.”

“That’s okay. We’ve got plenty of time.”

Adam left them alone, and went to make a phone call before he started writing.

 

 

Burt stood at the counter, taking even more time and care than he had in the past, trying to comb Kurt’s fur. He knew how very important grooming was to him. Kurt was still a little sullen, but he didn’t try to play-bite his hand, so that was good. He talked to him, more than he used to. He still had so much to say to him. He supposed he’d already talked more this weekend than he normally did, but Carole was used to him being a man of few words. He chuckled, and Kurt looked at him curiously. 

“Just thinking, I’m glad you’ve met a guy who talks almost as much as you do. I think Adam’s good for you, in a lot of ways.”

Kurt meowed, and rolled over onto one side so Burt could comb out the other.

“Looks like your fur is in good shape, so Adam must be combing and brushing you regularly. I’m so glad he’s taking care of both aspects, not just the human side.”

Eventually Burt switched to the brush, after cleaning out the comb. “Don’t get too upset with me if I pull your fur. I haven’t needed to use either of these for me for years.” He was careful to take short brush strokes, so he wouldn’t pull unnecessarily hard. “You’re definitely bigger than I remember. I think it used to take half this time. Not that I mind,” he reassured him.

By the time he was through, he was pretty sure Kurt had forgiven him, but decided an apology was still in order. “I’m sorry for playing that trick with your mouse. I didn’t realize just how upset you’d get. You’re really attached to your babies, aren’t you?”

Kurt licked his hand, so he took that as a yes.

“Okay, I think we’re done here.”

Kurt sat up, and gracefully leaped down to the floor, and ran out of the room, leaving Burt to clean up the mess. He didn’t mind. He figured it would be a long time before he had another opportunity to do this.

When he came back out to the living room, Kurt was curled up next to Adam on the couch. He appeared to be asleep already, as close to Adam as he could get without crawling into his lap. He suspected the only reason that wasn’t happening was because Adam’s laptop was in the way.

“Oh, hello, Burt. How’d it go?”

Burt held out his arms. “Not a single scratch. Is he taking another nap?”

Adam looked down. “I think he’s just resting. He’s not snoring.”

They both heard a distinct grumble from the cat.

“Yes, you do,” Adam insisted. “I should know.” He closed the laptop and put it aside, and petted Kurt as he talked to Burt.

“I called Jerry at the gym, and he said you’re more than welcome to come with us, if you’d like. He and Daniel would love to meet you. He suggested Kurt bring his sais, and Daniel can talk to him about them. Apparently he knows more martial arts stuff than Jerry does.”

“That sounds good to me. I’m ready whenever His Royal Highness is.”

At that Kurt meeped, and changed. Even after seeing it happen so many times, it was still startling for Burt to see this beautiful cat suddenly turn into his son. Well, technically he knew the cat was his son, too, but it was still a little bit easier to identify with his human half.

“Are you ready to go, darling?” Adam asked, still petting Kurt’s hair.

Kurt scowled, and scooted out from under his hand.

“Almost.” He headed off, presumably for Adam’s room. “Thanks for the brushing, Dad, you did a good job.”

“But he’s still going to brush his hair again, because I just messed it up,” Adam muttered.

“Shhhh, he’ll hear you,” Burt cautioned, at the same time as Kurt’s voice drifted back, “I heard that!”

“Well, I think I’ll take a few minutes to make myself more presentable, too,” Burt announced.

Within 15 minutes they were all ready to go, and had changed into more casual clothes.

Kurt was in a better mood and chatted happily about all sorts of things in the car. Burt tried to pay attention, but there were so many names, he wasn’t sure he was really keeping track. But it sounded like Kurt now had more friends and acquaintances than he’d ever had in his life, and Burt was pleased about that. He’d always enjoyed Kurt, even if he didn’t understand him, but it was nice to know he’d found some people who got him. On the hybrid, creative, and gay levels, he had people around him who understood and admired those traits in him. He’d certainly had a hard time finding any acceptance in Lima, but Burt was willing to acknowledge that New York was likely to be much more accepting of someone as different as Kurt.

Adam asked if Kurt was hungry after changing back so soon, and he answered that he was.

“Alright, there’s a McDonald’s nearby. Can you have something that won’t ruin your dinner, but will get you through till then?”

“Sure, maybe the smallest size of chicken McNuggets, and a small Diet Coke?”

“Alright. Burt, do you need anything?”

“Uh, maybe we could all split an order of fries?”

“Dad!”

“Small fries,” he amended with a sigh.

“I like them too, and I know you do, Kurt, so no more objections or Burt and I will eat them all.”

Burt was amused and relieved that Adam was able to manipulate Kurt; it was time he got as good as he gave in that department.

They ate in the car, and Adam promised he would be fixing a healthy meal for dinner. “And then you have that note to write to Carole, correct?”

“Yeah,” Kurt confirmed. “And Dad, you said you had something else for me?”

“I do,” he agreed, “but let’s wait and see how things go. Maybe it would be better to wait till tomorrow morning, after breakfast. You’ve got a lot of things already to mentally digest as it is.”

“Digest, yeah, that’s a good way to put it.”

When they got to the gym, the building was larger and nicer than he expected. Adam asked for Jerry at the desk, and was told he would meet them in the hybrid rest area. They walked through the gym, not hitting every room, but many of them, on their way there. Burt liked the look of the place. It seemed very modern and clean, and the equipment was state of the art and well-maintained. He saw quite a few hybrids, presumably with their owners, though he didn’t see any leashes. He didn’t have any objection to Kurt spending some time here. 

Jerry was waiting for them, and Donna, his hybrid girlfriend. Adam introduced them, then two more people came in. Daniel, the other owner, and his hybrid boyfriend, Carl. Burt barely blinked at the realization that Daniel was gay; again, this was New York City, not Lima, Ohio. Burt had to agree, it looked like both men would make excellent bouncers in a bar or club, so he supposed there weren’t many problems there with clients objecting to hybrids.

Kurt introduced everyone, and they sat down in comfortable chairs. Jerry again thanked him and Adam for helping Donna reconnect with her family. He encouraged her to tell Burt a little bit about it.

“I missed my family so much. I’d always heard I couldn’t stay with them forever, but the years went by so quickly. And Jerry has been wonderful, and he’s my new family, along with Daniel, and Carl, but it’s not quite the same. I couldn’t believe it when I saw Nancy again, and my parents were so happy. They like Jerry, which was important to me, and we’re going to see them again soon, and for holidays as well.”

“That’s great,” Burt commented. “I wish they had some kind of online registry, where the family, and the adopted hybrid, could check to see if they could get together. Like you could see a big green checkmark, Yes, please click here to make arrangements to meet your family,” or “Yes, your hybrid son would like to see you again.” Something like that.”

“But they’d also have to have like a big ol’ red X, for “Please don’t contact this family,” or “Please don’t disrupt your hybrid’s new life,” Daniel added. “It might be pretty harsh to see something like that.”

“What do you think, Kurt?” Adam asked. “How would you have felt if you learned your father had moved on in his life and didn’t want to see you again?”

“I’d be shocked, but I guess I’d respect that. I think I’d rather know, one way or the other, than keep wondering.”

“It might be nice,” Carl added, “to have an option, even, to see which family members are still alive, or if the hybrid has been adopted, or euthanized.”

“I can see how some people would want to know, and I guess anyone accessing that kind of site would know they’d need to be prepared for the worst. If you didn’t want to know, you wouldn’t have to go to the site,” Adam added.

“I think a big problem,” Jerry commented, “would be if the new owner didn’t want his or her pet to contact their prior family. It would really suck if the hybrid wanted to let their folks know they’d been adopted, at least, and the new owner was all, ‘No way are you contacting them again’.”

Burt nodded in agreement. “I’m sure that’s the main reason they have things set up the way they do. There really aren’t any laws forbidding contact between the original family and the hybrid, but they sure do try to discourage it.”

Jerry leaned forward and clenched his hands into fists, then relaxed them. “I guess it’s similar to regular human adoptions, but I guess there it’s more likely the kid would want to find their birth mom, for instance, but she might have her own reasons to not want to be found.”

“I guess,” Adam agreed, “and I suppose there are some who might think they’re providing a new life, a fresh start, for their hybrid pet, and don’t want them to confuse their loyalty. But even though I knew Kurt and Burt were very close, I honestly don’t think he’s going to try to run away to go back home to Burt.”

Kurt and Burt were both shaking their heads.

“If I thought Kurt was in any kind of danger, sure, I’d do whatever I could to try to help him, but I can see he’s happy with Adam. He’s healthy, he’s doing better than when I last saw him. I don’t have any reason to think Adam’s going to suddenly change and start treating him badly, so I wouldn’t encourage Kurt to do that. If he suddenly showed up on my doorstep, of course I’d let him in, but I’d want to know what was going on with Adam. I’d send him back if it was just a stupid quarrel or misunderstanding.”

Kurt breathed deeply before saying, “I can’t think of a reason I’d run home to Dad, or want to leave Adam. If something happened to Adam, and I didn’t have anyone he left me to in a will or something, then maybe I’d go home to Dad rather than go back to the store, but they’d catch up to me pretty quick.”

“Adam, have you made out a will, or made arrangements for Kurt if you, I dunno, got hit by a bus tomorrow?” Burt asked.

Adam winced. “Not yet. I’m still trying to figure out who might best be able to take care of him, and be willing to, but as soon as I straighten that out, I’m going to see my lawyer and get a will made up.”  
                                                
“It’s a good idea, man,” Daniel mentioned. “Jerry and I have agreed, if he goes first, I’ll take care of Donna, and if I go first, he’ll take care of Carl. But I understand it’s not as easy for everybody to find someone you can trust, who will really understand.”

“I’m working on it,” Adam muttered. “But like you said, finding just the right person is going to be difficult.”

“Hey, guys,” Daniel raised his voice a bit. “Jerry said you have something to show me? He just said some kind of ninja thing, which wasn’t very helpful.” He shot his friend an annoyed look.

Jerry raised his hands in protest. “Hey, I’d rather let you see for yourself than try to explain.”

Kurt took the case out of his gym bag, and opened it reverently.

“Ooh, those are nice sais! Not the best quality, but they’re not toys, either,” Daniel muttered. “I take it you’ve used them before?”

“Let me see, man! You’re in the way,” Jerry complained.

Kurt passed the case over. “Yes, when I was younger. But I haven’t used them since I was 13, the day they took me away.”

“Don’t touch ‘em, they’re really sharp,” Daniel warned Jerry.

“Do I look stupid? Don’t answer that,” Jerry muttered. “They do look cool.”

“So, Daniel, do you know how to use those?” Adam asked. “Would you be able to help Kurt?”

“Yeah, I’ve used ‘em. Can I try ‘em out?” Daniel asked.

Kurt nodded.

“Don’t look so nervous, you guys! I know what I’m doing. And I’m going over here.” Daniel walked to a far corner of the room, and started juggling the knives. After receiving a lot of “ooh”s and “aah”s, he came back and handed them to Kurt. “Now let’s see you. Again, over there. I’ll come with you.”

Adam unclipped Kurt’s leash, which surprised Burt, but Adam explained that it was written into the agreement they signed at the gym, that the hybrids could be off their leash, as long as they were in the same building as their owner. This allowed for the hybrids to have separate exercises, as well as use the room they were in now to play or rest while their owners used other rooms.

Burt was worried about the sais, naturally, but he also knew how good Kurt had been with them before.

 

 

Kurt wished he’d had some time to practice on his own, or at least without so many people watching him. But as soon as he picked up the swords, they felt familiar in his hands. He told himself it was in some ways the same as suddenly having to do a dance routine Mr. Shue had taught them a year before, or singing a song he hadn’t felt like singing in years. They felt right in his hands, balanced, and he ignored the fact that they could be deadly. He had to be careful, but he was using them as props rather than as weapons.

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to clear his mind of anything distracting. Luckily, the others were silent. He decided to ignore them as best he could, and focus on the swords and his balance, and on regaining the confidence he’d once had with them. He opened his eyes and looked down, tried a few movements without letting them leave his hands. Yes, that felt right. He tried some experimental flips, and caught the knives every time. He knew Daniel was nearby, at approximately the 3:00 position from him, but he was actually a calming presence.

He increased the complexity of the flips and spins, then the speed. He remembered the routines he used to do; they did come back as easily as choreography and lyrics. After a few minutes, he heard Daniel’s voice, but it was quiet and steady, so it didn’t startle him.

“That’s great. Let’s go talk about this.”

Kurt caught the sais and put them back in the case.

“That was wonderful, Kurt,” Adam said, patting him on the arm.

“You did great, kiddo,” his dad agreed.

Jerry, Carl and Donna were also impressed. It was nice, but not quite as important that they approve.

“I’ve got an idea,” Daniel said. “You’re really good with those, especially considering it’s been a while, but there’s obviously a lot more you can do. How about we have some private lessons? I don’t know anyone else who comes here who would want to learn, but I think it’ll be a good form of exercise, and help your confidence as well. Adam can be there to observe, of course. Maybe we can put up an ad, see if anyone else is interested in lessons.”

“What would Kurt do for you in return, or would we just pay for the lessons?” Adam asked.

Daniel shrugged. “You can just pay for the lessons. We’ll figure out how often, and whether you want half an hour or an hour, then I can let you know how much. Maybe later on we’ll think of something in exchange.”

“Kurt’s a real good mechanic,” Burt mentioned. “I just got him some good tools. He’s going to work on Adam’s car, if his building will let him work in the garage.”

“Really? How are you with motorcycles?” Daniel asked with interest.

Kurt thought about it. “I haven’t had as much experience as with cars, but I’ve worked on some.”

“Tell you what. I’ve got an old Harley I’ve been trying to restore, but it’s a two-man job, and I can’t afford to pay anyone. Carl’s tried to help, but he’s not a natural mechanic. If you can help me with that, you can work on Adam’s car at my garage at home, which is just about half a mile from here.”

“That would work, if it’s okay with Adam.”

“I’d need to be there,” Adam reminded Daniel, “but I can always bring my laptop.”

“Sure. Kurt would need to be off the leash, for safety reasons, but as long as you were there, it should be fine.”

“I was thinking,” Kurt said, “maybe in exchange for the lessons…have you thought about a new design for the staff shirts?”

“Ha! I told you these t-shirts suck,” Jerry complained.

“Shut up. I told you, if you can come up with a better idea, we’ll use it.”

Jerry grinned. “I’ll be happy if Kurt comes up with a better idea.”

“Do you design clothes, Kurt, or is it more like graphic design?” Carl asked curiously.

“Clothes. I’ve been designing and making my own clothes for a long time. Well, not recently, but before I left home. I’m making a dress for a neighbor, and she bought me a sewing machine. I’m going to be making some other clothes for her.”

“Really?” Donna sounded excited. “That sounds like so much fun!”

“I could make something for you –“ Kurt realized what he was saying. “I’m sorry. Um, if it’s okay with Jerry and Adam, and they can work something out to pay for the material, I could make something for you.”

“That would be awesome,” Jerry said. “We were thinking it would be good for her to have a nice dress for the holidays, ‘cause we’ll be spending some time with her family, you know, for Thanksgiving and Christmas. But that’s a long way away. I was hoping I could save up enough money by then.”

Adam leaned forward. “I have no objection. Some of the materials Kurt and Lily were looking at didn’t seem all that expensive, and we’ve got plenty of time to come up with something. We can work out all the details later, but it’s good to know these various problems have solutions.”

Burt shook his head and laughed. “I was just thinking of all the stuff you and Kurt were telling me last night, all the great things that have happened for both of you since you met. I’m not sure I’ve got any friends or acquaintances I could do this kind of barter stuff with.”

“If it weren’t for the stupid barter laws, a lot of this would be easier,” Daniel scoffed. “I mean, just friends helping friends. But we’ve got to have things covered, in case anyone asks any questions.”

“I think it’s great,” Burt reiterated. “And I’m really happy Kurt and Adam have such good friends, human and hybrid.”

“Likewise. It’s good for us, too,” Jerry said.

They stayed a little while longer, and Donna showed Burt the equipment and rest area that was strictly for hybrids, and he was very impressed.

“I really like the idea that you allow, even encourage, people to bring their pets here. I’ve never heard of that before.”

“There are two other hybrid-friendly gyms that we know of,” Daniel explained, “but considering the number of gyms in this city, it’s pitiful there aren’t more.”

“There doesn’t seem to be an overwhelming demand, either,” Jerry sighed, “but we’re thinking about stepping up our advertising. Maybe if more people know it’s an option, they’ll think about bringing their pets here.”

“Well, I hope you guys get more business, ‘cause I think this is a really nice place.” Burt stood up. “We’d probably better get out of your hair and let you get back to work.”

“It was nice to meet you, Burt.” Daniel shook his hand heartily, as did Jerry.

“I know it’s got to be hard on you to go back to Ohio,” Jerry added, “but hopefully it helps to know Kurt’s in good hands. Adam is really a good guy, and we look after all our clients, to make sure they aren’t hassled while they’re here.”

“I do feel better. And it makes me feel good to know there are at least three hybrids in New York who are being treated with respect.”

Daniel and Jerry both blushed and thanked him.

Once they were in the car again, Adam asked if either of them needed anything on the way home. They assured him they didn’t. Within a short time they were back at the apartment, and Kurt put his sais back in the dresser drawer.

“Kurt, maybe you’d better start making a list or something,” Adam suggested, “of all the people you’re doing things for, whether it’s designing clothes, working on a motorcycle, or any of that, so you don’t forget about anything.”

“Good idea. I’ll get started on that.”

“Once you have your list together, you can help me with dinner, if you don’t mind. Burt, you’re welcome to sit with us in the kitchen and talk, if you’d like, or you can rest, whatever you want.”

“Thanks, yeah, maybe I’ll hang out in the kitchen. I’m not a good cook, but if you need an extra pair of hands for anything, let me know.”

They agreed it would probably be best for he and Carole to come to New York, rather than have Kurt come back to Ohio.

“There isn’t anybody I really want to see there, anyway. I mean, if you want, you can tell the guys at the garage I’m doing okay, but it would probably be more trouble than it’s worth for me to go there.”

“I think you’re right. That’s okay, Carole will love it here.”

“Please do bring her next time,” Adam insisted. “And if there’s anything specific she wants to see, any sightseeing, or a Broadway show or anything, I’ll be happy to take her.”

“Take us, remember? I’m not sure if you can leave Kurt and me at home or not.”

“I trust you to not take him back home, so I don’t see why not. But it would probably be fun for Kurt, and you, to do more sightseeing.”

Burt nodded, and said, “That reminds me, I really should call her and let her know how things are going. I called her last night, but I thought I should check in again.”

“No problem. While you’re doing that, Kurt and I will finish up the dishes, then I’ll find that stationery and help him with the thank-you note.”


	62. Chapter 62

It didn’t take long for Adam to locate the light gray paper. It was heavy and textured, and he had several calligraphy pens to go with it, as well as a burgundy block of wax that could be melted for the seal. The seal was just a swirling ‘C’. He looked up at Adam, wondering about it.

“Oh, that was mainly to remind me of my new surname. Took a while to get used to it. I’ll show you how to use that to seal the envelope when everything else is done.”

Burt watched curiously, but Kurt tried to ignore him, as he thought about what he wanted to say to Carole. He practiced on a regular lined piece of paper first. 

“Why don’t you just write out whatever you want, and I’ll look it over afterwards and correct the spelling,” Adam suggested. “Just get your feelings out first.”

“Okay. My printing’s not that nice. I didn’t learn how to do the cur – the pretty – where the letters are all run together and kind of curvy,” he explained, frustrated.

“Cursive,” Adam told him. “If you’d like, I can teach you to do that later, but I’m guessing Carole won’t mind if you print it.”

“No, she won’t,” Burt confirmed. “The nice paper and the seal and all that will be enough to show her you want to make it nice, but it’s the thought that counts.”

“Okay. I might have to write it a few times to get it right.”

“That’s fine. If you’d like, instead of us hovering over your shoulder, I want to show your father some of the pictures I took of you that I didn’t send.”

“Good, that will keep you both busy for a while,” Kurt observed. He blinked, realizing his tone of voice was rather harsh. “I’m sorry, it’s just that there are a lot of pictures.”

“There are. And possibly more than you realize. It’s fine.”

Kurt shook his head, but realized it might have been nice to see some pictures of his dad, through the last few years. He guessed he could understand why Adam took so many.

After thinking carefully about everything his father had told him, and the pretty scarf he’d carefully hung up with the others, he thought he knew what to say.

_Dear Miss Carole,_

_We haven’t met, but I feel almost like I know you, from everything Dad told me about you. Thank you for taking such good care of him for me. I really appreciate you also taking good care of Phoebe, my cat, and giving her a bath and brushing her. She really liked that._

_I love the scarf you knitted. How did you know blue is my favorite color? The gray and white go very nicely with it, and it looks quite elegant. I can wear it with several different colors. The stitches are very even and nicely spaced. It must have taken you a long time to knit it. Thank you for taking such care with it. It’s obvious you like to do things the right way. It makes me think you’re being just as careful with Dad._

_I can’t wait to meet you! Dad said next time he comes, he’ll bring you here, and Adam said he’ll take us sightseeing, or to a Broadway play, or anywhere you want to go. It should be so much fun! I’m really glad Dad found someone like you so he’s not too lonely, and I hope you do have some kids, because it sounds like you’d be a great mom, and I already know Dad is the best Dad ever. I’m not sure if I’d be your kids’ stepbrother, or stepcat, or not, but I hope I get to meet them some day._

_Thank you for being so nice about my mom, and me, even though you never met us. I hope I get to meet you soon._

_Love,_

_Kurt_

He was able to at least sign his name the pretty way. They did learn how to write their name in cursive, for legal paperwork.

He wondered if it was okay to sign it with “love” like that. He didn’t think Adam would mind, but was he presuming too much? She might be a nice person, but not necessarily want to have a hybrid say he loved her, even in a son-way. And he wasn’t her son. What if she got upset, and told his father she didn’t want to meet him? What if –

He tried to take a deep breath.

“Kurt? What’s the matter?”

He didn’t know when Adam had come in the room, but he turned and clutched his arm.

“Adam! You need to help me with this, please. What if Carole gets upset?”

“Gets upset about what?” Burt asked.

Kurt silently handed over the note. His dad would be the best one to know if Carole would be insulted, or if she’d understand that even though he didn’t know her, he loved her for loving his dad.

Burt read the note out loud, so Adam could hear. Kurt cringed, wondering if it somehow sounded wrong. It must, because his dad couldn’t finish reading it. About halfway through he handed it to Adam and wiped at his eyes, and started clearing his throat and looking for a tissue. He blew his nose loudly a few times, then cleared his throat again.

“I’m sorry, Dad, I didn’t mean to upset you! I can change it, whatever it was, I’ll take it out and rewrite it –“

“Kurt, slow down, buddy. It’s fine, it didn’t upset me in a bad way. You have a good heart, son.”

Adam continued reading the letter out loud until it was finished, then he grabbed a tissue as well.

“It’s lovely, Kurt. I don’t think you need to change a thing.”

“But what if she doesn’t want me to sign it with “love”?”

“Why wouldn’t she?” Burt asked, bewildered.

“Because she doesn’t know me! And I’m a hybrid, not a regular person. And I’m not her son.”

Burt sighed heavily, and put a hand on his shoulder. “She knows that, Kurt, and believe me, even though she hasn’t met you either, she loves you. I’m sure it will make more sense to both of you after you meet, but I don’t know how many times she’s told me how grateful she is that you took such good care of me, especially when I was sick. So you took care of me for her, and she’s taking care of me for you. And I just get to sit back and be spoiled by two people who love me very much. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

He hugged Kurt, who held on for a long time. His dad gave the best hugs. Well, no, Adam did, but it was different. His dad’s hugs were like being wrapped up in a blanket on a cold day.

“There are only a few spelling errors, Kurt,” Adam told him. “Let me write them out correctly for you, then you can write this out, exactly as it stands, and my guess is Carole will appreciate it.”

His dad insisted, “She’d love anything that came from you, but this is really sweet.”

That gave Kurt a brilliant idea. “Dad! I was just thinking, can I maybe make a dress or something for Carole? Or a blouse or something? What would she like? What colors does she like? Do you know what size she wears?”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down, son! I think that’s a great idea, and I’m sure she’d love anything you made for her. I’m not sure about size, but when I get home, I’ll look at some of the labels in her closet. I’ll make sure to check the stuff she wears now. She’s got different sizes, from losing weight, so I’ll make sure I write down the right one.”

Kurt nodded, thinking rapidly. “You’d better check several dresses, or several blouses, whatever you think she’d want. They use different sizes, so the labels might mean different things, even if the numbers look the same. So a size 8 from one designer might fit more like a 10 from another, or it might fit closer to a 6.”

“Oh, God, why do they have to make things so complicated?” Burt asked, but no one had an answer for him.

Kurt continued his questions. “So what’s her favorite color?”

“Um, no idea.”

“Well, what color does she wear the most?”

Now Burt was getting embarrassed. “I’m not sure.”

“Dad, you need to pay attention to these things! They’re important!”

“Alright, I get it, I’ll try to get you a written report or something.”

He didn’t know why he couldn’t stop asking questions, but he couldn’t believe his dad was this clueless. And he really hoped Adam was paying attention.

“Do you know what her favorite flowers are?”

“Ah, I’m not sure. Don’t most women like roses?”

“Dad! Not all of them. You need to know that. Okay, what kind of flowers did she have at your wedding?”

“Flowers?”

He stared at his dad, then shut his mouth and took a deep breath. “Yes, Dad. What color was the bouquet? Or the color scheme at the wedding, that should tell you what her favorite colors are.”

Now his dad was really turning red, but Kurt was sure it was embarrassment, not anger.

“There wasn’t a bouquet, or wedding colors or whatever. We got married by a Justice of the Peace at City Hall.”

“What?!?” Kurt made a mental note to not screech like that again; it hurt his own ears, as well as Adam’s and Burt’s.

Burt shrugged. “Well, she’d been married before, and it wasn’t that important to me to have a big wedding, so we were trying to save money. We went on a nice honeymoon instead.”

That brought Kurt up short. He couldn’t really argue with that type of reasoning. But it seemed so unfair to poor Carole.

“Are you sure she didn’t want a wedding?”

Burt paused. “Pretty sure. She said she didn’t need one.”

Kurt wasn’t sure why Adam had his head in his hands. Maybe he was getting a headache? Probably from his voice, he concluded, so he tried to sound calmer.

His dad was getting defensive. “Look, Kurt, I know about all the wedding magazines you had hidden under your bed.”

Now it was Kurt’s turn to be embarrassed. Did his dad have to bring that up in front of Adam?

“How’d you find out about those?”

Burt stared at him as though he’d grown a second head. “After they took you away, I wanted to box up all your stuff, in case you ever needed it again. I looked under the bed, because that’s where most teenage boys would keep their porn. Okay, you were a little young, but –“

“Dad!!!”

Adam, the traitor, was trying not to laugh, but failing.

“Anyway, I’m not sure why you were saving all of those, or where you got them from –“

“The lady next door. Whenever I’d rescue her cat from the tree, or got him out from under the bed, she’d give me another magazine. I asked for either Vogue or bridal magazines, and I guess that’s what she had.”

“Eh, I should have looked more carefully at the subscription label. Anyway, you knew you’d never be able to have a wedding of your own, right?”

Kurt’s face fell, and his shoulders slumped. “Right. But I still wanted to. I kept thinking, maybe some day they’d let owners marry their hybrids, and I wanted to be ready, just in case I had one that liked me that much.”

Burt glanced over at Adam, who finally spoke up.

“Kurt, I wish it were allowed, but right now, it isn’t. It might never be in our lifetime. But who knows, maybe you’ll get to plan someone else’s wedding. Maybe someone we know might eventually get married, and they might appreciate the help.”

“I guess,” he sighed.

“Well, I’d better let you get back to writing your note,” Burt said.

“But how do I know what color ink to use, if I don’t know what her favorite color is?” It was a perfectly reasonable question.

Burt sighed. “Do you want me to call her and ask her?”

“No, no, I guess it’s okay.”

“Why don’t you just use whatever color you think will go best with the paper?”

He sighed, but realized he’d get no help. Burt and Adam went back into the kitchen. Kurt looked over the different colored calligraphy pens, and chose a pretty purple one. It should show up nicely against the gray paper, and would be a little more colorful than a standard black ink. He practiced with the pen on some regular paper, to get used to it, and practiced the letters he had the most difficulty with, then slowly, painstakingly copied the note to Carole. 

 

 

In the kitchen, Adam resumed the slideshow he’d put together for Burt, before Kurt’s distressed wail had brought them running.

“These are great!” Burt looked at the phone curiously. “Can you send me copies of all of these? I don’t want to be greedy, but this helps make up for all the years I didn’t get any pictures, the years we both missed.”

“It’s not any problem. I might have to send you a lot of e-mails to attach them all, because there are way too many to send all at once. But I’ll make sure you get them. To be on the safe side, I’ll just send you all of them, and you can delete the duplicates.”

“Is there a way I can print them out? I thought I was doing really well to be able to bring them up on the computer.”

Adam knew it had to hurt a tiny bit in the pride department to admit this. “I think you can put a CD in the disk drive and copy them onto that, then take it to your local drug store. If they can’t print them, you could go to a photography shop, but that would be more expensive.”

“Wait, you lost me at disk drive. I don’t think there’s a CD player in my computer.”

“I think the drug store I go to will maybe print pictures directly from the camera. We can check tomorrow. I wouldn’t mind some prints, too. I was thinking it’d be nice to have, you know, an actual photo album of all the pictures I have of Kurt, as a cat or human.”

Burt cleared his throat. “I think we’re going to be very busy tomorrow morning, but it will be worth it.”

Adam clicked on the next picture. “Oh, here’s a good one.”

“Is that Harriet inside the hoodie with Kurt?”

“Yes. And this one, I took a few pictures when he was asleep, then when he woke up, and you can see him getting progressively more annoyed.”

Burt laughed. “Yeah, he never did like being woken up before he was ready, as a cat or human.”

“I can’t imagine what that’s like,” Adam sighed. “He’s getting better about not waking me when he gets up in the middle of the night, though. The first couple of nights were really difficult.”

“Tell me about it! It was worse when he was a kitten, and too young to really understand that Daddy and Mama didn’t want to play at 2:00 in the morning. Though usually Elizabeth would change and romp around with him till he was tired enough to go back to sleep. You’ll work things out eventually. I had the same problems with her. It took a long time before I could get her to understand that if it was dark, and I was asleep, she needed to play quietly, somewhere else, without using me as a launching pad to get down to the floor.”

Adam continued to show him pictures, until there were none left. They talked quietly, not wanting to disturb Kurt. 

“Too bad there’s no video,” Burt said with a sigh. 

Adam sat straight up.

“I mean, these are great, but I was just thinking, some of these would be even better if you’d been able to record a video, you know?”

“I’m an idiot,” Adam announced.

“What? No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I mean, I am. I have a video camera, a pretty good one, and I completely forgot about it. I was thinking of using it to record my singing group when they were over here, but they came over less than a week after I adopted Kurt, and it completely slipped my mind.”

Burt tapped his fingers on the table, then grinned. “I’ve got a great idea. And I should probably tell you about the last thing I brought for Kurt.”

 

 

Adam came out into the hallway and started looking in the closet for something. Kurt ignored him as best he could. He knew if Adam wanted him to help, he’d ask.

“Ah-ha! Found it.”

Kurt wondered briefly what Adam had been looking for, and why he sounded both relieved and smug at the same time. But he was trying to concentrate on the note, so he didn’t think a response was required. Adam walked behind him, maybe to get his laptop, but Kurt was determinedly not looking at him.

When he was done, he walked into the kitchen, where Adam and his dad were drinking coffee. Decaf, hopefully, now that they had some.

“I’m done with the note. Adam, can you look it over to make sure it looks okay? I had to use two pages, ‘cause my writing’s too big to get it on one, I hope that’s okay.”

“No problem, darling. As I said, I hardly ever use that paper.”

He and Burt both read the note and declared it perfect. They all came out to the dining room table where Kurt had been working. He carefully printed Carole’s name on a matching envelope, and Adam helped him burn the wax, letting it drip onto the back of the envelope to seal it. He let Kurt press the stamp, so the C stood out clearly.

“Is that okay? ‘Cause it’s your name, not mine.”

Adam looked slightly hurt. “It’s your last name now, too, don’t forget.”

Kurt wished he could get things right, and not end up hurting Adam or his father.

“I’m sorry, yeah, I was thinking of it as Hummel again.”

“Probably ‘cause I’m here,” Burt suggested, looking a little uneasy. “But you’ve got to remember, your name is Kurt Crawford now. Adam adopted you, and the same thing would happen if you were a full human he adopted as a son.”

“That’s true,” Kurt agreed. “It’s a little confusing, but I’m sure I’ll remember.”

“It’s okay,” Adam reassured him. “Took me a while to get used to answering to ‘Crawford’ or signing my name that way. I’m used to it now, though.”

“Is this wax seal dry now?” Burt asked. “I was thinking I should put it in my carry-on bag now. Not that I’d forget it, but it will stay safe there.”

“It should be fine.”

Burt took the note, and Kurt leaned into Adam, as close as he could, wanting some comfort. Adam put one arm around him and held him close, and kissed the top of his head.

“It’s okay, Kurt. I’m sure Carole will love your note, and all the thought you put into it. I was just thinking, do you want to show Burt your clothing designs? I bet he’d like to see them.”

“Nah, he’s not interested in clothes,” Kurt sighed.

“But he obviously knows you are. He brought all those outfits you made. I’m sure he’ll want to see them.”

Burt walked back in. “See what? Is there something you want to show me, Kurt?”

“Oh, Dad! Yeah, Adam thought you might want to see my drawings, for the clothes, but I told him you’re not really –“

“I’d love to see them,” his dad interrupted. “Where are they?”

Kurt grinned in relief. “Let me get them. They’re in the desk drawer.”

He found them quickly and brought them out to put on the dining room table, separating them into three piles.

“These are for Lily, these are for Adam, and these are for me.”

Burt did take some time looking at them, though Kurt wasn’t sure how much he appreciated them.

“These are really good drawings. Looks like you’ve gotten even better.”

“Oh, that’s because of the glasses. They help with all kinds of up close work, and make the sewing a lot easier.”

“That’s great. You really are talented at drawing. I really don’t know much about clothes, but these seem really nice. I mean, they don’t look exactly like stuff I see in the stores, but I don’t go to the high-end places. These pieces all look like they’d be really expensive, when they’re done, I mean.”

“That’s the idea,” Kurt said with satisfaction. “I don’t want to make something that you could find in any chain department store. I want to create things that are nicer than that, but they shouldn’t be all that expensive to make.”

“I would think most of the expense, at this point, would be in the fabric, and maybe some of the decorations,” Adam observed. “I’m looking forward to the things you’re going to make for me, but you need to at least finish Lily’s dress first.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s coming along.”

Burt put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m so proud of you, son, that you’ve found all these things you enjoy doing, that you’re good at. The singing, the clothes, even those ninja swords, you seem to have a real knack for all of them.”

“Kurt has a lot of talents. I just wish there was a way to show the world all the things he can do,” Adam sighed.

“You know what else he’s good at, cooking. And baking.”

“True!”

Kurt beamed at the praise.

Burt cleared his throat. “I was thinking, Kurt, I know you’ve got this special dessert planned for tomorrow, but I’ve been thinking about those oatmeal cookies you used to make, the ones you insisted were healthier than the chocolate chip ones?”

“They are,” he insisted.

“I’m not arguing. But it’s another thing I haven’t had in years.”

“I could give you the recipe, and Carole could make them for you,” Kurt offered eagerly.

Adam cleared his throat. “Darling, I think your father is hoping you’ll make him some of those cookies, like maybe now? I know we have the box of instant oatmeal, but do we have the rest of the ingredients?”

“Ooh, let me check.”

He reported back quickly that they had enough of everything to make them. “Maybe I’ll make a double batch, so you can take some home with you.”

“Thanks, I’d love that!”

“I’ll write out the recipe, too, so you can give it to Carole. Does she bake?”

“Sometimes. She’s good, but her oatmeal cookies don’t taste quite the same. I’m sure they’re healthy, but they’re just different.”

Kurt shook his head. “I know there are a lot of different recipes out there. I hope I can remember the right amounts for the ingredients. Like the cheesecake, it’s all in my head.”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Adam assured him.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Burt asked.

It was easy enough to find tasks to occupy them, that they weren’t likely to mess up. Plus, he knew Adam was good at making cookies as well.

A little over an hour later, they were able to enjoy the cookies.

Burt looked around the living room. “So, do either of you ever use this piano, or does it just sit here looking pretty?” he asked.

“Oh, yes, I play a fair amount,” Adam answered. “Just not so much since Kurt’s been here, because we’ve been so busy with other things.”

Kurt spoke up. “I’ve played it, a little. I really missed not being able to play at the store.”

“Will you play something for me? And sing?”

“Really?”

“Sure. I haven’t heard you sing in a long time, remember? I’m sure you’ve only gotten better, ‘cause Adam said you used to sing at the pet store.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure my voice is better. It hasn’t changed much, but I can sing a lot lower than I could before.”

Adam took a deep breath, then asked, “Darling, do you mind if I record you on the video camera?”

“Video camera? I didn’t know you had one.”

Adam closed his eyes and sighed. “Yes, I do, though I’d completely forgotten about it.”

“If I had one that nice, I sure wouldn’t have forgotten about it,” Burt muttered.

“I’ve been charging it, so it’s ready to go. I bought an external microphone for it, so it should pick up the sound very well. I got it for recording the Apples, but didn’t even think about it when they were actually here last time. For some reason, I was distracted.”

“Why?” Kurt innocently asked.

Adam smirked. “As I’ve told you before, you’re rather distracting. In a good way. I just had too many things on my mind that night. It’ll only take a minute to get it set up. So is it okay?”

Kurt thought a moment, then nodded. “Sure. Is there a way to send the video to dad, like in an e-mail or something?”

“I think so. There’s a memory card attached. I can plug that into my laptop, and transfer the video there. Then I can either send it to Burt, or give him the memory card.”

“I’m not sure the card thingy would do me any good,” Burt protested. “I’m not sure my computer can use that. I have no idea what it even is.”

“Let me show you.” Adam retrieved the camera from where it had been charging and took the SD card out.

“Wow, this tiny thing?” Burt sounded very impressed. “Where does it go in the computer?”

Adam showed him the slot, and Burt shook his head. “I don’t have anything like that. Why don’t you keep the card, and send me the video.”

“I can do that. This way, you’d have some tangible memories to share with Carole.”

“That’d be fantastic, thank you!”

Adam set up the tripod and microphone, and made sure the camera was at a good angle to capture Kurt at the piano.

“Perfect.”

Kurt had been sitting on the piano bench, patiently waiting through all this nonsense, but now he thought of something.

“Hey, is there a way you can play it back? I’ve never seen myself singing before.”

“Didn’t your Mr. Schuester film you and the others?” Adam asked.

Kurt grimaced. “He’s not my Mr. Schuester. And no, not as far as I know. I never saw him with a camera of any kind in his hand, except when he took our pictures for the ads.”

“Yes, to answer your question. There’s a built-in projector, so we can turn off the lights and maybe show it on the wall there, behind the piano.”

“Cool.” He straightened, and flexed his fingers. “What do you want to hear, Dad?”

Burt scratched his head. “I dunno. Whatever you want to sing.”

“Um, um, um…” He really wanted to choose the right song.

“How about some Beatles songs?” Burt suggested. “I know those better than the show tunes.”

“I can do that!”

“Hey, how about that one you sang me when I was in the hospital?” Burt asked, looking at his son intently.

Kurt was startled. “You remember that?”

“I sure do. Your magical voice woke me up from the coma, at least that’s what I always thought.”

Kurt sniffled, and wiped his face with the tissue Adam handed him. 

He cleared his throat, and began to sing.

_“Yeah I’ll tell you something_  
 _I think you’ll understand_  
 _When I say that something_  
 _I wanna hold your hand…”_ *

When he was through, he looked at Burt, who’d pulled the tissue box over and was blowing his nose. “Your voice sounds different now. You know I don’t know much about singing stuff, but it sounds more mature. Just a little deeper.”

“What are you going play next, Kurt?” Adam asked. He’d settled back onto the opposite side of the sofa from Burt.

Kurt thought a minute, then played and sang “Blackbird”, “Eleanor Rigby” and “Michele.” Then surprised them both by singing one of the lesser known Beatles songs, “I’ve Just Seen A Face.”

“Wow, that was some fast singing, kiddo, even for you,” Burt complimented him.

“Do you know any of these, Adam? Join in, please,” Kurt begged.

Adam whispered a suggestion, and they sang “Yesterday.”

Burt was grinning from ear to ear. “Was that harmony? Whatever it was, yeah, that sounded fantastic!”

“Thank you,” Adam said. “How about another solo, Kurt? Do you want to sing “Defying Gravity”?

“Yeah, I want to hear that,” Burt interjected. “I want to see how different it sounds now.”

Kurt sang it a capella, the way he had for April.

“That was beautiful, son.”

“How about something in your lower range?” Adam suggested.

He wondered if he could sing one particular song… “This is one I haven’t tried too many times, but I love it. It’s from the musical Company, and it’s called “Being Alive.”

About halfway through the song, he noticed Adam tearing up, but he continued to sing, closing his own eyes.

_“Someone to crowd you with love_  
 _Someone to force you to care_  
 _Someone to make me come through_  
 _Who’ll always be there_  
 _As frightened as you_  
 _Of being alive_  
 _Being alive…”_ **

As soon as he finished the song, Burt turned off the camera, and Adam broke down into a sobbing mess. Kurt ran over to him and hugged him close. “Aw, baby, what’s the matter?” Kurt asked. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Adam blew his nose and grabbed more tissues to wipe his eyes.

“No, darling, you didn’t upset me. It’s just the lyrics are almost painfully accurate. But you were breathtaking. It just kills me that you can’t record professionally.”

Burt blew his own nose, but no actual tears were falling. “Even I could tell that was some damn fine singing, son.”

Adam was looking more composed now. “One of these days, sweetheart, we’ll find a way to let the world hear you. In the meantime, I’m so glad I get to have your voice, almost all to myself.”

“I hate to break this up, but Kurt, you seem really keyed up, not just from singing.”

“I promise, I’ll show you the video, but maybe not right now,” Adam suggested.

He shrugged. “I think it’s time to change again.”

“Good idea. Why don’t you play in your Buckingham Castle or whatever, while I’m still awake out here?”

“Okay, Dad. Will you come in later on and watch me?”

“Sure thing, kiddo. You want Adam to watch you, too?”

“Of course.” Kurt grinned and kissed Adam on the cheek, then changed. A lot of the mental weight was gone, and he could forget about all the complications of being human, for a little while, and just play and enjoy being a cat. He had a lot fewer things to worry about, or things he had to do, and he needed that time to handle going back to his human life. He wished Adam had the same option, because he was sure he needed it, too. But as long as Adam was part of both sides of his life, he was content.

 

*I Wanna Hold Your Hand – John Lennon and Paul McCartney  
**Being Alive – Dean Jones


	63. Chapter 63

Kurt realized he hadn’t spent much time with Harriet, Bernard, or Phoebe, so he ran to Adam’s room to visit with them. They were all resting against the pillow on his side of the bed, so he jumped up to join them. Luckily both Harriet and Bernard were being nice to Phoebe, and making her feel welcome. She understood that this was their territory, and she was new. Despite the fact that Harriet was a mouse, she wasn’t scared of Phoebe, who wasn’t trying to chase or eat her. Kurt praised his babies for all getting along with each other, and spent some time cuddling with them. He was just a few inches bigger than Phoebe, but was able to snuggle with all of them for a brief nap. When he woke, it seemed like a good time to run to his room to play in his tree house. He thought it might be better to introduce Phoebe to it when he was human, as it would be easier to help her get up the stairs and through the bridges.

In his room, he saw Daddy’s smaller bag, and knew there was something in there for him. He was very curious to know what it was, but it would be better to push aside his curiosity than have Daddy be upset with him for ruining the surprise. He wanted to at least smell the bag, and see if there was maybe any catnip inside, but he knew he shouldn’t. Instead, he gave the bag a wide berth, and climbed the tree house. He spent a while sharpening his claws on a post, then proceeded to investigate the rest of it. Nothing had been changed or moved that he could see, but he continued to check out every inch, just to make sure. It still smelled like him, so no other cats had been playing there.

After a while, he was startled to realize his dad and Adam were in the room. When had they snuck in? They were talking quietly, and Adam was taking pictures, but this time, it was a movie camera. Kurt realized this was his chance to be a star on film. It wasn’t likely many people would see it, but clearly it was a role he was born to play. Cat on a mission. He pretended he was looking for Harriet, who may have been kidnapped by spies. He added some menacing growls to show he was very serious. He made his fur stand on end so he looked bigger. He was one bad-ass cat. Kurt Crawford, the Karate Kit. Yes, he was going to mess up the bad guys who had taken his baby, who might hurt her if he didn’t give them the information they wanted. Of course, there was a complication, because the kidnappers/enemy spies were dogs, so what they had here was a failure to communicate. Well, he’d try to figure out the best way to get his point across when they actually showed up.

“What in the world do you think he’s doing?” Daddy asked.

Kurt was incensed. He was a magnificent actor! But maybe they couldn’t see his menacing expression from so far away, so he turned and snarled at them, then continued looking for Harriet.

“He’s hissed off about something.”

“Is he looking for something?” Burt wondered.

“I’ll bet that’s it! Maybe he forgot where he put Harriet. I’ll go get her. Here, take the camera.” 

Did Adam know where Harriet was? Had he struck some type of deal with the Canine Syndicate? No, Adam wasn’t a traitor. He was no doubt trying to help.

Kurt made some heroic leaps, to make sure he was in shape, and tried to mainly present his best side to the camera. He had no idea what Daddy was laughing at.

“Here you go, darling, here’s your baby.”

Harriet! She was safe! His investigating had obviously helped his faithful sidekick to do the footwork, and retrieve Harriet. He held her close and groomed her, making sure nothing was wrong. He realized he should reward his sidekick with some thanks, at the very least. He meowed, and Adam came closer. Kurt licked his hand, and rubbed his head against Adam’s stomach and arm. He was rewarded with some petting and cuddling, and Adam even made sure to pet Harriet with one finger, so she didn’t feel left out.

Kurt realized he was exhausted from his adventures. Tracking down bad guys – especially bad dogs – was hard work. He needed a good snack, then he’d be ready for bed. He wasn’t sure whether he should take Harriet with him, or leave her in the tree house. She didn’t seem scared, so she must have known her daddy would save her. Or her daddy’s human companion. That settled the matter. He dropped Harriet into the crook of Adam’s arm, and jumped down. He ignored the camera, as the credits should have already rolled by now.

In the kitchen, he found his bowls filled with kibble and water, respectively. When he’d had enough of both, he ran around the floor, chasing his tail, always a fun occupation. He eventually caught the tip of it with his paws, and forced it to stay still. Victory! He pretended he had ice skates on, and slid around the floor, skillfully avoiding the table and chair legs. He was going a bit too fast, though, and his legs gave out from under him, and he ended up skidding on his belly. He decided that had been his intention after all, and got to his feet. He’d had enough skating for now, so he slowly sauntered out of the room, and almost ran into a bunch of legs in his way. When had Adam and Daddy come into the kitchen? And did they – yes, of course they had the camera, and they were laughing at him again. Well, his last performance was meant to be a comedy, as he was a very versatile actor. With his nose and tail in the air, he wound his way between their legs and started to walk towards Adam’s bedroom, but he remembered something very important.

He turned back and started batting at Adam’s leg.

“What do you want, Fuzzy Face?”

He couldn’t believe his human was so slow to remember routine things, so he helped him along by grooming his face with one paw.

“Oh, I think he’s reminding me it’s time to brush him.”

To confirm the right answer, he rubbed against Adam’s leg again, purring and humming.

“Come on, sweetheart.” Adam reached down and picked him up, rubbing his side and belly. “Burt, do you want to brush him again?”

“Do you mind?”

“Of course not. Here, darling, let Burt take care of you.” He handed him over to Daddy, like he was a sack of flour. He swished his tail back and forth to let Adam know he’d committed an error, but went happily enough with Daddy, who wouldn’t have too many more chances to do this, at least this visit. He continued purring, so Daddy knew he was happy about this change of plans.

 

 

Adam tried to read in bed, but he was distracted with too many thoughts. He enjoyed having Burt there, and Kurt seemed to be having a great time overall. It seemed Burt had mellowed quite a bit towards him, the more he realized that Adam only wanted the best for his son. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen the next evening, with Dr. Hanover and Ms. Devereaux in attendance, but hopefully they could all find some common ground and maybe throw around some ideas to make things better for Kurt and the other hybrids.

He had so many notes for his novel, he was sure he would finish it in record time. Kurt provided endless inspiration. He thought about how things would go after Burt left, all the things they had planned. And then there was the matter of sex…nope, not a good time to think about that. But the singing…this was an excellent time to think about _that_. He really wanted to encourage Kurt to sing more, as much as he wanted, whatever he felt like expressing. Kurt had such an amazing voice, and if he weren’t allowed to share it with the world, it was the world’s loss. 

He wondered if he could get Kurt to participate in more impromptu concerts, and what songs they might sing together. He couldn’t wait until the next get-together with the Apples, because some songs really required background harmonies. On the other hand, Kurt would sound great as part of the background for some of the others, as well.

He heard what sounded like a herd of elephants, and concluded Kurt was running to his room at top speed. He didn’t flinch too much when Kurt leaped up on the bed and stalked over to him, purring loudly.

“Come here, sweetheart. You look gorgeous. You’re all soft and fluffy again.” He was careful to pet Kurt with the growth of his hair, and not against it. Kurt kept purring and rubbing against his side, finally settling down between Adam’s body and his arm. Adam rearranged his arm slightly so he was cradling Kurt protectively, with his hand on Kurt’s back. Kurt’s chin was resting on his chest, and he was staring at him with those gorgeous blue-green eyes. He couldn’t believe how many shades of blue, green, and gray Kurt’s eyes could turn, depending on what he was wearing, or his mood.

“Goodnight, darling.” Adam craned his neck awkwardly to try to kiss Kurt’s head. He missed slightly and got his ear, instead, but Kurt didn’t seem to mind. He turned out the light and they both fell asleep quickly.

 

 

Kurt had only woken once in the middle of the night, he thought, and had just wandered around the house, avoiding his room and Adam’s so he wouldn’t wake either Daddy or Adam. When he woke next, the sun was up, but Adam was still sleeping. He moved carefully, so he wouldn’t wake his human. He checked to see that his babies were still comfortable. Adam had put Harriet back…oh, how cute, she was on top of Phoebe’s paws, tucked under her chin, and Bernard was sitting up against Phoebe, with one arm around her neck. It was nice to see them getting along so well.

He knew he had to change back, so he could get breakfast started before anybody else was up. He stretched and changed, and took a fairly short shower, and decided to forgo most of his morning routine, at least for now. Twenty minutes after he’d changed, he was in the kitchen, wearing sweats and heavy socks. He already knew what he wanted to fix, and quickly assembled the ingredients. He wanted to turn on the radio, but didn’t want to wake anyone else up.

By the time his dad came in, he’d just plated the bacon and eggs, and was just finishing up the first batch of blueberry pancakes.

“Good morning! I see you’ve been busy.”

He looked around and smiled. “Hey, Dad! Did you sleep well?”

“Pretty good, yeah. Breakfast smells great. Oh, you have coffee going, too, thanks!”

“It’s ready, if you want to pour a cup.”

Kurt already had his coffee, and took a sip as he coordinated the food. He brought out the rest of the fruit he’d sliced.

Burt sat down and sighed. He was already dressed, in jeans, and a t-shirt. “By the way, I’m gonna wear something nicer tonight, before your friends get here,” he announced.

“That’s good. They’re not really my friends, and I haven’t even met Ms. Devereaux, but Adam says she’s really nice.”

He served the food for the two of them. He was tempted to holler for Adam to wake up, but he knew how loud his voice could get, and didn’t want to disturb Lily. Or their downstairs neighbors, for that matter.

He heard Adam approach, and slid his plate over to Adam’s place, and started to make more pancakes.

“Good morning, Burt. Hello to you, Sunshine.”

Kurt beamed as brightly as possible. “Good morning. You’d better eat while it’s hot.”

“We should wait for you.”

Kurt shook his head. “This will be a few minutes. It’s okay, go ahead.”

“This looks wonderful, Kurt, thank you.” He was relieved Adam really liked his cooking.

“These pancakes are terrific!” Burt announced. “I dunno why, but the ones I make just don’t taste this good.”

Kurt explained Adam’s theory about food made with love tasting better.

“Ah, that’s the secret ingredient.”

A couple of minutes later, Kurt sat down with his own breakfast. 

“Thank you for fixing the bacon, but I’m a little bit surprised,” Adam admitted.

Kurt shrugged. “I know you both like it, and I do, too, actually. I just didn’t make as much as you usually do.”

Burt wisely just said, “Yeah, thanks for fixing it.”

When they were finished eating, Adam insisted on doing the dishes. “In a little while, we’re going to go to the drug store so I can get the pictures from my camera printed out for Burt.”

“I think there are some places that give you a double set,” Kurt pointed out. “It costs more, but you get two of each picture, so it might be worth it.”

“Smart thinking, I like that!”

Burt cleared his throat. “Before we do that, let me get the last thing I brought for Kurt. Adam, you might want to see it, too, so I’ll wait till you’re done.”

“Thank you.  It should just be a few minutes.” Adam was always very efficient in cleaning up.

“I’ll be back in a minute. Oh, Kurt, you’ll probably want to wash your hands first.”

“Okay. Are you sure you don’t want some help?” he asked Adam.

“I’m almost done, but if you could dry these, it would help. You can wash your hands here when we’re done.”

He grabbed the dish towel and got started. “Hey, Adam? Thanks for everything. For bringing Dad here, getting him at the airport, letting us spend time together, driving us around. I feel so much better now, knowing he’s doing okay without me.”

“You’re very welcome, Kurt. It’s no trouble.” He hesitated a moment, then continued. “It probably hurts a little that he _is_ doing so well without you.”

Kurt shrugged. “Maybe a little. I kind of wanted to think I was indispensible, but I’m really happy he has Carole. I mean, he probably did just fine on his own, but I’m relieved he did find someone.”

“It does sound like they’re well-suited for each other. I’m really looking forward to meeting her.”

“Me, too.”

Kurt hung up the dish towel to dry, then he and Adam both washed their hands. 

“Let’s go see what last surprise your father has for you.”

Burt was sitting on the couch. On his lap was something Kurt had never thought he’d see again; a very slightly damaged, cashmere Alexander McQueen sweater, in ascending shades of blue, from a sky blue at the top to midnight blue at the bottom. It had been about three sizes too big for him, but when he found it 85% discounted, he had to have it. Luckily his father was willing to buy it for him.

“Dad, oh my God, you brought the McQueen sweater! Thank you!”

“What?” Burt looked genuinely puzzled, then started down at the sweater in his lap. “Oh, this thing? Yeah, I thought it might possibly still fit you. Sorry if it’s a little wrinkled. But that’s not even what I meant when I said I had one more thing for you.”

“It wasn’t?”

“No. I needed something to wrap this in, that would keep everything nice and neat, and I thought the sweater would work.” Burt slowly (way too slowly) unwrapped the sweater. He shrugged and handed it to Kurt, who was jumping up and down and holding his hands out, very quietly saying, “Gimme, gimme, gimme!”

He examined the sweater closely. There was no further damage than the tiny hole he had lovingly repaired, near the hem in the back. He held the sweater up and rubbed it against his cheek. It was as soft and luxurious as he remembered.

“Er, Kurt, I think –“

He held up one hand to stop Adam. He needed a moment alone with the sweater. He stopped when he realized he was trying to purr, but it wasn’t coming out right.

“Oh, um, okay.” He carefully folded the garment and set it reverently on a nearby chair.

He stretched and shook his head, then patted his hair back into place. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and looked at his father as he sat down next to him.

“Okay, there was something you wanted to show me?”

Burt sighed, and Adam was giggling, but he ignored them to look at the object his father handed him. “Be careful, try to keep everything together.”

He blinked and held his breath for a moment, not quite believing what he was seeing. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten about this. His mother had spent so much time, lovingly putting everything in the right place, trying to preserve their history.

He set the photo album on the table, caressing the forest green cover. It was embossed with the words, “Our Family.”

Burt turned to look at him more easily. “I tried to keep up with it after you – when you were gone. I don’t know if I did as good a job on the scrapbook part of it, but I tried to at least get the pictures in straight. When Carole came along, she helped me make it look nicer.”

Kurt could speak. He was afraid as soon as he opened his mouth, the tears would start.

“Come on, kiddo, say something.”

Adam, to his left, handed him a wad of tissues, and he wiped his face, not even realizing he’d needed them until that moment. His thanks were muffled by the tissues.

He tried to clear his throat. “Dad, this is the best thing you could have given me. Everything else was great, and I love it all, but this – Mom made this, and let me help her.” He looked up at Adam. “I figured it was my job once she was gone to keep up with it, and I guess Dad took over after me.”

“That’s right. I couldn’t for a while. But then I started looking for things, and found a box of pictures on a shelf in the closet, that I’d forgotten all about.”

“Burt, this is wonderful,” Adam said, putting a calming hand on Kurt’s shoulder. “I’m dying to see what’s in it, whenever you’re ready to show me, love.”

That sort of woke Kurt out of the reverie he’d been in. “Me, too.”

Burt squeezed Kurt’s hand. “I figured you might want to keep it. Between me and Carole, we have copies of everything in another album, and she started one for us, too.”

“That sounds like a great idea. Are you sure you want to give me the original?”

“Son, I’ve had nearly six years to look at it and add to it, but I was doing it so I could some day give it to you. Or if not, at least I’d have a complete history of our life in pictures. When I heard from Adam, and knew I’d be coming out to see you soon, we spent a lot of time getting copies of everything so I could give this to you. I really want you to have it.”

Kurt leaned into his dad, already sniffling. Burt hugged him as best he could from the awkward angle.

“Tell you what, kiddo, there’s so much stuff in here, maybe you should look at it a little at a time, instead of all at once?”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Adam agreed.

Kurt nodded, but didn’t trust himself to speak.

“Adam, just so you know, the older stuff is pictures of me, Elizabeth, then Kurt as a baby, and later as a kitten. There are a lot of family photos, but mostly it’s Kurt and Elizabeth. The stuff in the scrapbook is all kinds of stuff, pictures he drew, little stories he wrote, all kinds of things. 

“Maybe for now, we’ll just look at the more recent stuff? I hope you don’t mind, Kurt, but I added some pictures of Carole and me in there. I thought you might at least want to see what she looks like.”

Kurt nodded again, starting to get better control of his emotions. He agreed, he and Adam could go through the album slowly, but looking at it all at once would be too much.

“Oh, before I forget, you might want these.” Burt removed some folded papers from the back of the overflowing book. “Maybe I should have put them in a separate book, but I couldn’t find anything that would hold them.”

Kurt gingerly opened the papers and gasped. “Adam! Look, these are my early sketches and designs, for the outfits Dad brought, and some I never got to make.”

Adam looked at the pictures, careful to only touch the pages on the edges. “These are really nice, but I can see a huge difference between then and now. It’s not all from the glasses, Kurt. The drawings you did here before you got your glasses are better than these, even without any practice in the meantime.”

Kurt shrugged. “I guess you’re right. But still, maybe I can do something with these. Thanks, Dad!” He wasn’t about to complain about the creases in the paper. They wouldn’t really hurt anything; if necessary he could re-draw those designs, and maybe make some improvements to them.

“You’re welcome, son.”

“Adam, can you put these in my dresser drawer? And lay them flat, please?”

“Sure.”

He waited for Adam to come back before he opened the book. It was okay, he needed a minute to absorb the idea that he could keep this; everything in it, everything it represented.

“Let me see it for a minute,” Burt suggested. “I’ll open it to the new stuff I know you haven’t seen.”

He let his dad flip through the album. To avoid temptation, and keep from being overwhelmed, he closed his eyes.

He soon felt Adam sit down next to him, and put an arm around his shoulders. He leaned into him slightly, and opened his eyes.

Burt cleared his throat. “Okay, here’s the garage, from the outside. And inside, there’s Danny, and Luke, and Tom. They all miss you, especially Danny.”

“I miss them, too,” Kurt admitted. He hadn’t thought about any of them, except occasionally Danny, in years, but he now realized just how much he missed working in the garage, and these men who had accepted him and let him work among them. None of them had taken advantage in making him do work he really shouldn’t be doing, but they showed him what to do, and sometimes asked for an extra hand or two when necessary.

“Here’s the house. I took pictures of every room. I didn’t bother to clean them up, just wanted you to remember what they typically looked like without you there.”

Kurt sighed, and said with slight exasperation, “I hope Carole is doing a better job of housekeeping than you did.”

Burt nodded. “Oh, yeah, she is. I didn’t do too bad on my own, once I got over bein’ so sad you weren’t there. I’d work as late as I could, and come home at night to an empty house, and I just didn’t have the energy to clean up. I didn’t do much cooking either. I ate a lot of microwave meals, or fast food meals.”

“Dad!” He made his displeasure very clear.

“It probably wasn’t the best for my heart,” Burt admitted, “but I was doing a lot of work, trying to avoid coming home to an empty house. The work helped keep my weight down, and I started exercising. Anything to keep my body occupied and my mind distracted. But when I met Carole, believe me, she wanted to make sure I ate properly.”

He turned to another page, and Kurt saw his room. Unlike the rest, it was clean and tidy.

“I did clean up your room. It was kind of a mess when you were trying to pack and they kept telling you, no, you can’t have this or that. I wanted you to see it again like it used to be, if I ever found you.”

He pointed to a picture of a basket of cat toys. “I didn’t bring any of these, ‘cause I figured Adam probably would get you some new toys. But if you want any of ‘em, just let me know.”

Kurt smiled as he saw all the familiar toys his dad had bought him over the years.

Adam was looking over his shoulder. “I’ve been meaning to get you more toys than just Harriet,” he muttered. “Maybe this will give me some ideas.” He identified a few white mice, similar to Harriet, a small bouncy ball, a stick with a feather attached, and some soft toys shaped like different animals, that he assumed probably contained catnip.

“It’s okay, you got me Buckingham Palace. And Roo.”

“Is that another pet I just haven’t met?” Burt asked, confused.

“Not exactly. It’s more like a long pillow with catnip inside, that I can hug or kick around. It’s called a Kickaroo, so I call it Roo, but it’s not, you know, not like Harriet or Bernard or Phoebe.”

“Not an animal, therefor not a pet?” Adam hazarded.

Kurt thought a moment. “Yeah, right. Anyway, thanks, Dad, but you’re right, I don’t need any of my old toys.”

“One of these days, though, we’ll go to a store and you can pick out your own,” Adam promised.

Kurt shook his head. “I’d rather you surprise me. You’ve done a good job so far.”

Adam wished he’d paid more attention to the toys they sold at New Directions, but he knew he wouldn’t be shopping there.

“Let’s see,” Burt continued. “Oh, I don’t know why I did this, but here’s you food and water dish. I cleaned those out almost as soon as you were gone. Next day, anyway.”

Kurt noticed something odd. He recognized the house, and the rooms, but he didn’t really want to go back there. It no longer looked like home. Now this apartment was home, or wherever Adam was, if he ever decided to move.

There was a picture of his old cat tree, a lot smaller than Buckingham Palace. He did miss it, but it seemed impractical, and probably way too expensive, to have Burt send it. He remembered enjoying being at the top of the tree, and again feeling like the King of the World. But that was a much smaller world, just as he himself had been smaller.

“Oh, that’s what you used to have. Seems like a pretty good one,” Adam commented. 

Kurt nodded. “Mm-hm. It gave me lots of exercise.” 

“I was considering something like that, until I found Buckingham Palace.”

Burt snorted at the name. “Doesn’t really look like any kind of castle to me, but whatever, it’s the best one I’ve ever seen.” He pointed to another picture, of Kurt’s old closet.

“Wow, you had a _lot_ of clothes,” Adam observed.

“Yeah, and I don’t think any of them will fit you any more,” Burt said sadly. “Or the shoes, or the boots.”

Kurt bit his lip. “Maybe you can find someone else who could wear them? You could try to sell the better pieces to a consignment shop, and maybe donate the rest.”

“No offense, but I’m not sure I’d remember which are the really good ones.”

“I have an idea.” Adam turned to look at Kurt. “We can copy that picture on my printer, and blow it up a lot larger. You can use a yellow highlighter or something to put a check mark or X or something on the good pieces. That will make it easier for Burt to find them.”

“That would work,” Kurt agreed. It would certainly be easier than writing out a list of everything, then have his dad try to figure out exactly which ones he meant.

Burt showed them the copy of his and Carole’s wedding certificate, and a couple of pictures taken at the civil service by friends.

“Carole is beautiful, and you look great!” Kurt was relieved his father had actually worn a suit, and Carole had worn a nice dress.

“Thanks. Hey, I was thinking, maybe we’d better put this aside for now, and go get the pictures from Adam’s camera printed. I have a feeling that may take a while. We can go over more of these later.”

Kurt was trying to figure out whether he should go or not. “I’d like to go, but I need to start making the cheesecake in a couple of hours, if it’s going to be ready on time. Do you think we’ll be back by then?”

Adam looked up at the ceiling, as though it would tell him the answer. “Well, depending on traffic, and how many other people might be ahead of us, and the number of pictures…maybe not.”

“I know we won’t have much time tomorrow to do the pictures, before Dad has to go back, so maybe you two should go ahead and get those.”

“I don’t want to leave you alone, though,” Burt protested. “I mean, I wanted us to spend as much time together as possible.”

“Tell you what,” Adam suggested, “I’ll take the camera and get a double set of pictures, and a couple of photo albums. Why don’t the two of you stay here and relax? You can watch a movie if you’d like, or just hang out. Just make yourself at home, Burt.”

“Thank you. We’ll figure out something.”

“Thanks, Adam. Are you sure you don’t mind going alone?”

“No, I’ll be fine. You two stay here and visit. If you can think of any other errands I can run, let me know, or you can call my cell.”

Burt shook his head. “I don’t need anything.”

“Me, either. Thanks, Adam!” Kurt hugged him, and a few minutes later Adam left them alone.

“Do you want to show me some more things in the scrapbook?” Kurt asked. “I can explain them to Adam later.”

Burt sighed, and settled back further into the sofa. “If you want, sure. Is there anything you want to talk about, first?”

Kurt frowned, trying to think of anything. “I’m sure I’ll think of things, but not right this minute. Oh, wait. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about maybe modeling for Hugo’s store. He said he thinks I might help owners see they can, and should, dress up their hybrid pets and take them to nice places. It would be good for his store, obviously, for selling clothes, but it might help people look at hybrids differently.”

“Wait, back up a minute. Tell me exactly what he said, what you can remember.”

“Why?”

“I just want to make sure I understand, and you and Adam understand, exactly what he wants. I guess you don’t hate the idea or you’d already have said no.”

“Well, I get kind of tired of Adam or Lily taking pictures of me, but this is a different thing. Dad, you know how the kids and other hybrids always made fun of me? And the hybrids at the pet store were always telling me I’m ugly, nobody would ever want me, I’m a freak, all that kind of thing.”

“The people who ran it let them talk to you like that?”

Kurt moved his feet onto the sofa and got comfortable, with his arms wrapped around his knees.

“Yeah. Miss Emma didn’t like it, but Mr. Will seemed to think it would build character or something. Anyway, my point is, I’ve always tried to make the best of my looks that I could, to at least dress nicely, and take care of my hair and skin and all that. But now, Hugo, and Adam, and Lily, and a bunch of other people, seem to think I’m better-looking than I thought. I’m not sure what I think about that, but there’s no reason for them to lie. I’d like to believe that maybe either people in the past were wrong, or maybe I look better now than I used to, but it makes me feel good to think I could be any kind of model.”

Burt was frowning, and hiding his mouth behind his hand, usually a sign he was trying to keep from saying something. He waited patiently till his dad was ready to talk.

“Look, you’re not ugly, don’t ever think that. Obviously Adam likes the way you look, and apparently other people do, too. That should make you feel a little better about yourself. But you shouldn’t be listening to other people. You should be able to look in the mirror, and decide for yourself if you like what you see. If not, see if there’s something you can do. I don’t mean like plastic surgery, just – I dunno, change your hairstyle, something like that. You need to feel good about yourself because of what you think, not because somebody else is…what’s that word? Validating you. I have to admit, I’m a little worried about why this clothing store guy wants you specifically for a model.”

Kurt tapped one foot up and down and bit the tip of his finger as he thought. He finally spoke. “I think, when he saw how well the suit fit, and that Adam and I both looked good together, it made him realize that, aside from the collar and leash, people might think I’m a person, not a hybrid. I guess he hasn’t had all that many hybrids come in the store, ‘cause I guess it’s a pretty expensive place. I don’t think most people take their pets out to places where they need to wear suits and ties, you know? I did see a few other hybrids at the theater, but there were hundreds of people there, and like a handful of hybrids. And none of them were dressed up like I was.”

“I can see why this Hugo guy would want more business, and is thinking he can sell some more clothes to people _and_ their hybrids. But I’m not sure why he chose you to do it. I think I’d feel more comfortable if he picked someone else.”

“I don’t know, Dad. There’s a part of me that wants to do it. I wouldn’t mind having people think I’m good-looking, or hot or whatever.”

“Well, think about it this way. People might recognize you on the street and try to talk to you. Some might be well-meaning, others might be upset. They might try to cause problems for you and Adam.”

“Yeah, it could be. You mean I’d be drawing attention to us that we might not get otherwise?”

“Exactly.” Burt seemed relieved. “What does Adam think about all this?”

Kurt heaved a sigh, moving his leg restlessly. “He wants me to make up my own mind. I mean, he can still override my decision, if it really upsets him, but I think he wants to give me time to think about it, and probably talk to him about it. But he did want me to talk to you about it, too, and get your opinion.”

“He did, huh? Good idea, to get another viewpoint. Do you mind if I talk to Adam about it, or better yet, both of you together? I don’t want to go behind your back, but I do want to get Adam’s impressions of things.”

“Sure, I don’t mind. He suggested it, actually. I guess I maybe should have waited till he was home.”

“No, it’s alright. Things are going to be pretty busy later on today, and we won’t have a whole lot of time tomorrow. I’m glad we got the chance to talk about it tonight.”

Kurt ran his hands through his hair impatiently. “Augh! I went through my morning routine really quickly, so I could fix breakfast, and my hair is driving me crazy. And I need to get dressed.”

His father nodded. “That would be a good idea. Why don’t you go ahead and do whatever you need to do to feel better? I’ll just hang out here. I bought a magazine to read on the plane, and I only got part-way through it.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t forget, aside from making that cheesecake, you’re going to need to find some time to take a nap, and maybe change. Or are you gonna do that after your guests leave?”

“Probably after they leave. I don’t know.”

“Give it some thought. You probably want to be in human form while they’re here, so you can contribute to the conversation.”

Kurt looked at him curiously. “You think they want me to be involved?”

“Of course. I don’t really know the plan, but believe me, if they don’t want to hear your opinions or ideas, then they’re not as interested in helping you as you think. I was just thinking you might not want to get all dressed up and your hair fixed, then have to do it all over again later, but it’s up to you.”

Kurt jumped up. “I’m going to put on some regular clothes, and at least comb my hair again, but I’ll wait till later to get dressed for company.”

“Okay. Do you know what you’re going to wear?”

“I think so. But maybe I’d better go check and make sure everything I need is clean and pressed.”

“Fine, do whatever you need to do. I’m not going anywhere.”

Kurt nodded and headed for his room to get his clothes, then he’d take them to Adam’s room and use his bathroom. Soon to be their bathroom, he was sure. But he’d feel a lot better if he didn’t look like he’d just rolled out of bed.


	64. Chapter 64

While Kurt was getting ready, Burt thought about things he still wanted to do or might need to do while he was there. For one thing, he supposed he should write down some questions he wanted to ask the doctor or lawyer, or things to discuss with them. Who knows, they might be important contacts later on. He found the notepad and pen he’d used earlier, and wrote down the key points he wanted to address. He tried to think about the complaints he had, and what he’d heard from Kurt and Adam.

Hybrid rights – As things should be

1)              Parents should be allowed to keep their hybrid children, same as their fully human children. Hybrids should not be taken away to be sold.   
2)              Hybrids should receive more education, and not be told they’re worthless except as pets.   
3)              Hybrids should be given training, along with education, to ensure they will be able to support themselves, same as full humans.   
4)              Hybrids should be allowed to work and support themselves. If they need time off to take their animal form, it should be allowed.   
5)              Hybrids should be allowed to marry, each other or full humans.

Hybrid rights – As things are   
1)              After adoption, parents should be allowed to contact hybrid children/vice versa.   
2)              Parents should be given updates on their hybrid child’s progress while at the pet store, at least monthly.   
3)              Hybrids should have some recourse if they’re unhappy with their owner.   
4)              Owners who wish to do so, and if it’s a mutual desire, should be allowed to marry their hybrid.   
5)              Hybrids should be allowed to earn money, if they have a particular skill or talent. Not talking about prostitution, but acting, singing, sewing, modeling, car repair, etc. If they have a skill, they should be allowed to share it with everyone, if they want to.   
6)              If a hybrid hasn’t been sold in 7 years, instead of euthanizing them, they should be given back to their parents. They should only be euthanized if the parents don’t want them back (sick bastards!) and there’s no other recourse. Every pet store should consider lowering the price on “older” hybrids, to make at least some money and be able to partially reimburse the government.

He stopped to reorganize his thinking. He couldn’t believe how lucky they all were that Adam had adopted Kurt. He was probably the best owner Kurt could have gotten. Whether Adam chose him or he chose Adam – and it actually seemed like they’d chosen each other – they seemed to get along as well as any couple could be expected, let alone a hybrid and owner. He was convinced Adam genuinely cared about Kurt, and really loved him. The fact that he wanted him to be independent, and wanted him to make so many choices on his own spoke very well of him. 

Most owners, to Burt’s knowledge, pretty much told their hybrid what to do, and the pet had very little choice in much of anything. From what he’d heard, some owners didn’t even allow their pet to choose when they wanted to change, but just told them something like, “Stay that way till I tell you otherwise.” They seemed oblivious to their pet’s restlessness or discomfort. Anyone who gave a damn should be able to pick up on those signs.

The best thing, though, aside from Adam treating Kurt well, was that he was encouraging his creative side, allowing him to indulge in his hobbies, and praising and encouraging him. He bet most owners didn’t know or care if their hybrid could sing, or dance, or act; if it wasn’t something the owner was interested in, they might not have any patience for that.

His thoughts were interrupted when Kurt came out, dressed neatly in jeans and a t-shirt. Of course his hair was perfectly combed. He was curious to see what he’d wear later on. Kurt had an interesting sense of style, but would certainly do his best to show respect to these people by dressing nicely.

“Hey, buddy, you feeling better now?”

Kurt nodded. “Lots, actually. I’ll feel even better when Adam gets here.” He looked towards the door. “I should probably wait for him.”

Burt wanted to tell him not to bother, that Adam would be fine whether he sat by the door or not, but maybe he should try what Adam was doing, and let him make up his own mind.

“It’s up to you. I guess we can still talk while you’re waiting, if you want.”

“Yeah, we can do that. Um, just a second. I’ll be right back.”

“Take your time.”

Burt went back to his list. He got out his wallet, took out two business cards, and wrote his cell number on the back of them. He was pretty sure he’d want both these people to keep in touch with him.

Kurt came back out carrying Phoebe. He thought he could see the tip of Harriet’s nose peeking out from his front jeans pocket.

“Don’t forget you need to get started on the cheesecake. I don’t know how long that will take, but –“

“Oh, that’s right! How could I forget that?”

“Well, you’ve got a lot on your mind right now,” Burt guessed. “And I suppose Adam hasn’t left you alone all that many times.”

“I’m not really alone, since you’re here, but yeah, he hasn’t gone out without me very much.”

Burt knew Kurt tended to take things very literally, but he’d thought he might be outgrowing that. Well, maybe the more time he spent with Adam and other people, the more relaxed he’d be in that regard.

Kurt was cradling Phoebe in his arms, and stroking her fur. Her head was just under his chin. He looked down at the stuffed toy. “Hey, Phoebe, why don’t you wait right here for me? I’ll be back soon.” He set her down on the chair that was next to the door.

“You want some help making the cheesecake? Or I could come out there to talk to you. Or just stay right here, whatever you want.” Burt thought he was getting the hang of this letting Kurt make his own decisions thing. He’d done it often enough when Kurt was growing up.

“Hm, you want to come in the kitchen with me? It won’t take me long to make it, it’s just that it needs to sit in the fridge for a few hours.”

“Sure.” Burt brought his list and the pen with him. He didn’t want to distract Kurt, but maybe when he was done mixing everything together, and it was safely chilling, they could discuss Burt’s ideas. He certainly wanted to know what Kurt might want to add to the discussion. Considering that a doctor and a lawyer were such busy people, and they were giving up their own time on a Sunday, he really didn’t want to waste their time once they got there.

Burt watched Kurt assemble the ingredients. He was pretty fast, but a few times he seemed to get frustrated looking for things.

“What’s the matter?”

Kurt sighed heavily, as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders. “It’s just that Adam doesn’t have things organized properly in here. Things aren’t always where I expect them to be. I keep wanting to rearrange things, but I know it would be better to talk to him about it first. He might not want things changed, even if it makes them easier to find.”

“Maybe he already has his own system, and it just doesn’t make sense to you. Maybe he just needs to explain why he has things in certain places, and then it might be easier for you to remember where they are.”

“Hm, I guess that would work, too. The one time I asked him about it, he seemed really confused, but then, we were at the play, waiting for it to start, so that might not have been the best time.”

“Yeah, I guess not.”

Burt knew better than to distract Kurt when he was concentrating on something, especially something like a special dessert, so he contented himself with just observing. He was impressed that Kurt was so comfortable in the kitchen without Adam there, and didn’t seem to worry about making a mistake or messing things up.

When Kurt put the cheesecake in the refrigerator, moving around a few things to make room, he heaved a sigh of relief. “Okay. It’ll need at least 4 hours to set, but that gives us plenty of time.”

“What about lunch? Should we wait for Adam, or are you hungry now?”

Kurt thought about it. “I’m okay for now. Are you?”

“I’m fine, I just didn’t want you to go too long without eating.”

Kurt sat at the table and shrugged. “I think it’ll be fine, if Adam isn’t back in a while, to go ahead and fix something. We can make sandwiches, and I can make one for him when he gets here, or he might want to make his own.”

“Okay. You’re not worried he’ll get upset if you eat without him?” Burt didn’t know why he was stirring up trouble, but he was curious to see how Kurt reacted.

“No, he won’t. I mean, if we finish the last of something, I should write it on a shopping list so we can get it the next time we go out, or he goes out. But other than that, he won’t be upset. And I can have a snack any time I want. There’s plenty of fruit and vegetables here, crackers and cheese, different things.”

“That’s good. I figured it was something like that, I just wanted to make sure.”

Kurt looked thoughtful. “I think if I had a different owner, then yeah, it might be a problem, if they didn’t specifically tell me to go ahead and eat. That’s kind of what they taught us at the pet store, to not just assume something we wanted to do would be okay. But Adam’s different. He wants me to behave like a person when I’m in human form, and a cat when I’m in cat form. It’s not quite that simple, and he knows traits of one might come out when I’m in the other form. But he doesn’t treat me like a pet all the time, is what I’m saying. I think he’s treating me more like a boyfriend when I’m human, and a pet when I’m a cat. But even then, I get away with a lot that Mr. Will probably wouldn’t approve of, as though he knows anything about actually _being_ a hybrid.”

Burt didn’t like anything he’d heard about the man yet, but wanted to be fair. “Maybe he thinks he knows a lot about what the owners expect, since he runs the pet store, and he’s probably thinking more about what they’ll want in a pet. He was probably trying to train you all to behave in ways the owners would like, so they’d want to adopt you. I can see how that might be completely different from what’s best for you all as hybrids, and what you need.”

Kurt nodded, playing with the packets of sugar in the bowl, stacking them up, then knocking them down, and stacking them up again.

“I think Miss Emma cared a little more about us as individuals, and was trying to get him to think about us more. I’m really glad she was there, because without her –“ He shuddered. “It was bad enough, but she made it bearable. And Miss Sue and Miss Shannon, who took care of us most nights, were really good about making sure we were okay, and not fighting too much. If I had a nightmare, one of them, usually Miss Sue, would help me calm down enough to get back to sleep.”

“Did you have a lot of nightmares?” 

Kurt looked at him like he was an idiot, and Burt scoffed at himself. “What am I saying? Of course you had nightmares. You had them a lot when you were living with me, so I imagine it would be worse, not better.”

“Yeah.” Kurt didn’t seem to want to talk about it in detail.

“What about now? Are you sleeping better now?”

Kurt looked directly at him. “It’s so much better now, Dad. I still haven’t been able to sleep alone in my room, all the way through the night, without running into Adam’s room. But he’s a lot better now about letting me stay. He said he’d like me to be able to sleep alone, like to prove to myself I can do it, but honestly, I’d rather sleep with him.” Then he blushed and looked down. “I mean, you know, sleep with him. I want more, but it’s nice just to know he’s there, you know?”

“Yeah, I get it.” He bit his lip, then decided Kurt was mature enough that he could share this now. “It was hard for me after your mom died. I didn’t like sleeping alone, either. I really didn’t mind when you’d want to come in and sleep with me, because I knew exactly where you were, and you were safe. No car was likely to come through the walls and take you away from me. Just knowing you were okay made it easier for me to get to sleep. It was even harder to adjust after they took you away, but I didn’t have a choice. Now I have Carole, and I think she was tired of being alone, too. It was more than just loneliness that drew us together, but it’s nice when things work out, and you find out that, even though you’ll always love that person who’s gone now, it doesn’t mean your life is over. It doesn’t mean you’ll never fall in love again. I’m so glad Carole isn’t the jealous type, and doesn’t mind if I occasionally talk about Elizabeth.”

Kurt was nodding. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to Adam. I’m pretty sure now he’s not going to get tired of me and give me away or sell me, but I my case, I’m not sure I’d be able to trust anybody that much again.”

“I hope you don’t ever have to find out for yourself. It seems to me like you’re learning, though, that not everybody who has a hybrid treats them badly. I mean, I wasn’t the only exception to the rule. Your friends at the gym seem like pretty decent guys, and it looks like they really care about their pets.”

“Yeah. I’m not sure how much of what I’ve been told is true, and how much is a deliberate lie, or a misunderstanding,” Kurt admitted.

“I think that’s true of most people, Kurt. We’re told certain things by the government, but we also observe things for ourselves, or hear things from other people, or read about them in the paper or see them on the news. It can be hard to know what to believe, unless we see it directly. Even then, we’re only getting part of the story. We don’t know what’s going on with people when we don’t see them.

“Like, say someone is rude to you in a store. We might just automatically assume that person hates hybrids, but it could be they’re having a really bad day, and something sets them off that normally wouldn’t. Maybe you remind them of someone they don’t like, or you’re wearing the same shirt as someone they had an argument with, or maybe everything that could go wrong is going wrong that day, who knows? The point is, sometimes people have reasons for the way they act that have nothing to do with the little bit we know about. There are probably a lot more people who like hybrids than we realize, or who might like them if they actually knew a hybrid, and could see they’re just people like they are. You might be able to find somebody else who has the same attitudes as Adam, and would treat you the same.”

Kurt was nodding, but also looking uneasily towards the doorway. He’d taken Harriet out of his pocket, and was holding her with one hand, and it looked like he was grooming her with the other. When he started to bring her up to his mouth, and stuck his tongue out, Burt spoke up.

“Hey, don’t do that! You don’t need to lick her fur to get it to stay down.”

“But – she – I need to –“

“Need to what, buddy?”

“I need to take care of her.”

“Okay, let’s look at this a different way. How about you lick your thumb, then use it to smooth out her fur? Wouldn’t that be better than getting saliva all over her?”

Kurt looked confused. “But that’s what I do when I’m a cat. And it’s my saliva, whether I’m human or a cat, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Burt sighed, knowing there was other stuff going on.

“Do what you want. But what’s got you upset?”

“I’m not upset,” Kurt denied. “Just worried about Adam. I think maybe I should wait by the door until he gets back.”

Burt knew how to pick his battles. “Okay, fine. You might want to go to the bathroom first, though.”

“I don’t need to – um, yeah, maybe I should. Be right back.”

Burt managed to not chuckle out loud. Kurt always insisted he didn’t have to go, then realized he did. He thought it might be more comfortable to move another chair near the door, so they could at least sit and talk.

By the time Kurt returned, Burt had moved another chair close to the door. “We’ll sit and watch for him together, how’s that?”

Kurt agreed. He moved Phoebe, and sat down so he could hold her on his lap. He set Harriet on top of her. From where Burt was sitting, he was relieved to see Harriet’s fur looked dry. Not that she probably cared how Kurt groomed her, but --  He sighed. Caught up once again, in thinking Kurt’s “babies” were real.

Kurt hugged his pets and looked at the door, but was perfectly willing to listen to Burt read out his list of questions. When he was through, he asked what Kurt thought.

“Those sound good.”

“Well, they’re just a start,” he pointed out. “Is there anything you’d like to add? I’m sure there are things I haven’t thought of.”

“Yeah. For one, owners shouldn’t be encouraged to have their pets fixed. I can understand neutering or spaying full animals, maybe, if you don’t want to breed them, but hybrid pets aren’t going to be having sex indiscriminately the way animals might if they get loose. If the owner wants to have sex with their pet, and doesn’t want her to get pregnant, they need to do something to take responsibility.”

Burt wrote down: Hybrids shouldn’t be fixed without getting their permission. Unlike animals, they know what they’ll be missing.

“Very good point. What else?”

“We should have more choices in the stores, to get us used to making choices on our own once we’re brought home.”

Burt wrote, “Hybrids need more practice in making their own choices,” but said, “I think most owners would prefer to make decisions on behalf of their pet, not give them choices of things. But it’s a good point. Maybe there are more owners out there like Adam.”

“Maybe.” Kurt looked pensive. “We’re taught to be submissive, and we’re told that we’re naturally that way, but how come I don’t feel that way? In some ways I don’t mind Adam telling me what to do, but other times, even though it’s Adam, I resent anyone telling me what to do.”

Burt considered that for a minute. “I’m not sure how much of that is instinct, and how much is the way you’re treated by your parents. We didn’t give you a whole lot of rules as a kid, and you were on your own a lot after your mom died, so that might have had something to do with it. But about you and Adam, you need to work that out between you, to figure out when you have to listen to him, and when it’s okay for you to question him or try to change his mind.”

Kurt started petting Phoebe again. “I know that might take a while to figure out, but he doesn’t usually get upset with me if I argue with him or disagree, as long as I go along with him in public. I think even that is more about how other people react to us, and not wanting a lot of negative attention.”

Burt didn’t even try to hide his feelings. “Seems to me the schools and pet stores do enough of telling you what to do, and making you feel like you have to obey. I guess if you get that from your parents all the time, that you’re not trusted to make your own decisions, you’d probably be more comfortable letting someone else do that for you.”

Kurt kept looking back and forth between his father and the door, and Burt was worried his neck was going to hurt if he kept twisting it like that.

“I figured out pretty early that it would be easier to just do what I was told at the pet store, but there were still times I really wanted to argue with them, or do something different. And I kind of had to let people know when I really didn’t want them to adopt me. Because it seemed like just saying, “No, thank you,” wasn’t an option. They kept telling us we’d better go with the first person who wanted us, if we ever wanted to get adopted. Like we’d only ever have one chance or something.”

“It’s interesting,” Burt mused. “As much as the other hybrids and whoever else told you they didn’t like your looks, or you wouldn’t find an owner, it sounds like there were several people interested in you, but you just didn’t want any of them but Adam.”

“Huh, I hadn’t thought about it that way. I’m just not sure why they wanted me, rather than Sam, if they really wanted a cat. He was sure trying a lot harder than me to get adopted. Blaine, too, whenever someone wanted a dog. But it’s like the harder they tried to get people to notice them and spend time with them, the more people just walked right past them, and would come over to me, or someone who wasn’t trying to be noticed.”

“Well, could be they didn’t want someone they thought would need a lot of their time and attention. It’s like sometimes the girls who try too hard to get your attention make you a little uncomfortable, and you’re more drawn to the ones just being themselves, who want you to like them the way they are. Or guys, in your case.”

“Exactly, that’s how I felt. I didn’t want to be all, ‘Hey, adopt me! I’m the one you want!’ and then have to change my personality to fit whatever they wanted. I was so glad Adam didn’t seem to mind that I was different, and I think he liked me because I was quieter and wanted someone to accept me.”

“The good thing is, you found each other, and you both realized you could live together without driving each other crazy, or either of you having to change too much,” Burt suggested.

Kurt hugged Phoebe, though he was holding Harriet in one hand.

“He’ll be back soon,” Burt soothed, realizing he must be worried about Adam.

“I know,” Kurt said automatically. Burt waited, and sure enough, Kurt continued. “But I just feel better if I know he’s here in the apartment. Even if I can’t see him, if I know he’s around, then he’s safe, you know?”

“I do know, buddy. It’s the same way I felt about your mother. I guess a lot of people get that way, if they love someone, and feel responsible for them. But Adam isn’t really your responsibility.”

Kurt turned his head so fast Burt was convinced he’d get whiplash. “What do you mean? Of course he’s my responsibility!”

“It’s supposed to be the other way around,” Burt said gently. “He’s supposed to be responsible for you.”

“Yeah, I guess. Maybe. Why can’t we be responsible for each other?”

Burt shrugged. “Legally he’s responsible for you, but I guess you can feel responsible for him if you want.” He hesitated, as he’d been thinking about this for a while, but wasn’t sure how Kurt would take it. “It seems like you really like taking care of others, and want to look after them, whether it’s me, Adam, or Phoebe or Harriet, maybe Bernard, too.”

Kurt nodded, but didn’t speak, so Burt continued. “That nurturing, caretaking thing, you’ve been that way pretty much all your life. I don’t know if it was somehow born into you, if it’s a hybrid thing, or just something about you as an individual. But I think some of it is like programmed into you, in school or the store.”

Kurt thought about it a bit. “Well, they do try to encourage us to take care of other people, because that’s pretty much what we’ll be doing once we’re adopted, taking care of our owner, or being a companion for their child, or a sexual outlet, or whatever. We’re also supposed to feel responsible for any children we have, whether we’re the father or mother.”

“That’s true, you don’t ever hear about hybrids abandoning their kids. But I wonder if it’s because they’re trained not to, or it’s natural to want to be there for their kids, or if they just don’t have the opportunity.”

“I think, hearing the other hybrids talk about it, even the tough ones like Dave and Puck, it seems like it’s a natural instinct for us to want to have someone to take care of, someone who needs us, a reason to exist. Like, if nobody needs us, why would they want us? So we have to make sure there’s someone to need us, whether it’s our own kid, or someone else’s kid, or an adult who needs some form of caretaking.”

“Even if it’s only sexual?” Burt muttered, very unhappy about the thought.

“Yeah. But believe me, I had no intention of “taking care of” –“ Burt could practically hear the air quotes, “someone’s sexual needs, unless it’s someone I’m attracted to.”

“I wonder how much of that is normal for hybrids, or different about you? I’m really glad you feel that way, but it sounds like that’s unusual.”

“It definitely is, at least with the hybrids at New Directions.” Kurt shook his head. “I kept thinking, do you have no sense of pride? Do you not care who you do that for, as long as they provide shelter and food? But it does seem like, for some of them, that’s pretty much what they expect, what they’ve always expected. They’re not thinking about falling in love with their owner, or having anything better in their lives. It’s more like survival. I was starting to think, what’s the point of just surviving if you’re miserable? If you don’t even like your owner, let alone love him, and there’s no hope of any actual romance, do you even want to keep living?”

“Oh, Kurt…” Burt had no idea what to say. He didn’t want to think about him ever being that miserable, or having a life like that. But that was the reality for so many hybrids. How many owners were looking for someone to fall in love with, and how many just wanted an actual pet or slave or bed partner, and nothing more? How many just didn’t even think about what their hybrid pet might need or want from life? He had a feeling Adam, and maybe his friends Daniel and Jerry, were the exceptions to the rule.

“It’s okay, Dad. It worked out. I met Adam, and he was so sweet, and kind, and patient. He told me a little bit about himself, and wanted to know about me. He actually cared about what I liked to do in my free time! He seemed to want me to read. I couldn’t believe it, here’s this really hot – I mean, great-looking guy, who’s interested in me, not just as a pet, but a companion, and he wants to adopt me. I’ve been so happy here with him, Dad, you wouldn’t believe it. Well, maybe now you would, but it’s more than I ever actually thought I’d get out of life.”

Burt sighed heavily. “That’s great, son, I’m really happy for you. But don’t forget, your life is just beginning. You aren’t even 19 yet, you’ve got a lot of years to go, for the two of you to be happy together. I’m so relieved that you found a great guy.”

“Me, too.” Kurt rubbed his face over Phoebe’s head.

“Kurt? What are you doing?”

“I don’t want her to forget me.”

Burt thought perhaps he’d better tread carefully. “Well, it’s a good sign that she didn’t forget you for all these years.”

“True.”  But it didn’t stop him from marking her with his scent anyway. Burt supposed he should be happy that Kurt was doing it this way.

Kurt’s head whipped around, and he looked at the door intently.

“Kurt? What is it?”

He didn’t get an answer, but was pretty sure he could figure it out. In a few seconds he could hear Adam’s key in the lock.

“Hi honey, I’m home!” Adam called out in a teasing tone. He seemed only slightly surprised to see the two of them waiting. “What a nice surprise.” He quickly set down the bags he carried.

“You’re home!” 

Adam seemed mostly prepared to catch Kurt, who hugged him without letting go of his babies.

“Safe and sound,” Burt thought he heard Adam mumble. Kurt’s face was in the way of sound coming through properly.

Kurt finally let go, and set Phoebe and Harriet onto the chair he’d just vacated. “Did you get the pictures?”

“I did. And a couple of albums as well. I figure I’ll probably need two at the rate we’re going.” He opened the bags, and handed a large envelope to Burt. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think to ask what size you wanted, and I didn’t want to disturb the two of you, so I got the four inches by six inches prints.”

“That’s fine, they’re easier to see that way. How much do I owe you?”

“Nothing, it was my pleasure. No, really, I intended for you to have the pictures, and this will probably work better for you anyway.”

Burt cleared his throat. “Thanks, Adam.” He changed the subject quickly. “Kurt already made the cheesecake, so it’s just setting or whatever in the refrigerator.”

“Great. One less thing to worry about.”

Kurt yawned, and tried to hide it behind his hand. Before either of them could say anything, he said, “If you’ll both excuse me, I think I’m going to go take a nap. Adam, will you be sure and wake me up in plenty of time to get ready?”

“Of course. Are you going to get ready before lunch?”

“Um, after. I think that would be easier.”

“Fine. I was thinking, it’s about time for lunch, if you want to wait for your nap?”

“Nah, I’m tired rather than hungry.”

“Okay. I’ll fix something for us, and I’ll leave yours in the fridge for whenever you’re ready.”

Kurt yawned again. “Thanks, Adam.”

“Don’t worry about it, Kurt, just get your rest.”

“Okay.” Kurt leaned up to kiss Adam briefly on the lips, then waved to his father as he let the room. He carried Phoebe and Harriet with him.

When he was sure Kurt was out of hearing range, Burt asked Adam, “Is it just me, or is he exhausting to be around, at times?”

“It’s not just you, trust me,” Adam grinned.


	65. Chapter 65

Kurt felt better after his nap. If they hadn’t been expecting guests, he might have wanted to change, but he knew it would be more practical to do it later. For now, though, he needed to eat.

Adam and Burt were talking in the living room, laughing about something. He was glad they’d found some common ground, whatever it was.

“Hey, Kurt. Did you have a nice nap?” Adam inquired.

His dad looked startled, then turned his head and smiled at him. “Hey, sleepyhead.”

“Hi. Yeah, I feel better. I think I’ll have lunch now.”

Adam looked at his watch. “Good idea, it’s almost 2:00.”

Kurt sighed. He hadn’t meant to sleep that long. “Well, I’ll just eat lightly at dinner, then have another snack before I go to bed, and I’ll be fine.”

“I left you a small salad, a half a sandwich, and some soup you can heat up, in the fridge.”

“Thanks!” Kurt wanted to check on the progress of his cheesecake anyway. It looked like it was doing just fine. While he heated the soup, he ate the sandwich. He was so hungry, he hardly registered what it was. Some kind of meat and cheese, anyway. Now that he and his dad had talked about it, he thought a bit more about how lucky he was that Adam would feed him even if he slept during a meal, and he made sure to have things on hand that he could snack on during the day or evening. There was nothing like that at New Directions, and he realized he actually did feel a lot better now that he was eating on a schedule closer to what felt natural to him.

He cleaned the dishes quickly, and joined Adam and his dad in the living room.

“Hey, Kurt,” his dad greeted him. “We were thinking, maybe next time I’m here, with Carole, we can meet more of your friends.”

He shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”

Adam’s phone rang, and he glanced down to see who it was. He grinned from ear to ear as he answered it, “Hello, April, this is Adam.” 

He ignored Kurt’s extended hand and “gimme” face, and walked out of the room. Kurt tried to listen, but Adam had cupped his hand around the phone and his mouth. That wasn’t fair, how was he supposed to eavesdrop now?

Kurt closed his mouth, realizing it was hanging open unattractively. “Do you believe that?”

“Who’s April?” his dad asked.

“April Rhodes, the Broadway star!”

“Oh, your girlfriend.” At his frosty look, his dad amended it to, “Okay, former girlfriend. Crush, whatever.”

“Why’s she calling? And why is Adam talking to her alone? What’s he saying?”

Burt sighed. “Why are you asking me? I don’t have any better idea than you do. But I’ll bet when he’s done he’ll tell us all about it.”

Kurt’s foot started tapping impatiently. Soon his leg was bouncing up and down.

“Kurt, why don’t you take a little jog around the apartment? But avoid the kitchen. Work off some of that restless energy.” They had heard the sliding kitchen door close a minute earlier.

“I don’t know,” Kurt mumbled, wishing he could change then and there, and run all over the house. But then he wouldn’t be available if Miss April – April wanted to talk to him.

“Tell you what, we’ll open the front door, I’ll hold your leash, and you can run in the hallway as far in each direction as you can get.”

“Liable to strangle myself that way,” Kurt bitched, but the idea had some appeal, if he didn’t have to wear the leash.

“So do it without the leash. I’ll be standing right here, Adam’s inside, and nobody else is on this floor except Lily, right? She’s not likely to report you for running around without your leash.”

Kurt agreed, hoping they wouldn’t get in trouble with Adam. He walked into the hallway, and realized he was about half-way down the hall. He started jogging past Lily’s door, and got to the end of the hall. There were emergency stairs located at Lily’s end of the hall, and he made sure to avoid those. He ran to the other end, almost to the elevators, before turning back. 

What the hell was taking so long on the phone? Surely Adam and April didn’t have that much to talk about. Or had April misunderstood, and maybe thought he was just Adam’s pet, and that Adam was straight or bi, and interested? And Adam was gay, not bi, he’s made that clear, but April was April, and maybe he’d make an exception? But no, he wouldn’t, he loved Kurt too much, and he’d said he wouldn’t cheat on him. He was running faster now, but still wasn’t winded.

Lily’s door opened cautiously. “Kurt, what are you doing?”

He ran up to her door and slowed down, jogging in place. “Hi Lily, just running off some energy. Adam’s inside on the phone, and Dad’s right there in the doorway, keeping an eye on me, so he says it’s okay if I’m off my leash, and you’re not going to report us anyway, are you? I told him you wouldn’t.”

She smiled sweetly at him. “Goodness, no, dear. I just heard someone running and was afraid it might be some kind of emergency.”

He shook his head, not caring for the moment that his hair was flying all over the place. “No, no. Sorry to have worried you. Just anxious about the phone call, and Adam’s being very mysterious about it.”

“Perhaps it’s a surprise?”

She was too polite to mention that perhaps it was none of his business, but he could hear the unasked question anyway.

“Yeah, I guess whatever it is, I don’t need to know till Adam’s ready to tell me.”

“Do you mind if I go over and speak to Burt for a minute while you’re running?”

“No, that’s fine.”

“Oops!” Lily tried to close the door and block it with her legs, but it did no good.

Kurt stopped jogging and bent down, so he could catch Misty. “Hey, baby girl, how you doing?” He kissed her on the top of her head. She was already purring up a storm. Burt came out of the doorway to see what was going on.

“You need to go back inside,” Kurt insisted, in his “bad-ass Alpha cat” voice, “so your mama doesn’t worry about you. I’ll visit you soon, but for now, stay with your mama.” He handed the reluctant Misty over to Lily, who scolded her gently, but hugged her with love.

Burt walked over to them.

“Hello, Burt,” Lily greeted him, “I wondered if I could borrow you for a few minutes, to chat.”

“Well, sure, but I need to keep an eye on Kurt here –“

They were interrupted by Adam sticking his head out of his apartment doorway.

“What’s going on? Kurt, if you can spare a minute, April would like to speak with you.”

He was there in seconds, with his hand out for the phone.

“Hi April! It’s Kurt!”

Her silvery laugh floated out through the phone to caress his ear. “Hi sweetie-pie! I wanted to talk to you about a little idea I had.”

 

 

Burt looked at Lily, and said, loud enough for Adam to hear, “Looks like I have a few minutes for a visit now.”

Adam raised an eyebrow in question, but nodded and retreated. He shut the door, but Burt could hear that he hadn’t been locked out.

“After you,” he said politely. Lily preceeded him into the apartment, still carrying Misty. She set her down in a fuzzy, comfortable-looking cat bed in the corner of the room. Misty looked resigned to take a nap.

“Oh, if you wouldn’t mind taking your shoes off, and leaving them by the door, it keeps the carpet cleaner. Would you like some lemonade? You can join me in the kitchen, through here.”

Burt thought white carpet was incredibly impractical, especially with a cat in the house, but he supposed white hair wouldn’t show up that much. He was more comfortable with his shoes off, he realized.

He looked around the apartment, which was sort of a mirror image of Adam’s, but with more feminine furniture and décor. Hm, Misty did fit in very well. Huh, a decorator cat? Who knew.

The kitchen was bright and clean, a bit larger than Adam’s, he thought.

Lily had already poured the lemonade. “I’m glad we’ve got a little time to talk. I didn’t want to take you away from Kurt, but I was hoping I could tell you how very much I enjoy having him as a friend and neighbor.”

Burt sipped the lemonade. “Yeah, I can see how handy it would be having the Cat Whisperer next door.”

Lily smiled, but shook her head. “That’s not what I meant, though it’s certainly helpful that Misty enjoys his company, and obeys him. What I meant was, he’s such a pleasant young man. He’s very polite, and thoughtful, and he’s been very helpful to me. He came over to do a make-over, and is designing some clothes for me. I have a hard time finding styles I like in the stores. I have a fundraiser coming up that’s very important, and I couldn’t find the right dress. I believe what Kurt will make for me will be perfect.”

Burt cleared his throat, a little uncomfortable. “I hope he lives up to your expectations. He did great on some clothes for himself, but as far as I know, he’s never had the chance to design or sew anything for a woman before. He showed me the designs, and they look good, from what I can tell, but I just wanted to let you know, he hasn’t had that much experience.”

“Well, how else is he going to get experience? This will give him something to work on, and I’m sure he’ll do his best. I do have something I can wear, if he doesn’t get it finished in time, but I think he will.”

“That’s good. What’s the fundraiser for?”

“It’s to raise awareness of how the arts can be a good focus for young people with too much time on their hands. If a lot of the people who have excessive energy and time turned their attention towards expressing their emotions through music, art, dance, writing, or other creative pursuits, perhaps there would be less violence, and less drug usage. Instead of teenagers trying to suppress their emotions with alcohol or drugs, or sometimes violence, what if they had a creative outlet for their feelings? Instead of running from emotions that are too intense for them to handle, they could perhaps try to express them creatively, and get them out in a positive way.”

“You mean like painting a picture or mural of whatever is bugging them, instead of drowning it with alcohol or deadening it with drugs?”

“That would be one way to do it. It’s an art exhibit, of sorts, where we’ll be showing not only paintings and sculptures, but there will be readings of poetry, short stories, and one-act plays. There will also be some musicians or singers, demonstrating ways that they’ve turned their negative emotions into something positive that other people can relate to and enjoy. Sometimes, just having that connection with other people, having someone else say they understand where you’re coming from, can make a huge difference. They may even find there are people of all different ages and races who can relate to what they’re feeling, instead of thinking they’re all alone in feeling that way.”

“Sounds great! I hope it goes well. Seems like something a lot of other cities should pick up on.”

“Yes.” She smiled gently at him, and he felt like she was waiting for something. Did she want him to donate, or –

“What can I do to help?”

 

 

They had steaks for dinner. Kurt fixed most of the meal, and Adam grilled the steaks. Kurt only had half his steak, and decided to save the rest for later. Burt seemed very pleased with everything, so Kurt reminded him to leave room for dessert. 

“We won’t be having it for about another 45 minutes, at least, so I’ll have enough appetite back by then to have some,” Burt reminded him.

“Oh no! I’ve got to get changed! I barely have enough time!”

Neither of them teased him or argued with him, so he was able to finish on time.

When he came back out to the living room, he was wearing his nice black slacks, a white dress shirt, and over that, the blue McQueen sweater, which fit him better now that it used to. The sweater really brought out the blue in his eyes.  He topped it off with the scarf Carole knitted. He  also had on the black dress shoes Adam had bought him. He was right, the scarf looked fantastic, and helped tie the outfit together.

Adam concurred. “Kurt, you look smashing! I love your style.”

“Thanks!” It was nice to have Adam’s approval. While Kurt knew he looked good, sometimes his impressions were different than other people, so it was nice when Adam appreciated the efforts he made to dress up.

“Yeah, you look good, kid. I’ll tell Carole how great the scarf looks on you.”

“I’ve got a better idea!”

He sighed quietly to himself as Adam took his phone out of his pocket. He smiled, and put his arm around Burt as Adam took a couple of pictures.

Adam looked nice, wearing black jeans, a light green button-down shirt, and a forest green cardigan sweater.

Burt was also dressed up, in brown slacks, a brown-and-beige checkered shirt, and shiny brown shoes.

“You want to check on dessert one more time?” Adam asked.

Kurt nodded, and checked the contents of the refrigerator. It looked fine. They had already agreed it would make more sense to have dessert at the dining room table, and maybe move to the living room for coffee afterwards. Adam had set the table while Kurt was getting dressed, and he had to admit, now was a good time to use the fancy dishes and utensils.

Kurt had been trying to contain his excitement at the conversation he’d had with April. She and Adam had worked out some details and agreements already, although they weren’t ready to tell him everything yet. That was okay; he trusted them both.

“Is April really coming here this week?”

Adam patted his shoulder. “She is, as soon as we can work out the best time. I’ve been trying to keep our schedule fairly clear, so we don’t overload you – or me – with too much going on at once. But I really do want her to see your concert.”

“It wasn’t a concert,” Kurt protested. “But I’m glad I didn’t know she was going to see it, or I’d have been really nervous.”

“I’m sure she’ll love –“ The phone rang, cutting off Adam’s comment.

“I guess they’re here, or one of them.” Adam answered the phone. “Hello, Dr. Hanover – very well, Gabriel. I’ll be right down… She is? That’s wonderful. I’ll be there in a minute to let you both in.”

Kurt was still a bit keyed up, despite his running around earlier. When his dad put a heavy hand on his knee, he stopped jiggling it up and down. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, and practiced the breathing technique Miss Sue had taught him. In a couple of minutes he felt much better.

“How long does it take for Adam to go get someone from downstairs?” Burt asked.

“I’d say at least 5 minutes. It’s a long way down to the lobby, then they’ve got to come all the way back up here. They’ll be here soon.”

Kurt wished he had Harriet, so he could hold and soothe her, but he’d decided to leave all his babies on the bed, where they’d be more comfortable. He could always tell them all about it later anyway.

“Dad, later on are you going to tell me what you and Lily talked about? You and Adam didn’t seem to want to talk at dinner.”

“No, the food was so good, I mainly wanted to eat. Yeah, I’ll tell you later. She mostly wanted to tell me how much she likes you.”

“Oh! That’s good. A lot better than her telling you she doesn’t like me.”

Burt scoffed. “Come on now, do you really think she feels like that?”

“No,” he sighed. “I like having a neighbor who likes me, and doesn’t mind living next to a hybrid.”

“Aw, come on, Mr. Daley is a rude jerk to everyone. He doesn’t hate hybrids any more than he hates everyone else, including me.”

Kurt squirmed uncomfortably. “Really? I guess I didn’t notice.”

“Well, you hardly spent any time around him. I made sure of that.”

“Thanks, Dad, for always trying so hard to protect me.”

Burt shook his head. “You’re welcome. It was my job. Now I guess it’s Adam’s.”

They heard voices in the hall, and Adam unlocked the door. They stood to greet their guests.

 

 

Adam introduced everyone. Since it wasn’t a business occasion, Dr. Hanover insisted they call him Gabriel, and Ms. Devereaux insisted on Julia.

“It’s so good to meet you, Congressman,” Gabriel said while shaking his hand.

“Ah, call me Burt, please. I’m kind of surprised to find anyone here in New York knows who I am.”

“I’ve heard of you as well, sir,” Julia admitted with a smile.

“Please, it’s Burt.”

Gabriel answered the question. “I think probably anyone in the country who’s interested in the rights of hybrids, is probably aware of you, sir. Burt. No one else has run on that platform before. It may have helped that you’re also in favor of the rights of the LGBTQ and other minorities. There just don’t seem to be a lot of people who are publicly willing to come out and say hybrids should have the same rights as the rest of us.”

Burt looked both pleased and uncomfortable at the same time. Adam decided a slight change of subject was in order.

“Kurt made dessert, so if you’d like to bring that out, please?” he asked, turning to Kurt. “Let’s move to the dining room, where I think we’ll be more comfortable.”

He’d been a bit concerned about Kurt maybe having a bit of a panic attack with the extra people there, but he didn’t seem too nervous or uptight. The serving knife was already on the table, so all Kurt had to do was bring in the plate with the dessert.

They sat at the dining room table, with Adam at the head of the table and Burt at the foot, with Julia and Gabriel between them. When Kurt brought in the cheesecake, he sat opposite Julia, at Adam’s right hand.

“Is that cheesecake?” Julia asked, her eyes bright with anticipation.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You don’t need to call me ma’am, Kurt. Julia is fine. And I am not even going to think about calories or fat tonight.”

“No diet talk, please,” Burt said.

Adam tried not to grin too broadly. Burt was probably afraid Kurt would suddenly decide that cheesecake was too unhealthy for him.

“It looks delicious, Kurt,” Gabriel added warmly.

Kurt blushed. “Thanks. I hope it came out right.”

“I’m sure it did,” Adam said, hoping he was right. He was determined, though, to eat every bite of his, even if the sugar had been accidentally replaced with salt. He wasn’t about to upset Kurt for anything.

He quickly discovered that Gabriel was right, and the cheesecake was delicious. He was pleased he could honestly tell Kurt it was the best he’d ever had. Everyone complimented him, and it sounded sincere to Adam.

When they were all finished, Kurt started to gather the dishes to take them to the kitchen, but Adam stopped him.

“Don’t worry about those, darling. I’ll do them later. For now, if you’d just put what’s left of the cheesecake away, everything else can wait. Then you can join us in the living room.”

He could see Kurt wanted to argue, concerned about leaving the dirty dishes out, but he bit his lip and nodded.

“It’s okay, Kurt, really. An hour or so won’t make that big a difference.”

He could see Kurt’s shoulders relax as he took the cake away.

“Would anyone like coffee or tea? I can fix both, it’s no trouble.”

After taking two orders of decaf, for Burt and Gabriel, and tea for Julia and himself, and hot chocolate for Kurt, the two of them brought the drinks into the living room. 

 

 

Adam and Burt sat at opposite ends of the sofa, leaving room for Kurt in the middle. Julia and Gabriel sat in armchairs facing the sofa. 

“Kurt, I wanted to ask you. Is that an Alexander McQueen sweater? It’s lovely.” Julia questioned.

“Yes! I was able to get it about 85% discounted because a couple of stitches were dropped in the back. It took about a minute to fix that.” Kurt rolled his eyes.

Burt shrugged. “I don’t know how they figure those things, but I’m just glad he didn’t want me to buy it at the full price. I figured we were both getting a pretty good bargain.”

“I love the scarf, too, but I can’t identify the designer. Is it homemade? Did you make it?” Julia continued her fashion quiz.

Kurt blushed, but looked pleased. “No, I don’t knit. My stepmoth – um, Dad’s wife, Carole, made it for me. She’s never even met me, but she picked just the right colors. Blue is my favorite.”

Burt coughed, and Kurt turned to him and asked solicitously, “Are you okay, Dad? Do you need a cough drop?”

After a moment, he answered, his voice admirably controlled. “I’m fine, son, thank you.”

Kurt’s shoulders dropped slightly.

“Well,” Burt started, “I’m glad you could both take some time to come here, I really appreciate it. I’m happy to meet anyone else who gives a damn about hybrid rights.” He looked startled, like he was going to apologize, but Julia spoke up.

“I’m glad you’re so passionate about the subject, Burt. I completely understand why, as a parent, you feel so strongly. I just wish all parents felt the same way.”

“I don’t know how they can’t,” Burt muttered. “How can you turn your back on your own kid? Hybrid, gay, disabled, green, whatever…it’s your kid, your flesh and blood. I dunno, maybe I feel different because I loved Kurt’s mother, and I guess a lot of people don’t love their pets, even if they don’t mind getting ‘em pregnant. Er, sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Julia said. “Please, speak freely. I would hope we can all speak frankly here.”

Kurt was watching everyone carefully, but he tried not to show how nervous he was. He grasped his knees with his hands, so he could keep his hands and legs still.

Gabriel spoke up at last. “I think there are probably a lot of parents who love their children, who don’t want to give them up, but feel helpless, because it’s the law. Most of the parents I’ve spoken to, when they bring their young hybrid children in, are concerned not only about their health right then, but also worried about their well-being once they’re out of their home. I think many of them would prefer it if they could find out how their child is, who adopts them, and would like to see them again. I’m really pleased the two of you,” he nodded at Kurt and Burt, “were able to reconnect. I’m sure you both realize how rare it is.”

“I kept trying to find Kurt, and see how he was doing, but every pet store I called kept telling me they couldn’t tell me whether he was there or not, then I got a letter from the Hybrid Control Department strongly discouraging me from trying to find out. It was obvious intimidation, and they were trying to make me think something bad might happen to Kurt if I didn’t stop looking. I wasn’t going to risk it, but it also made me want, even more, to make sure he was okay.”

“So how did you find him again?” Julia asked.

Adam explained how that had come about. “I have to admit, if it weren’t for Kurt speaking so fondly of his father, and being so concerned about his health, it might not have occurred to me to try to put them in touch with one another.”

“It didn’t occur to me to ask, just because I’d never heard of that happening,” Kurt said softly.

“I think parents, and their hybrid kids, should be given the option of staying in touch,” Burt added.

“Dad, did you want to get that list you wrote?” Kurt asked, keeping his voice low.

“Oh, yeah, thanks for reminding me.” Burt took the list out of his back pocket and smoothed it out. “I was writing down some ideas this morning, for things I wanted to talk to you both about. Some of them are the same issues I brought up in my campaign, and others are things that occurred to me more recently.”

“I’d really like to hear those,” Julia commented, and Gabriel agreed.

“Kurt helped me with some of them, when I asked for his opinion. I bet he might have some more, too.”

Kurt shrugged, not having given it too much more thought after they’d spoken. He had so many things on his mind already.

Burt read his list aloud.

“Wow,” Adam commented, “when you list them all like that, it really makes you realize just how bad it is. I mean, I knew, but hearing it all at once is a bit different.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Gabriel looked around the room. “I think we can all agree on those points.”

“Yes. And there are more things we can add to the list,” Julia mentioned.

“Like…?” Burt asked.

“For instance, adopted hybrids are a lot like full humans who are adopted. The same protective rules should apply. Except it gets a bit murkier when the hybrid is adopted to be a sexual companion rather than treated strictly as a child, or pet. Maybe people need to be more aware of the different ways hybrids are treated, so they don’t make incorrect assumptions.”

Both Adam and Burt looked uncomfortable.

“Wait a minute,” Kurt spoke up. “You make it sound like it’s wrong for someone to adopt a hybrid if sex is part of the reason. I think for a lot of us, it’s the only reason we might be wanted.” He looked at Adam worriedly. “I know that wasn’t the only reason for you, but for some, I think it is.”

Julia hesitated. “I think it depends on a lot of different things. I do feel it’s wrong when someone only wants a hybrid to act as a sexual outlet for them, and they’re essentially ignored the rest of the time. I think if someone adopts a hybrid as a companion, and sex is part of what’s expected, the hybrid should have the option of saying ‘No.’ It would be easier if it were made clear from the start, before the adoption happens, so both hybrid and owner know what to expect. If one wants sex and the other doesn’t, then maybe the owner should keep looking till they find one that’s more compatible.”

Now Adam looked really miserable. “In my case, I honestly didn’t know what I wanted. I started out wanting a companion, not really thinking about the sexual part of things, as I wasn’t sure if that’s what I wanted. When I met Kurt, I admit, I was very attracted to him, but it took a while after he’d been living with me, for me to be sure that sex would be a part of our relationship. I wanted to be sure it was mutual.”

Kurt had an idea how difficult it was for Adam to make that admission to people who were virtually strangers, and he hoped they appreciated it as well. Not to mention how his dad probably felt.

Julia spoke up again. “I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad about it, Adam. But I think that does happen, that people don’t always know at the beginning just what they want. The rules are changed, so to speak, and the hybrid might not have much say about the change in expectations. In this case, though, you were clearly considering Kurt’s feelings and respecting his right to say no. But many people don’t do that.”

Burt added, “I gotta admit, when I met Kurt’s mom, Elizabeth, I wanted to protect her, you know, rescue her, from being euthanized, but I also wanted her sexually. I kinda figured that was part of the deal. I didn’t think that much about it, because she was very willing – I mean, it didn’t seem like the idea upset her at all. I wouldn’t have intimidated her or anything, but I’m pretty sure some people don’t care what their hybrid wants in that way.”

“True,” Gabriel said with a heavy sigh, “I’ve seen patients with injuries where it was clear they hadn’t been willing, and had been hurt in the process because of that.”

“But we’re taught to expect that. Most hybrids are trained for that,” Kurt interrupted. “I wasn’t, because the people who ran the pet store didn’t think anyone would want me that way. But as far as I know, all the others there were. Even though the selling point was supposed to be that we were trained to sing.”

“That’s true, the advertisement I saw emphasized the singing,” Adam confirmed. “But the hybrids featured in the ad, the details about them included sexual preference, or “trained to please” or that kind of nonsense. The woman who co-owned the store told me it’s much easier for everyone if the owner respects the pet’s sexual preference, and the pet will be a lot happier that way, but said that not everyone does.”

Kurt sighed. “Yeah, I worry a little bit about one girl I knew, a cat hybrid. She’s attracted to males and females, but decided after the training that she really preferred females. But what if some guy adopts her and insists she have sex with him, and she doesn’t really want to?”

“That’s just the problem,” Gabriel answered. “Many hybrids are trained to be sexual companions to both males and females, unless they express a strong preference otherwise. But some store owners want the hybrids to have training for both, just in case. The thinking is that it’s better if the hybrid has an idea what is expected of them if their owner ignores their preference. But you can see how that can hurt them, psychologically as well as physically.”

“Unfortunately, you probably never run out of patients in that capacity,” Julia noted.

Gabriel shook his head. “You’d be surprised. If I see any signs of distress, I encourage the owner to let me do a full psychological evaluation, and bring their hybrid in for testing. But quite a few of them refuse. They might not want to spend the money. Even when I tell them the evaluation won’t cost anything, some don’t want to do it. They may say they don’t want to put their pet through that, but I suspect in many cases, they’re afraid of what their pet will say.”

“What do you do when you see signs of abuse?” Julia asked with concern. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a complaint with your name as the reporting party.”

Gabriel winced. “I report it to the Hybrid Control Department, as we’re required to do. I’m sorry to say I had no idea there were any attorneys specializing in that area.”

Julia shook her head. “It’s not your fault. I’m not supposed to advertise that part. There are a few other legal advocates, but mostly in the bigger cities. It’s kind of a fine line. Any complaint I get, I’m supposed to copy the HCD on it as well, and usually they say they’ll handle it. But I prefer to be able to follow up and make sure the complaint isn’t just hidden in some file somewhere.”

When Gabriel asked, Adam explained how he’d quite accidentally found out about Julia’s specialty.

“That’s kind of how it works, by word of mouth,” she said. “And I do most of that work pro bono, because of course the hybrids can’t pay me, and the owners aren’t about to do that. There are a few cases I hear about, where it’s not the owner or parent who is abusing or taking advantage of the hybrid. It’s sometimes family friends or neighbors, or someone the family trusts. Occasionally it’s an instructor at the school, or an employee at a pet store. But a lot of hybrids are afraid to speak up about it, even to their owner, for fear of retaliation.”

Kurt was getting angrier by the second. “So how does someone like Santana, if she gets adopted by a guy who wants her, when she’d rather have a female owner, get some kind of help if he forces her? Is she just supposed to go along with it, and be unhappy and angry, and not be able to do anything about it?”

“That’s usually the case,” Julia agreed. “Which is why I’m trying to do something about it.”

“I was thinking,” Adam said, “in Kurt’s case, it was pointed out he might be adopted by a woman, who might want essentially a lap kitty to cuddle, and not expect sex from him, but then, he probably wouldn’t ever have a chance to experience sex. Or if a woman insisted…well, it might be a lot harder for a female to force a male in that instance…”

“You’d be surprised,” Julia snapped. “And how do you think the owner would react to that? Would they be understanding and just give up? Or might they threaten to sell him back to the pet store?”

Kurt could see Julia was trying to hold in her temper.

“I never even really thought about that,” he admitted. “I was more worried about being adopted by some scary, creepy guy that I wasn’t attracted to, and having to go along with it. So I did everything I could to discourage the guys that made me nervous. But a lot of the others at the store, it’s like they didn’t realize, or didn’t care, that someone could adopt them and deliberately hurt them. Some of them did everything they could to convince someone to adopt them. And some of them…one girl cat in particular, she and Santana had kind of a thing going on, they did as much as they could get away with, and Santana really tried to protect her. I’m not sure Brittany would be – she’s kind of –“ 

He hesitated to find the right words. “She’s more vulnerable, I think, to just going along with whatever someone else tells her to do, without maybe realizing it’s not in her best interests. And it might be, as far as not getting in trouble. But somebody could easily take advantage of her, and Santana or someone else might fight back, or at least object, but I’m not sure Brittany would realize she should.”

He really hadn’t meant to talk that much, but nobody had tried to shut him up or interrupt him, so that was a good sign.

“Kurt, that’s one of the main reasons we’re trying to help all the hybrids,” his father explained. “No-one in this room wants to see something like that happen. There aren’t enough laws protecting hybrids, so a lot of them are hurt, scared, and miserable, and have been told they just have to put up with it, because they’re scared of being punished even worse, or being sold back to the store. And if they can’t get re-adopted within whatever time limit the store sets, they might be euthanized.”

“I would think for some it would be preferable,” Kurt said sadly. He couldn’t help but think that’s what he’d have wanted in that case.

“And in some cases,” Gabriel began, “the hybrid will take his or her own life to get out of an intolerable situation. I’m trying to prevent that as well.” He took a deep breath and continued. “I think the purpose in us all meeting like this is so that we can try to pool our knowledge, resources, and experience, to see how we can best help all the hybrids to be treated more like people, and less like animals. Or lower than animals.”

Burt gave Gabriel and Julia his cards, and they gave him theirs. They also exchanged cards, Kurt noticed.

“We can’t solve all these problem tonight,” Burt admitted. “But we can start networking. The more people who want to help, the better. You never know who might have a great idea.”

“What about Jerry and Daniel?” Kurt asked. “They might not have a lot of influence, but they see a lot of hybrids, and they care.” He explained to Julia and Gabriel a bit about the gym, and the owners’ attitudes.

“Those would be good contacts, too,” Julia agreed. “Anyone you can think of. Maybe we could discuss this more online, exchange e-mails, have occasional chats or something.”

“As long as the government isn’t monitoring that sort of thing,” Adam mentioned with a grimace. “Who knows how far they get involved?”

“You could use a secret code,” Kurt suggested. He thought for a moment. “Like a gardening club or something, and send messages like, ‘I planted a new type of seed today, let’s see how it grows,’ or ‘My hybrid rose isn’t doing as well as I’d hoped, anybody got any suggestions? It’s kind of dying on the vine for lack of attention,’ I don’t know, something like that?”

He saw smiles and dawning comprehension.

“That might be a very good idea,” Gabriel said. “But maybe for now, snail mail might be a better idea, or phone calls?”

“Maybe,” Burt admitted. “I’ll see what I can find out about how much the government sticks its nose into hybrid business once they’re already adopted.”

“I was thinking,” Adam suggested, “our next-door neighbor, Lily, is very fond of Kurt, and is pro-hybrid. She might be a good person to consult as well.”

“And I think she’s got a lot of potential connections,” Burt added thoughtfully. “She’s a very bright lady who wants to help others.”

“There’s Nancy, too,” Kurt commented, “and some of Adam’s friends. I don’t know how many of them would want to get involved, but I bet there are even more people than we realize, who might care and want to help.”

“Hugo is another one,” Adam commented, “and Sonia as well. Why don’t we each make a list of anyone we know, in a professional or personal capacity, who might want to help, and see how many we can come up with? It seems like the more people who want to get involved, the greater chance we have of maybe making a difference.”

They talked a bit more, until Gabriel noticed how late it was. “I’m sorry, I didn’t intend to stay this long. I’d love to keep talking to you all, but I need to get up early for work tomorrow.”

Julia added, “I suppose I should get going, too, but Burt, I wanted to ask you a couple of questions.”

Adam stood up. “Gabriel, let me walk you out to your car. I wanted to discuss something with you.”

Kurt kind of wanted to go with them, but he supposed Adam would have invited him if he wanted him along. Maybe he needed to talk to Gabriel without distractions. But he was feeling very good about the whole discussion. He felt like he not only had a couple of new allies, but possibly new friends as well. He wasn’t sure which was better to have, in the long run, but the more people who wanted to help them, the better.


	66. Chapter 66

As Adam and Gabriel walked downstairs, he told him a little bit about another of the New Directions hybrids.

“There’s this one rabbit hybrid there, and he had some type of accident, I’m not sure what, so his legs don’t work. Maybe it’s a spine injury, he just couldn’t move them on his own. He had to use his hands to lift them up and move them.”

Gabriel paused, and looked at him directly. “Do you know how long ago it happened, or what caused it?”

“No.” Adam sighed, and they stepped into the elevator. “I have to admit, I didn’t spend any real time with him, because I knew I wouldn’t really be able to care for him. And now that I think about it, I probably have more free time than most people do. I’m not sorry I chose Kurt, but I do feel bad for…I think his name is Artie. I don’t know if anyone will adopt him, or if he’ll be put to sleep. Kurt said he was one of the few hybrids there who was occasionally nice to him, probably because Kurt was willing to help him out. I was just wondering if you have any ideas, if anything can be done.”

“Let me think about it a bit. Maybe I’ll go to that store and just talk to him. Maybe there’s something I can recommend, some new treatment or something.”

“Thank you, Gabriel, I really appreciate it.”

They reached the garage floor. Gabriel shook Adam’s hand. “Thank you for a very pleasant, and enlightening, evening. There’s so much more I want to talk to Congressman Hummel about, but I realize it can’t all be done at once.”

“You can still keep in touch, and he’ll be out here again, maybe in a few months, for another visit.”

Gabriel nodded decisively. “I’ll do that. I think this is a wonderful idea, creating a coalition of sorts, of like-minded people. The more information we have, the easier it will be to try to get some changes made.”

“Maybe we can get them made faster, if we can get enough interest from people who otherwise don’t care.”

“If we can use Kurt as a spokesman, of sorts, it might help,” Gabriel mused.

Adam nodded. “I think it will help that Kurt is very personable, and everyone who’s met him seems to like him, since I brought him home.”

“That does help. He’s also remarkably articulate, which could go a long way towards better understanding. If people can hear him speak, and listen to his experiences in his own words, it might make a real difference.”

“Yeah. It could be that I’m biased, but I really think if you saw him without the collar, as a person, you’d never know he was a hybrid,” Adam added. “And as a cat, he’s smarter than the average, at least the ones I know, but not that different. Except again, better behaved, because you can actually explain to him why he shouldn’t do certain things.”

“You’re also different from most owners, and your attitude is refreshing,” Gabriel complimented him. “If people heard your reasons for wanting Kurt, and wanting to encourage him to achieve everything he can, it would be a very different perspective. They need to see hybrids can do more than be living sex dolls, or housekeepers, or glorified babysitters.”

Adam winced, not liking any of those options. “I’ve tried to imagine how I’d feel, were I in Kurt’s position, and it’s very hard to think about for long. I don’t think I’d have his attitude.”

“Me, either. Well, I’ll see you both on Tuesday.”

“See you then.”

Adam went back upstairs to escort Julia out, if she and Burt were through talking yet.

He was rather surprised to see Kurt in cat form, curled up on Julia’s lap and purring. She petted him, letting her fingers sink into his fur and scratching in a way he knew Kurt loved.

“Well, hello there,” he greeted Kurt. The cat responded with a meow, but made no effort to leave his comfortable spot and come over to him. Which was fine, he wasn’t jealous at all.

Burt was relaxed, so that made him feel better.

Julia spoke up, keeping her voice soothing. “Burt was telling me how cute Kurt is as a cat, and I said I’d like to see his cat form sometime. He changed almost before I’d finished speaking. I hope he didn’t think he had to do it.”

She was only slightly surprised when Kurt shook his head. He licked her hand, a sign of approval Adam recognized.

“No, I’m sure he would have liked to change earlier, but he wanted to be able to participate in the discussion.”

“That’s good.” Julia sighed in disappointment. “I’m sorry, Kurt, I’d love to hold and pet you for hours, but I need to get home. I have someone waiting for me there.”

Adam could have sworn he heard a little cry of annoyance in response.

“I’ll take him,” Burt offered. “I think Adam might need to walk you downstairs.”

She carefully lifted Kurt up and Burt took him, with only a minor grumbling protest from the formerly-contented cat.

“It was wonderful to meet you, Kurt, as a human and a cat,” Julia informed him. “I hope we get to talk more later on.”

He meeped at her, and raised one paw, moving it around. Adam supposed it could be construed as a wave goodbye.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he told Burt. He wanted to walk Julia to her car, and make sure she got in safely. It was a pretty decent neighborhood, but he would still feel better about escorting her.

Julia’s eyes were bright, and her cheeks slightly red. She seemed exhilarated. “Thank you so much for a wonderful evening, Adam. I enjoyed meeting Kurt, and Burt, and Gabriel. I’m sure I’ll be getting some referrals from him soon.”

Adam looked at her thoughtfully. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to have someone who will follow up. He’s a very decent fellow, over all.”

“Yes, he is. You don’t find many --  Well, I’ve often thought, if someone is prejudiced, whether against hybrids or any other minority, they aren’t very decent people. It’s refreshing to meet a couple more people who want to see hybrids treated as equals, rather than pets.”

Adam winced. “Yes. I feel so awkward about a lot of this.”

She turned to face him. “You’re not alone. I have a hybrid pet, and of course, it’s complicated. I treat her as more of a companion than a pet, except when she’s in dog form. It was a rescue situation, someone I was trying to help, whose owner was abusing her. Finally she was taken away from her owner, and would have been sent to a pet store in another state, but I was willing to adopt her. The fee was much less than it would have been if I’d adopted her from a store to begin with. 

“We’re friends, not lovers. Due to the way she was treated, she doesn’t think she ever wants to have sex again, with anyone, and I can certainly make sure she’s safe from that. But it’s hard for her, because she doesn’t really want to be independent. It’s difficult for her to be alone when I’m at work, partly because dog hybrids are more emotionally dependent on their owners, and partly because of her experiences. I’m trying to figure out the best way to make her feel more confident and relaxed when I’m not there.”

Adam hesitated, not sure if it was his place to give advice. “You might want to talk to Gabriel about that. As you heard, he does treat psychiatric issues as well as physical ones.”

“I was thinking about that,” she admitted. “I think it would be a good time to switch doctors.”

“I really recommend him highly. We’ve only been to see him the one time, but he really does care. And he’ll counsel you, as an owner, as well.”

“That would be very helpful.” They’d reached her car. “Goodnight, Adam, and thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He helped her in the car, and waited till she drove away, before returning to his apartment.

 

 

Kurt had been dozing on his dad’s lap, when he heard the door open and close. He heard Adam and Daddy talking, but he wasn’t paying attention to what they were saying. He was a little annoyed when Burt scooped him up and handed him to Adam. How was he supposed to be able to get a decent nap in, when people kept passing him around like a pile of dirty laundry? He was mollified when Adam held him to his chest and rubbed his face against Kurt’s head and the back of his neck. He felt something wet. Was Adam crying? He made a sound of inquiry, and Adam just held him tighter.

Burt cleared his throat.

“I think I’m going to go to bed and get a good night’s sleep. I’ll see you both in the morning.”

Kurt sleepily meowed at him, and settled deeper into Adam’s strong arms. He felt safe and warm, and could have happily fallen asleep right there, but Adam insisted on sitting down and rearranging him. It was okay, he was now resting on Adam’s lap, with most of his body against his chest, and his head tucked under Adam’s chin. He stayed like that and purred as Adam stroked his fur and held him close.

He realized he’d fallen asleep when Adam woke him up, by scratching behind his ears, and blowing into them very gently. He twitched his ears and whiskers in annoyance and growled sleepily at him.

“I’m sorry, I won’t try that method again,” soothed Adam. “I was thinking you might want to get a bite to eat, then we can go into my bathroom and I’ll massage you. Or maybe give you a bath first, then massage you.”

Kurt’s ears twitched again, this time with interest. He didn’t like baths as a cat, but on the other hand, he usually felt better afterwards.

He meeped in inquiry.

“I’m not sure what you’re saying. I was thinking, we can perhaps try it in the kitchen sink.”

Kurt shook his head vehemently. There might be enough room, but he would prefer the bathtub.

“No, hm? Well, I guess the other alternative is the tub in your bathroom, so let’s put off the bath until after your dad leaves.”

Kurt licked his hand and purred at him.

“Right, then, just the massage tonight. Let me know when you’re ready.”

Kurt nodded, and squirmed out of Adam’s arms to jump down, so he could run to the kitchen. Adam followed him, and finished up the dishes, and cleaned up the kitchen. After a snack and some water, Kurt was ready to be massaged. 

 

 

Adam thought back to his earlier conversation with Burt, when Kurt had been getting ready for the evening. Burt had surprised him with a question that seemed awfully casual.

“So, have you given Kurt a bath yet?”

“Excuse me?” Adam tried to regain his composure.

Burt grinned, then his manner turned more serious. “You should give him a bath, in his cat form, at least once a month, and a flea dip shampoo at least every couple of months.”

“Er, can’t I just draw the bath for him, in the sink perhaps, and let him soak in soapy water?”

Burt looked at him like he was an idiot. “Would you do that for a baby, and consider it clean? Cats are kind of self-cleaning, but the only way he can bathe himself as a cat is with his tongue. Works pretty well, but it’s healthier if he has a human use their hands, to really get down to the base of the fur. Even though he’s really clean in his human form, he’ll be happier as a cat if you bathe him occasionally. I’m surprised he hasn’t suggested it yet.”

“I think I did read that somewhere, or someone told me, probably Dr. Hanover, but I forgot about it. I’ll do that soon, then.”

Burt nodded, seemingly satisfied. “He won’t like it, but he’ll put up with it. I mean, he won’t try to jump out of the bathtub or sink or whatever you use, but I’ll warn you now, he will turn those big, sad eyes on you, and make the most pitiful sounds you ever heard. But try to ignore those little tricks.”

Adam wasn’t sure he had a chance against Kurt’s sad face. But he’d do it anyway, and try to steel his heart against those tactics.

He rinsed the dishes and silverware off and put them in the dishwasher. Kurt came over to wind around his legs and meow.

“Yes, yes, I’ll be done in a minute, Fuzzy Face.” He added detergent and turned on the dishwasher. Then he could turn his attention to his currently furry friend.

“I still need to get you one of those massaging combs. I’ll do that sometime next week, okay?”

Kurt meeped his agreement.

“Alright, come on. I’ll race you to the bathroom.” He turned out the lights and strolled leisurely into his bathroom, where Kurt was waiting impatiently, sitting on the counter. He growled in annoyance at being kept waiting.

“I’m sorry, I lied. I’m not stupid enough to actually race you anywhere.”

Kurt made a questioning sound.

“Because it wouldn’t be a fair race. I’d lose every time.”

Kurt trilled at him.

“ _So_ , it’s no fun entering a contest you know you’re going to lose. If you don’t even think you have a shot at winning, what’s the point?”

He was met by large blue-green eyes staring at him without blinking. He thought over his words. 

“Well, it depends on the context, and the possible stakes if you win.” He decided a change in subject was in order. “At any rate, let’s get you brushed, shall we?”

Kurt agreeably flopped over and spread his limbs and tail out. 

Adam grinned. “I trust you aren’t ticklish.”

Kurt’s eyes widened and his nose and ears twitched. His tail started thumping in warning.

“Don’t worry,” he soothed, “I’m not going to try.”

He used very light touches on Kurt’s ears and face, and scratched and massaged for quite a while under the collar. He’d seen kitty Kurt trying to scratch under it a few times. “It’s hard to reach under here, isn’t it?” He could barely get his fingertips under the collar. In human form, Kurt’s smaller hands could no doubt reach the skin, but his paws just weren’t that coordinated.

He received a blissful, rumbling purr in answer. “Maybe I should look around and see if I can get you some different collars in different colors?”

Kurt meeped sadly and shook his head.

“Ah, we’re stuck with this one, hm? Well, it looks nice with anything you wear,” he reassured him.

He gradually moved on to the shoulders and front legs, and took his time petting and massaging him. It felt peaceful and soothing to him, as well, to have this time with Kurt.

When his fingers started cramping, he stopped, with several apologies to Kurt. When he stretched his fingers out, and started massaging the left hand with his right, Kurt sat up and leaned closer. He rubbed his face against Adam’s left hand, and looked at him with big, sad eyes.

“It’s okay, darling, it doesn’t hurt that much. I just should have probably stopped a few minutes ago.” He washed his hands, and Kurt jumped down to the floor.

“Are you ready for bed?”

In answer, Kurt raced from the room. He heard the bell jingling and the thumping of a cat landing on the mattress, and sighed. 

When he was ready, wearing loose sweatpants and an old t-shirt, he joined Kurt, who was sprawled out full-length on the wrong side of the bed. Before he could say anything, Kurt leaped up and moved to the other side, watching him the whole time.

As he slid under the covers, Adam discovered something rather delightful. “You make a good bed-warmer, darling, thank you.” Even through the covers, Kurt’s heat had warmed up the sheets almost as well as an electric blanket would have.

In answer, Kurt moved closer and settled in next to him, as close as he could get. Adam had gotten used to leaving his door open, so Kurt could come and go as he pleased during the night, but for now, he enjoyed the warmth and nearness. Kurt’s purring soon turned to a light snore, and Adam smiled, letting the sound lull him to sleep.

 

 

Burt was having a hard time sleeping. It wasn’t that the bed was uncomfortable, and he was certainly tired enough. He just had too many things on his mind. It was all a bit much to take in. Then he considered what it must be like for Kurt. So much sensory stimulation, all these new people, places, things… He hadn’t even really had much time to spend with Adam alone, it seemed, to get used to him, before all these new things started coming at him so fast. 

Burt knew he wasn’t a stupid man, but his mind was spinning with all the discussions he’d had with different people in the last few days. What must it be like for Kurt? Burt at least saw other people just about every day, had casual conversations with friends and co-workers, and certainly talked politics often enough with other people. He’d meant for this time to be for just him and Kurt, and Adam. He’d wanted to reacquaint himself with his son, and meet the man who would be responsible for him for the rest of his life. You’d think that would be enough to deal with. But the more he thought about it, he was glad he’d met these other people, and seen the gym for himself.

There was no question in his mind now about Kurt being cared for properly. Adam wasn’t going to abuse him, or hurt him, or make him feel like an animal who had no right to walk around pretending to be human. None of the hybrids deserved to be treated like that. If some of them didn’t seem to be as intelligent as Kurt, it was more likely because they weren’t educated, or given the chance to read or talk as much as Kurt did. He’d never seen any actual evidence that proved hybrids were less intelligent than humans, and even in animal form, they seemed smarter than regular animals. They certainly behaved better, and minded better, unless Kurt was in one of his moods and pretended to not understand what was being said to him. But that only proved he was smarter than the average bear – er, cat.

The next day would be his last day with Kurt for who knew how long, so he wanted to make it count. On the other hand, it would be easy enough to arrange another trip, this time with Carole. He was so thankful this wasn’t a one-time thing. They were far enough away from each other that it wouldn’t happen a lot, but he knew, if there were some type of problem or emergency, Adam would call him and he could be there. Not that anything was going to happen, but he’d spent plenty of other sleepless nights worrying about Kurt being sick, or injured, even dying, without him being there, or even being told. He could swear he felt 10 pounds lighter knowing he didn’t have to worry about that. If anything happened and he wasn’t informed, it would be due to more pressing matters, not indifference to his feelings.

He wondered what Carole would think of her stepson. He realized he should stop thinking that way. There wasn’t even a proper term for the relationship between hybrids and their surviving parent’s new spouse, or the child of their former parent and spouse, old or new. He’d noticed Donna had used the term step-sister, though, so maybe it would do, at least when no one was around to complain. He wished things weren’t so complicated. Why couldn’t hybrids be treated like any other children? They had special needs, but so did a lot of full human children. It didn’t mean they were less loved, and who the hell had decided that they were a burden most parents would be glad to get rid of them? Probably the same bastards who thought it was a great way for the government, and enterprising pet store owners, to make money. If they were fully human, it would be human trafficking, and illegal. But since they were considered more animal than human, it wasn’t illegal for them to be taken from their home, and people who loved them, and sold into veritable slavery.

Burt was so relieved Adam wasn’t like that. He treated Kurt as close to a boyfriend as anyone could expect, Burt thought; as equal as Kurt would get. Adam would always be older, and make the final decisions, and no doubt give Kurt advice, but that was probably for the best. As much as both Burt and Adam would love to see Kurt be self-confident and independent, it would only be to a limited extent. But at least Adam recognized Kurt’s special qualities, and talents, and creativity, and was giving him a chance to express and develop them. Not like that idiot Schuester, who had just stifled Kurt’s uniqueness as much as possible. He thought about Lily’s charity, and how many kids probably loved having the opportunity to discover things they were good at, and could use their hobby to express their feelings.

He was still tossing and turning, his mind still racing, when the slightly-ajar door was pushed further open. He heard a tiny little meep of inquiry from Kurt, that translated to, “Are you awake?”. It wasn’t loud enough to wake him if he were sound asleep, but if he was just resting, he’d hear it.

“Hey, buddy, yeah, I’m still awake. C’mere and keep me company.”

Kurt leaped up on the bed and greeted Burt happily, but he kept turning his head to look at his castle. Burt scratched him behind the ears, then sighed.

“Go on, play for a while, then come back here, if Adam doesn’t mind.”

Though the room was dark, his eyes had adjusted to it. He watched Kurt play for a while, and it got kind of hypnotic. His mind slowed down as he focused on keeping up with his son’s movements. Eventually Kurt jumped onto the bed and settled down on top of him, purring loudly. He might be heavier than he used to be, but the extra weight didn’t bother Burt. He wondered if Kurt got as much comfort from feeling his heartbeat, even through the covers, as he did from hearing his purring. He closed his own eyes and slept, content that he had answers to the most important questions.


	67. Chapter 67

Adam was a bit surprised to wake up and find his bed empty of Kurt, in either form. Either he’d already gotten up, or maybe he’d gone to visit Burt during the night. He wasn’t going to worry about it, because he was somewhere in the apartment.

Adam stretched, and decided to do a few warm-up exercises before his shower. He’d always stayed in pretty good shape, but now he found himself wanting to look as good as he could. He paused and thought about it a moment, but decided it wasn’t the same thing as Kurt wanting to wear makeup to look better for him. Yes, he was mostly motivated by wanting Kurt to find him attractive, but it was good for his own health as well, and it wasn’t like he was adding anything artificial to enhance his looks.

He’d always thought he had pretty good arms, and his abs weren’t bad at all, but he thought they could stand some improvement. When he’d worked up a sweat, he quit, and went to take his shower. He wasn’t sure whether he or Kurt would be cooking breakfast this morning, but he supposed he’d better get started on his day.

When he got to the kitchen, he was surprised to see Burt was cooking. He was dressed for the day, minus the usual ball cap. The radio was playing quietly, considering the guitar-driven song with screaming vocals. Kurt was still in cat form, sitting near his father, but watching carefully so he could move out of the way if Burt started to move in his direction.

“Good morning,” Burt called out. “I hope you don’t mind, but I decided you’d both fixed enough meals for me, and it was time I returned the favor.”

“Thank you, that sounds wonderful. Would you like some help?”

“Nah,” Burt said, cracking some eggs into a bowl. “I’m good. I was thinking omelets would be good, with salami and bacon, lots of cheese, a little bit of onion, and some tomatoes, the way Kurt used to like it.”

Adam fully expected Kurt to protest in some way, but he merely swept his tail back and forth. Then he stood on his hind legs with his paws up, his “gimme” pose. “It looks like Kurt’s in favor of that. Sounds fine to me, too.”

“I’ll make some toast, too.” Then Burt turned to look at Kurt. “No, you can’t have any cheese.”

Kurt grumbled low in his throat, but put his paws down and went back to patiently waiting.

“How do you know that’s specifically what he wants?” Adam asked, fascinated by Burt’s ability to translate Cat.

“He always wants cheese, when he’s a cat, if it’s available. And it’s about as good for him in this state as milk is, just so you know.”

“Good to know.”

“And you,” Burt continued, staring down at Kurt, “know you’re gonna have to go back to human if you want any of this.” Then he turned back to dicing tomatoes.

Kurt started licking the back of his paws, trying to groom the top of his head, as though he hadn’t a care in the world.

“You want some coffee, or tea or something?” Burt asked Adam. “Go ahead and sit down if you want.”

“Thank you, but I’ll make the tea myself. You’ve got your hands full there.”

Adam had just sat down at the table with his tea, and was about to move the chair in closer, but suddenly found his lap full of cat.

“Where on earth did you come from?” he asked. He briefly wondered if Kurt had somehow learned to teleport. He automatically started petting him with one hand, and scratching behind his ears with the other.

“He’s pretty fast when he makes his mind up where he wants to be,” Burt offered. “Since he knows I’m not going to give him anything, or “accidentally” drop anything, he’s decided to settle for being petted instead.” Raising his voice slightly, he added, “So, you gonna change before breakfast, buddy?”

Kurt meowed and nodded his head.

“He says yes,” Adam translated.

“I figured.”

“Kurt, how am I supposed to drink my tea with you in the way?” Adam asked, with a tinge of amusement in his voice.

Kurt meeped, then sort of hunched down so he wasn’t taking up quite as much room.

“I’ll try not to spill any on you,” Adam warned.

Kurt growled, but sensibly leaped off his lap and ran out of the room.

“Yeah, he doesn’t like getting coffee spilled on him. I only did it once, but he learned his lesson. It hit his back, and hardly had a chance to soak into his fur, but when he changed back, his shirt had a coffee stain on it. He was not happy about that,” Burt recalled.

Adam shook his head. “I’d imagine not.” 

“He’s gonna need time to clean up before he comes out,” Burt continued. “I’ll make his omelet last.”

While Kurt was gone, Adam took the opportunity to thoroughly wash his hands.

Kurt actually made it back before Burt expected. He had something in his hand, which he set down on the counter. Adam glanced at it, and was glad Kurt had remembered.

“Hi, Dad. Hi, Adam.”

“You made it on time,” Burt observed, “I’m impressed.”

Nodding, Kurt took a seat to Adam’s right. 

“Do you want some tea or coffee?” Adam asked.

“No, thanks. I’ll just have some orange juice with breakfast. Thanks, Dad.”

Adam looked suspiciously at Kurt. He’d been gone less than 10 minutes, but was dressed in clean clothes, and the ends of his hair were still damp. He’d also brushed his teeth or used mouthwash. So, apparently he could get himself ready in the mornings in very little time, if motivated enough. Good to know, but he wasn’t going to bring it up now.

“So, Burt, you haven’t told me any embarrassing Kurt stories,” Adam said, in a tone of voice that indicated Burt should rectify that oversight.

“Dad’s busy now,” Kurt quickly interrupted, looking slightly panicked. “He can’t cook and talk at the same time.”

“I most certainly can,” Burt contradicted him. “I remember this one time…”

Kurt buried his head in his hands. Burt continued, his voice picking up enthusiasm.

“I tried to cook a turkey for Thanksgiving. I did it the same way Elizabeth had done it, put foil around it so it would cook faster, all that. I spent hours on that thing, while Kurt was fixing some of the side dishes. Those came out perfectly, of course, even though he was all of nine. But whenever I checked on the turkey to baste it, it didn’t look done. It wasn’t getting brown at all. After like five hours, it still wasn’t cooked. We gave up and ate everything else. Finally, I took it out of the oven, and Kurt goes over to look at it. “Dad!” he yells, “You put the foil on with the wrong side in!”

Kurt had lifted his head about halfway through this story, recognizing what Burt was doing. He grinned at the memory.

Burt continued. “I was glad that’s all it was, ‘cause I thought there was something wrong with the oven. I thought I’d have to get a new one to replace it!’”

Adam laughed, and patted Kurt’s shoulder. He left his hand there as Burt continued to cook, and reminisce. Kurt leaned in closer to him.

“One time we had this tea party,” Burt recalled, “‘cause Kurt’s mom used to do that with him. He made the tea, and we had these little plastic cups and saucers and a teapot. It wasn’t bad, but I’m a coffee guy. Elizabeth had died maybe a couple months before that, but he wanted to have sort of a little memorial tea party. We brought Phoebe, his stuffed cat, out to join us. He poured tea for her, but she didn’t drink it.” He cleared his throat. “Phoebe doesn’t like tea, even with sugar in it, so she insisted Kurt drink it.”

Burt started bringing plates to the table, with delicious-looking omelets and toast on them. They started eating while Burt continued his story.

“So I thought I was doing alright, even though the teacup was way too small for my hand. Then he shows me I’ve gotta put my little finger up, the way you Brits do, I guess.”

Adam grinned. “That is the proper way to drink tea, even if it’s in a mug.” He demonstrated and Kurt politely clapped, though he had a mischievous grin on his face.

Burt ate a few bites, then brought up another story. “This one time, I came home early, and he was singing along to “The Sound of Music” and dancing around like Julie Andrews, wearing his Maria bonnet. He was about 10 then. He sounded great, but the hat didn’t really go along with his outfit. He saw me, and stopped, and looked kind of nervous, like he’d done something wrong. But I didn’t yell at him or anything, just took my jacket off. So he started singing again, and was dancing all over the room. I dunno how he avoided all the furniture, but he did, without hardly looking where he was going. But I’d just taken my shoes off, so…”

Adam winced, thinking he knew what was coming.

“He wasn’t looking for them, so he tripped and went flying. I thought he was gonna land on the coffee table and get hurt, but he sort of flipped in midair and turned into a cat, and landed on his feet on the floor. I have never seen anything like it in my life. It was so fast! Then he starts looking around for the Maria bonnet, which had disappeared. I guess it’s kinda like looking for your glasses when you’ve got ‘em pushed up onto your head.”

Adam nodded; he’d done that a time or two. 

Burt ate a bit more. “He kept looking, and I kept saying, ‘You’re wearing it, kid’. He tried to look up, but of course, he can’t see the top of his head. I got him distracted with some treats, then a toy, so I guess he forgot about it. When he turned back to human later that day, though, he seemed kind of surprised he had the bonnet on, but relieved, too.”

“To be fair,” Kurt defended himself, “even as a cat, I knew Mama had gotten it for me, or talked Daddy into getting it, so it was special. I didn’t want to lose it.”

“Even though he always ends up wearing exactly the same thing he wore when he changed,” Burt reminded them. “Dunno why he thought that time would be different.”

Kurt shrugged. “I didn’t want to take a chance on losing anything that important.”

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t get hurt,” Adam stressed, “but I guess your instincts are pretty good.”

“Yeah, in situations like that, I don’t even think about it, I just change. Then it’s usually easier to stay the way I am for a while before changing back.”

Adam leaned forward, intrigued with this new line of thought. “Burt, can you tell me about the first time Kurt ever changed to a cat? He must have been pretty young, because we met a hybrid, in her cat form, who was two years old.”

“I don’t remember,” Kurt said, looking intrigued. “I never thought to ask about it.”

Burt tipped head to one side, thinking. “He was around a year old. Hybrids don’t all change at the same age, it’s kind of like how babies learn to walk or talk at different ages, even if they’re siblings. Kurt was saying “Mama” at around six months old, but his first actual word was a few months later. Believe it or not, it wasn’t any variation of ‘Dada’ or ‘Daddy’. It was ‘no’.”

Adam laughed heartily at that. “I do believe it.”

Kurt’s lip curled and he was looking down at his plate rather than at them, sulking. He stabbed at his omelette and chewed viciously.

Burt grinned as he recalled baby Kurt. “He had that one down pretty good. Took a while to teach him ‘yes’ and forever till he learned ‘please’. For a while it was ‘no’ to everything, even if it was obvious he meant ‘yes’. But he didn’t have a lot of words yet when this happened. He was crawling, and we were trying to teach him to walk. He seemed much more comfortable with crawling. 

“Elizabeth was trying to get him to walk from me to her, like about 3 feet away. He kept getting down on his knees and crawling, and she’d pat him on the head, then turn him around and try to get him to walk to me. He got so frustrated. I think maybe he knew what we wanted, but didn’t want to do it, ‘cause he kept saying “No!” and crawling. I got a little exasperated and was like, “For Pete’s sake, Kurt, it’s not that hard!” I showed him again, how you stand up to walk. I tried lifting him up to his feet, but he pulled away and screamed, “No!” real loud. 

“He started crawling to his mom again, and then, a second later, my little boy is gone, and there’s this tiny kitten, with different shades of brown fur, and those blue-green eyes. He wobbled a little, but he seemed really determined, and managed to walk over to his mother, using all four feet. Then he sat down and stared up at her, and started meowing. 

“I have no idea what he was trying to say, but Elizabeth was in tears, she was so happy. She changed into her mama-cat form, and got down on the floor with him. She started grooming him, and he was meeping at her. Good thing I had the camera right there, ‘cause I didn’t want to miss a second of it. It was hilarious and heartbreaking, and the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.” Burt wiped at his eyes with his napkin.

Kurt was staring at his father, wide-eyed. “I don’t remember any of that.”

Burt sniffled and cleared his throat. “Of course not, you were too young. She helped you get balanced, and you started walking around. She stayed right next to you, in case you fell. You were pretty wobbly at first, but you got the hang of it. You two were both meowing up a storm. I don’t know if your mom told you in a way you’d understand, but a few hours later, you both changed back to human. You stood up, and walked over to me, on your own two feet. You weren’t super graceful, but you didn’t fall.”

“Burt, please tell me you have those pictures in that photo album,” Adam begged.

“Of course I do! Not all of ‘em came out, ‘cause those two were moving most of the time. But I did get some good ones. They’re pretty early in the album.”

Adam was determined to check those out with Kurt at the earliest opportunity.

 

 

Kurt and Adam insisted on doing the dishes while Burt sat there relaxing. He didn’t entirely object to being waited on. As soon as they were done, Kurt brought something over to him.

“Hey, Dad, before I forget, I got this cleanser and moisturizer for your hands. Well, Adam bought it.” He handed him something wrapped in newspaper.

“It was Kurt’s idea, something he wanted to get for you,” Adam insisted.

“’Putty For Your Hands’”? he read. It said it contained oats, lavender, chamomile, and marshmallow mucilage... “What the hell? Isn’t chamomile a kind of tea? And what’s with the marshmallows? And soapless cleanser? I don’t get it.”

“I know the ingredients might sound strange,” Kurt added quickly, “but I really think you’ll like it. And it’s good for you.”

He had that eager-to-please look on his face that was impossible to resist.

“Ah, moisturizer?” Burt tried not to sound skeptical. He knew Kurt used moisturizer on his face religiously, and used some kind of hand lotion, the same kind his mother had used. He used to try to get Burt to try to hand lotion, too, but he really didn’t like it, and Kurt eventually gave up. 

“Let me see your hands,” Kurt said.

Burt raised an eyebrow at the forceful tone of voice, but held his hands out.

Kurt inspected them and, naturally, was displeased. “Dad, how could you let your hands go like this? They’re dry and chapped!”

“Well, I use ‘em a lot,” he defended himself, knowing it was useless. “I get a lot of grease and oil on them, you know that. It takes a lot of scrubbing to get it all off me, and then…”

Kurt sighed heavily, no doubt at the burden of having such a philistine for a father. “And the soap dries out your skin. I know. Tell me, has Carole ever complained about how rough your hands are?”

Burt thought it was an awfully impertinent question for a son to ask his father, but Kurt just didn’t seem to have those personal boundaries. He felt his face getting a little warm as he answered, “Ah, yeah, actually she has. She gave me a different kind of hand lotion than you tried, but I couldn’t stand the smell, and it was really greasy.”

“I think you’ll like this. It’s sort of a cleanser and moisturizer in one, but it doesn’t actually contain soap. Do you want to try it now?”

Burt knew it would be futile to say, “Not really,” so he gave in. “Sure.”

Adam was watching them, not saying a word to help either of them, just grinning like a loon. Fine, he was the one who had to live with Kurt. Who knows what kind of stuff Kurt would talk him into trying.

“Is the kitchen sink okay?” he asked quickly.

Kurt didn’t appear to have any objection to that. He followed Kurt’s instructions exactly, and broke off a corner of the gray bar. He found once he’d wetted the crumbly gray blob in his hand, it _was_ sort of like playing with putty or clay or something. He rubbed it all over his hands, then rinsed it off.

“Hm, I gotta admit, it does feel kinda nice.” He didn’t expect any visible change, but touching one hand with the other, it didn’t feel quite as rough as usual. “Thanks, kid. I think Carole will thank you, too.”

Kurt beamed with pleasure. “I’m glad you like it. Just keep using that for a while, instead of soap, whenever you can.”

“Good idea. Where’d you get this, that fancy soap place in Cincinnati I used to take you and your mother?”

Kurt nodded. “Mm-hm. It’s called Lush. You might want to keep some at work, and some at home. You can cut the bar in half, so you’ll have some in both places.”

“Thanks for thinking about this, Kurt. You always were a thoughtful kid.” He startled to ruffle Kurt’s hair, but Kurt quickly pulled away.

“Sorry, reflex,” he apologized, then stood still.

“It’s okay.” Burt settled for lightly patting him on the shoulder. He was a little worried about getting grease from the gray stuff on Kurt’s shirt, but he couldn’t see any sign of it when he removed his hand. Luckily for him, he was sure.

Adam excused himself to go write for a while, giving them some time alone.

He was startled by Kurt’s unexpected question.

“When are you going to come back, Dad?”

Burt laughed. “I haven’t even left yet, Kurt! Give yourself some time to miss me.”

“But I’ve had plenty of time for that,” he innocently pointed out.

Burt stopped, wiped his hands on a towel, and turned to face his son.

“I promise, it’ll never be that long again in between seeing each other, okay? As long as Adam lets me come back, I promise you’ll be seeing me again.”

Kurt sighed, and looked at the floor for a minute. “I know, I should be happy even if this is all we’ll ever get. I just didn’t want you to wait maybe a year or something.”

Burt shook his head. “Kurt, I can’t say right now when I’ll come to visit next. I’ve got to get back to work, and Carole, and my work in Washington. But I promise you, when Carole and I get a few days off at the same time, I’ll try to get here. If it’s convenient for Adam. And if it looks like it’s going to be a long time until we have the same days off, maybe I’ll come for another short visit before I bring her. But I don’t want to make any promises I can’t keep.”

Kurt looked back up at him with a crooked smile. “Yeah, I know you’ll visit when you can. But I feel bad for all the other hybrids who want to see their families again, and can’t.”

Burt sighed and nodded. “Me, too. That’s why, when I get back home, I’m going to start putting together some ideas to figure out how we’re going to change the law. You know, there’s no guarantee we can make changes, or when they might happen, right? I mean, it might not even be within our lifetime.”

“I know,” Kurt agreed. “But we’ve got to try, right?”

“Exactly.” He thought it might be time to change the subject, before Kurt got too sad. “I was thinking, unless you have something else planned, maybe you can sing for me some more.”

“Oh, yes, I’d love that!”

Burt knew they only had a few more hours before Adam would need to take him back to the airport. In some ways, he was ready to go home, a little overwhelmed with everything. And he missed Carole. That was warring with a little bit of fear that he might never see Kurt again. But he had to push that aside, and just focus on the amazing fact that he’d gotten to spend several days with his son, and had gotten to know him again. He was proud of the man his boy was becoming. He’d told Carole a little about things that were going on, but he really wanted to get her opinion on other things, like the plan to help the other hybrids, that would be best discussed in private. He wasn’t paranoid, exactly, but there was no point in taking unnecessary risks, either.

 

 

  
Adam was still writing down notes for his ideas for the book. He was anxious to find a good block of time to write some more scenes, but thought he might have to wait a while for that. When he heard Kurt and Burt coming out of the kitchen, he saved the file and looked up.  


“Hey, Adam,” Burt started, “I was thinking, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to hear Kurt sing some more. But I don’t know if it will disturb your writing.”

Adam hesitated only a moment. “That’s fine. Just give me a few minutes to get these thoughts down, and I’ll be happy to join you in listening.” He turned to look directly at Kurt. “Or accompany you on the piano, if you’d like to focus on singing. Whatever you want.”

Kurt blinked, as though slightly confused by the options, then he smiled. “That’s great. Let me look through the sheet music. Dad, do you have any requests?”

“Don’t suppose you’ve learned any Springsteen?” Burt asked hopefully.

Kurt grinned, but shook his head. “I’ll try to learn a song or two of his before you get here next time,” he promised, “but I’m not sure my voice is suited for his songs.”

Burt shrugged. “Didn’t think he was in your wheelhouse. But maybe you can find something.”

The researcher in Adam was intrigued.

“If you’d like, Kurt, I can try to help you find something. As I recall, he’s got quite a range of songs. I’m sure we can find something.”

Burt looked surprised, but quite pleased. “Thanks!”

“Sure, Adam, thanks.”

He searched Kurt’s face for signs he was annoyed, but he seemed genuinely grateful.

“You’re welcome!” He quickly made notes of the ideas he hadn’t written down yet, then shut off the laptop. 

Burt had made himself comfortable on the sofa. Kurt was still looking through the sheet music, but he had set a couple aside. 

“I found some for you and I to sing together sometime,” Kurt announced, “but I don’t see what I’m looking for right now. I think I’ll just sing them a capella.”

“That’s without music, right?” Burt asked. 

“Yes, that’s right.” 

“Shall I set up the video recorder?” Adam asked.

Kurt shook his head decisively. “No. This is just for Dad. And you.”

Adam bit his lip, but decided he was glad to be included. He glanced over at Burt, who didn’t seem at all bored. That was a relief.

Kurt cleared his throat. “I know you know this one, Dad. Mom used to sing it to me all the time, as a lullabye.”

As Adam had suspected, Kurt must get his singing talent from his mother. 

He hadn’t heard the song in a while. He’d mostly heard it from female artists, but also one or two males, so he wasn’t too startled by Kurt singing in a lower key. He started paying closer attention to the lyrics after the first two verses, when Kurt got to:

_“One of these mornings_  
 _You're going to rise up singing_  
 _Then you'll spread your wings_  
 _And you'll take to the sky_

_But until that morning_  
 _There's nothing gonna harm you_  
 _With your daddy and mommy standing by_

_Summertime,_   
_And the livin' is easy_  
 _Fish are jumpin'_  
 _And the cotton is high_

_Your daddy's rich_  
 _And your mamma's good lookin'_  
 _So hush little baby_  
 _Don't you cry.”_ *

When he finished, Burt clapped enthusiastically.

“That was really good, son. I didn’t know you could sing that low.”

Kurt nodded. “My voice changed a bit. I’m still trying to broaden my range.”

Adam was pleased to find he had a new project to work on with Kurt, if he was allowed to help.

“Isn’t that one of those show tunes?” Burt asked, his brow furrowing in concentration.

It was, and Adam was pretty sure it was a Gershwin tune, but he couldn’t recall the musical.

“Yes. It’s called ‘Summertime’ from Porgy and Bess. By Gershwin,” Kurt clarified.

Burt nodded. “What else you got for me?”

“This is another one Mom loved.”

Adam’s heart soared at the first word Kurt sang. His boyfriend had exceptional taste. He sang it as Adam was accustomed to hearing it.

__ _“Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high,_   
_There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby_   
_Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue_   
_And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true_

__ _Someday I'll wish upon a star_   
_And wake up where the clouds are far behind me_   
_Where troubles melt like lemon drops_   
_Away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me._   
Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly   
_Birds fly over the rainbow, why then, oh why can't I?_   
_If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow,_   
_Why oh why can't I?”_ *

Burt whistled and clapped. “ Wow, Kurt, you sound just like Judy Garland,” he added.

Adam was afraid Kurt’s feelings might be hurt, but he seemed to take it as the compliment it was intended.

“This one is from ‘Sunset Boulevard’. Mom wasn’t sure I should watch it, but we saw it together on TV, so she could switch it off if I got too upset, but  liked it. I think I’d like to see it again.”

“We’ll rent it,” Adam said. “I’ve never seen it.”

“It’s a classic!” Kurt began singing.

Adam leaned forward. He sensed this was another important song to Kurt. He seemed to add a little intensity to the last few verses.

__ _“I don't want to be alone_   
_That's all in the past_   
_This world's waited long enough_   
_I've come home at last_

_And this time will be bigger_   
_And brighter than we knew it_   
_So watch me fly_   
_We all know I can do it_   
_Could I stop my hands from shaking_   
_Has there ever been a moment_   
_With so much to live for?_

_The whispered conversations_   
In overcrowded hallways   
_So much to say not just today but always_   
_We’ll have early morning madness_   
_We’ll have magic in the making_   
_Yes, everything’s as if we never said goodbye_   
_Yes, everything’s as if we never said goodbye_   
_We taught the world new ways to dream!”_ *

Burt and Adam both showed their approval, and Kurt wiped tears from his eyes as he sat down between them. They both hugged him.

“Hey, I meant to ask you,” Burt said when Kurt’s eyes were dry. “You’ve obviously been practicing, and I guess you’ve got most of the words memorized. But how did you do that? Did you get to sing a lot at the store?”

Kurt shrugged, and settled back onto the sofa. “Mr. Will had us sing there, yes. He wanted us to practice even after he stopped trying to have us sing for other people. He thought we’d have a better chance of being sold – adopted, whatever – if we could sing. 

“The others didn’t like to hear me, but even when I was a cat, I’d at least sort of hum to myself. I didn’t always know the words then, but I could usually remember melodies. When I was human, I sang as much as I could get away with before the others started yelling at me or drowning me out in volume. I spent a lot of time running through songs in my head, to try to tune out everything else around me.”

Burt shook his head. “Son, you know I don’t know that much about music. And I’m sure I’m biased. But if those guys in there didn’t like your voice, it’s their loss. I’m just so glad I’ve gotten to hear you sing again, along with everything else.”

Kurt didn’t speak, just laid his head on his father’s shoulder as Burt hugged him.

Adam pulled away, but continued to hold Kurt’s hand. He knew he would have plenty of time alone with Kurt later. For now, he was quite happy to be able to share Kurt with the one other person who loved and appreciated him as much as he did.

 

_ *Summertime”, lyrics & music by George Gershwin, Du Bose Heyward, Dorothy Heyward, Ira Gershwin _

_ *Somewhere Over the Rainbow” - lyrics & music by Harburg, E Y / Arlen, Harold _

_ *As If We Never Said Goodbye” - lyrics & music by Don Black, Christopher Hampton, Andrew Lloyd Webber _


	68. Chapter 68

Kurt wanted to fix a nice, healthy lunch for Burt’s last day. He made a big salad, with just about every type of fruit and vegetable he could find. He threw in a few other things, like some bacon, salami, and chicken, and added a light champagne dressing Adam had wanted to try. He left the pieces of meat fairly large, but the fruit was in small pieces, and the vegetables were shredded, then chopped finely, and sprinkled all over the salad. 

Burt seemed more enthusiastic than Kurt had ever seen him about a salad. Then he asked, “Hey what are all these little green things all mixed in here? They’re pretty good. If it comes in a bottle, maybe I can get Carole to find it at the store.”

Kurt giggled behind his hand, then explained, “They’re vegetables.”

Burt pulled away from the table a bit, as though the veggies would bite him. “Really? Stealth vegetables, huh?”

Kurt nodded, and went back to eating.

Adam thought it was quite a bit of trouble to go to for a salad, but it was very good. He understood Kurt’s desire to make something healthy that his dad would actually eat. “Hm, this is a good way to get rid of the little odds and ends of vegetables, where there’s not quite enough to put them in a side dish.”

Kurt beamed at the compliments, so Adam didn’t mind the fact that they’d have to go to the grocery store after taking Burt to the airport, and stock up on things again.

 

 

After lunch, Adam suggested, “I was thinking, maybe Kurt can go with us to the airport? Since I’m only dropping you off outside, there’s no reason he can’t keep me company in the car on the way back.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Burt agreed. “Nobody should object to that.”

Adam looked over at Kurt, wondering why he hadn’t said anything. “Assuming you want to go, that is.”

Kurt scoffed at that. “Of course I do.” He still looked dissatisfied. Of course, he didn’t want his dad to leave just yet.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Burt agreed, “but if you expect him to actually keep you company, good luck. He’ll fall asleep within 10 minutes on the way back.”

“I will not!” Kurt automatically objected.

Adam shrugged. “That’s sort of what I expect will happen.” He turned to Kurt with a smile. “If you manage to stay awake, that’s great. We can talk, or listen to the radio. And if you fall asleep, that’s okay, too. I don’t want you trying to stay awake if your body is telling you it’s time to sleep.”

Kurt heaved a very put-upon sigh, but didn’t argue the point. Adam wondered if he was starting to realize he was more comfortable in general when he got enough sleep.

He turned back to Burt. “Have you got everything?”

He nodded. “I just need to bring the suitcases out here.”

“I’ll help, if you like.”

“I can get one,” Kurt insisted. “You don’t need to carry them yet, Dad. You’ll have enough time to do that later,” he pointed out.

It looked like Burt was going to object, but he grinned. “Hey, thanks, guys. Not that I can’t do it myself, but I don’t often get the chance to let somebody younger do the heavy lifting for me.”

They soon had the suitcases out, and made sure Burt had everything he was planning on bringing back. Including the hand cleanser, pictures from Adam’s camera, and Kurt’s note to Carole, as well as the business cards for Gabriel and Julia. Not to mention the cookies, with a promise to share them with Carole.

“Dad, I just realized – Adam, can you take some pictures of Dad for me?”

Kurt looked so anxious, like he actually thought he would say ‘no’.

“Of course. And I can get some of the two of you together, as well.”

Burt grinned. “I’m glad you thought of that, son. You can have some pictures, and Adam can maybe send me some for Carole.”

“Of course. I’ve got your home address somewhere, don’t I?” Adam really wasn’t sure.

Burt rolled his eyes. “I don’t think I gave it to you. Here you go.” 

He wrote it down on a business card, which was a relief. He was sure he and Kurt would be sending holiday cards and gifts, as well as pictures.

Kurt was grinning. “Hey, we’ve got another card to add to the book!”

“Are we collecting them, then?” Adam asked, slightly amused.

He shrugged. “I guess.”

“More practical than collecting stamps, I guess,” Burt suggested.

Adam grabbed his video camera, as well as his phone. He took a few pictures of Burt alone; sitting in the living room; pretending to play the piano, in Kurt’s room, next to Buckingham Palace. Kurt happily posed for some with his dad in various places around the apartment.

“Hey, I was just thinking,” Burt said wistfully, “I wish we’d gotten some pictures of me and Kurt as a cat.”

“That would be cute,” Adam said. Before he got the last word out, Kurt had changed. 

He leaped into his father’s arms, and Burt caught him. Adam captured it on film.

“Just a second, let me get the video camera. I can get still shots from it.”

Kurt was climbing around on Burt’s shoulders, then climbed down his back and ran out of the room.

“I’ll bet I know where he’s going,” Burt said with a wide grin.

“Buckingham Palace.”

“You got it.”

They arrived to see Kurt was indeed sitting on top of one of the bridges. Burt went to stand next to him. He petted him, then let him go wild. Kurt ran and jumped, and peeked out of various hidey holes, while Burt pretended to look for him. He’d reach up as high as he could, trying to stick his hand inside of the rooms, while Kurt would be on another level, reaching a paw out to tickle him. By the time Burt could reach to stop him, Kurt would have moved somewhere else.

Adam was having a marvelous time just watching and filming. The coup de grace was Kurt leaping from the highest point of his palace, onto the top of Burt’s head, like a very furry hat. He kept his claws in, of course, and Adam got a great shot of Burt laughing, as he looked up, trying to reach Kurt, who kept shifting just slightly so Burt couldn’t quite get his hands on him. Finally Kurt ran down Burt’s back again, and jumped onto the bed. Burt sat down to join him.

“Hang on, stay like that a second.”

Burt gestured for the camera, so Adam gave it to him, so he could get some close-ups of Kurt.

Adam found what he was looking for quickly enough, scooping them all up into his arms without regard for their dignity. He knew they’d forgive him.

He walked back into the room, and tossed Phoebe, Harriet and Bernard in the general direction of the bed. Burt laid back to try to capture the action, as Kurt tried to catch all of them. He did grab Harriet in his mouth, and the larger stuffed animals fell onto the bed haphazardly. Kurt growled in annoyance. Burt picked up Phoebe and petted and soothed her, while Kurt checked to make sure Bernard was okay.

Adam walked closer to the bed, and took the camera from Burt. He recorded the action as the human, cat, and stuffed animals played together. Burt supplied the voice for Bernard, and Adam attempted Harriet and Phoebe, trying to give them slightly different accents. Kurt seemed delighted, and meowed and meeped at his babies.

Burt finally sat up. “Okay, I think that’s enough for now.”

Kurt whined, but crawled into Burt’s lap for some more cuddles.

Adam finally stopped filming, and quietly left the room, letting them have a last few minutes alone.

When they came back out, Adam shut his laptop. Kurt was human again, and even though his hair was mussed, he was grinning at something his father said.

“Just let me get cleaned up a minute, and I’ll be ready,” Kurt promised.

Adam looked at his watch and saw it was indeed almost time to go.

“Okay, but hurry, if you can. I’d rather get Burt there a little early than have him try to rush to get to the plane on time.”

Kurt sighed heavily, but ran into Adam’s room. Adam thought it was hilarious that even though his legs were longer, human Kurt was no match for kitty Kurt in the speed department.

 

 

Kurt often felt like he wanted to get out of his clothes and shower after changing back, but a lot of the time it just wasn’t practical. He settled for washing his face and hands, and changing clothes. He decided to go for comfort rather than style, and put on jeans and a red t-shirt, and brown loafers. He decided he’d need a yellow shirt pretty soon, to go with the yellow tennis shoes. They didn’t really go with the red shirt, but they seemed to fit better already than when he’d first gotten them.

When he found Adam and his dad, they were laughing about something, and he shot them a suspicious look. They shut up immediately, which confirmed they’d been laughing about him.

“We were just talking about how adorable you are as a cat,” Adam soothed. “I was saying, you could do a much better job on TV than those actors who pretend to be hybrids, and the trained animals. You could have your own sitcom, and it would be hilarious.”

“I agree, I’d watch that,” Burt grinned. “Just think, a comedy from the hybrid’s point of view, about all the silly things humans do and say.”

Kurt relaxed. “Yeah, that would be more entertaining, wouldn’t it?”

“Even better if hybrids were allowed to watch it. I guess a lot of owners don’t want them watching TV,” Adam remembered.

“Stupid rule,” Burt commented. “They’re either gonna do it anyway, when their people aren’t around, or feel like they’re missing out on something. I let Kurt watch whatever he wanted…well, who knows what he watched when I wasn’t there. I just explained why I didn’t think he’d enjoy any of the shows that had hybrids as characters, because they were usually insulting, and/or really inaccurate.”

“I didn’t actually want to see those,” Kurt asserted with a shrug. “I know what it’s like to be a hybrid. I wanted to see the shows about regular people, or people doing things I couldn’t do, because at least it made it easier to imagine doing them. Like driving, or going on trips to exotic places. And I liked the modeling and design shows.”

Burt shrugged. “He never wanted to watch my shows, for some reason, but he’d still sit with me, and fall asleep, or turn into a cat and usually fall asleep.”

“Ah, well, I guess the world is stuck with inferior entertainment, then,” Adam mused. “Alright, I suppose we’d better get going, in case there’s traffic.”

“Yeah, even though it’s a holiday, a lot of people have to go back to work tomorrow, so there’s liable to be traffic at the airport any time of day,” Burt suggested.

“Can I have a snack first? I’m starving,” Kurt mentioned.

“That’s right, you changed back pretty quickly. Do you want to grab a couple of those nutrition bars, or meal substitutes, or whatever they are?”

Kurt made a disgusted face, but nodded. “They taste like chocolate covered cardboard.”

“Then let’s look for something different when we’re at the store, after we drop your father off.”

Kurt put several bars in his satchel, in case his dad or Adam got hungry, and unwrapped another. He ate it in three bites, to get it over with quicker. He then joined them by the door.

“You’re sure you have everything Dad?” Kurt asked.

Burt looked at him intently, then shrugged. “I’ve got everything I’m allowed to take home with me. But honestly, Kurt, as much as I love you, I think you’re actually better off here with Adam. He can give you things I can’t. And he loves you, in a different way than I do, which you really need. I’m going to miss you, but at least now I’ll know you’re safe and happy.”

“Thank you, Burt,” Adam murmured.

Kurt gave his dad a huge hug, then went to get his leash from the closet.

“If you did leave anything, we’ll send it along,” Adam promised.

The ride to the airport didn’t seem nearly as long as Kurt had assumed. Adam insisted they both sit in the back so they could talk while he drove. Kurt reached out and took his dad’s hand. Burt squeezed his hand, and held on for the rest of the trip. Kurt knew he’d think of all kinds of things to say, after his dad left, but at the moment he couldn’t think of anything. His dad told him a few funny stories about things that happened at the garage.

“What are you going to tell them about this trip?” Kurt asked. “Are you going to tell them you saw me?”

Burt sighed heavily. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m still not sure. None of those guys would try to get me in trouble. I know Danny will be glad to know you're okay.”

"I wish you could just tell them without worrying about it."

Burt squeezed his hand again. “I know, buddy. That’s why it’s so important we try to change the legislation about people being allowed to know, at the very least, if their child was adopted, or not. If they know, they can have closure. Even if it’s bad news, I would think most people would rather know for sure, than be wondering. And, like you said, if they never hear from their child again, is it because they’re dead, or their kid doesn’t want to see them? If it was up to the family, they could at least find that out, if they wanted to know. Even if they weren’t told who adopted their child, it might help to know someone adopted them.”

“Dad, what about twins?” Kurt asked thoughtfully. “It never occurred to me before, because I’ve never heard of it, but what if parents have hybrid twins? They’d be taken away at the same time, but would they be sent to the same store? And if they were, would they be adopted together?”

Burt didn’t answer for a while, but Kurt knew his dad had heard the question.

“One of the things I found out is, in the case of twins, even though they’ve been raised together for all that time, they’re sent far apart, like to opposite ends of the country. Because how likely is it that anyone is going to be able to afford to adopt, and raise, twin hybrids? I’ve never heard of anybody that had two hybrid pets at the same time. They might replace ‘em if they die, or if for whatever reason they sell them, but I don’t know of anyone that took on that kind of responsibility. But I don’t think it happens very often.”

Kurt shuddered. “I’m glad I was an only child. Can you imagine… Maybe if you don’t get along it would be okay, it might be a relief. But I dunno, I think maybe hybrid twins in the same family would get along better, like, it’s us against the world, you know?”

He looked up at the driver’s mirror to see if he could get a clue what Adam was thinking, if he’d heard any of it. He looked very, very intent on driving, his jaw set and his eyes straight ahead.

He lowered his voice a little. “I wonder, though, if it’s been years, or maybe decades, would the twins want to be reunited? Or would they have an even harder time adjusting to adoption than the rest?”

Adam spoke up. “I think that would be a very good question to ask Dr. Hanover when you see him tomorrow. And I’m very sure he’s got some opinions on the subject.”

“That’s a good idea. I need to think about what all else to tell him.”

“Why don’t you write down some things you want to talk about?” Burt suggested. “It seems to help you to write things out, and that way you’re not as likely to forget.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. There’s not much time between now and our appointments tomorrow, but I could work on it tonight.”

“After we go grocery shopping,” Adam said. “Or, I could drop you off at home, and do the shopping,” he mused.

Kurt vehemently shook his head. “No, even if I’m tired, I’ll go with you. It’ll go faster that way.”

Adam coughed, then said, “Well, I can be more sure of getting things you like if you’re with me.”

Burt laughed. “You always did love to go shopping, even if it was only for groceries. We could always rely on you to find bargains, and know what brands were better than others. Hey, Adam, if you ever need to go shopping on Black Friday, this is the guy to take with you.”

Adam didn’t look too convinced.

“I don’t know, it might not be the same now,” Kurt said. “It was one thing when I was, like, 10. People don’t seem to mind child hybrids all that much. But now, it might be harder to get through the crowds.”

“Well, I don’t think we’ll ever be putting that to the test,” Adam said firmly. “I see no reason to be out shopping when it’s that busy. We’ll simply plan to get whatever we need before or after that.”

“But that’s when they have all the _sales_ , Adam,” Kurt reminded him. “That’s why people go, to get stuff while it’s on sale.”

“Have you ever heard of Cyber Monday?” Adam countered. “Now that people can shop online, and there are a lot of sales going on there, they don’t need to try to push through hordes of people to get to what they want. And if something is sold out, usually you can put a hold on one as a rain check.”

Burt shook his head. “I never thought of that. The things you learn.”

They were almost at the airport; the closer they got, the more obvious it became. He didn’t want to say goodbye to his dad, but he knew he had to. They’d see each other again.

He hadn’t realized how quick it would all be. They pulled over to the curb at Burt’s airline, and Adam got out to help Burt with his suitcases. Kurt was opening his own door, holding the end of his leash so he could give it to Adam, but Burt came over and stood against the door so he couldn’t open it. Kurt quickly rolled down the window and looked up curiously.

Burt leaned down, speaking to Kurt quietly. “It’s okay, son, but it’s better if nobody sees that,” he said, looking at the leash.

Kurt knew his father was right. He was almost always right, about everything. But it didn’t mean he had to be happy about it.

Burt leaned in further and hugged him around the shoulders, and kissed him quickly on the forehead. “Be good, alright? I’m so proud of you. I love you, and I’ll see you soon.”

Kurt tried to pull his dad into a better hug, but the door was in the way, for both of them.

“Okay, Dad, love you,” he mumbled into Burt’s neck. He didn’t want to cry; he was not going to cry. He wasn’t a little kid anymore. He could control…damn.

“I gotta go, Kurt.”

He could hear a car horn behind them, honking, and Adam was getting back into the front seat. He’d apparently already said goodbye to Burt outside.

“’Bye, Dad.” He was sniffling, but tried not to actually let the tears fall. He waved at his father as Adam pulled the car away.

As they maneuvered through the maze to get out of the airport, Adam spoke up. “I’m sorry, Kurt. I should have warned you we’d only have a minute or so to get Burt and his things out of the car.”

Kurt sighed deeply. “It’s okay. I just wish – so many things. I wish things were different.”

“So do I. Do you want to go to the grocery store tonight, or wait till tomorrow? Either is fine with me.”

Kurt didn’t really want to be around other people at the moment; he didn’t have anything with him to cover up the signs of crying.

“Can we go tomorrow?”

“Sure, that’s fine. Why don’t we find a drive-through for a quick dinner? We’ll find one near the apartment, and we can eat at home.”

Kurt shrugged listlessly. “Okay. Whatever you want.”

Adam bit his lip and looked at him, obviously concerned. 

He tried to clarify.

“I’m not being – I’m just sad, that’s all, it’s not a submissive hybrid thing. I’m just tired and I don’t really care what we have for dinner.”

“I understand. But we both need to eat. Let me know if you have a preference for anything, if not, just let me stop and order for both of us.”

“Sure.”

Kurt wished he could just fall asleep in the car like he usually did on long rides. That way he wouldn’t have to think anything, feel anything, for a little while. But one thing he was starting to learn, was that he couldn’t escape reality for long. The longer he waited to really feel his feelings, the harder they were to deal with. While he was sleeping, or being a cat, whatever problems he had were still there when he returned from his little break, and sometimes the feelings were more intense.

He wondered if he should talk to Adam about his feelings, but he was driving. It didn’t seem like the best time to get into an emotional conversation.

“Adam?”

“Hm?” Adam turned his head to glance at Kurt, then went back to watching the road.

“I’ve got a lot of stuff, a lot of feelings, things I need to think about, and feel, and I’m not sure how or when I should do that.”

“Ah, that can be a tricky thing.”

Did Adam struggle through the same thing?

“I think before you go to bed tonight, you should write down that list of topics to bring up to Dr. Hanover. You might not be able to get to all of them tomorrow – in fact, I’m pretty sure you won’t get to them all. You’re certainly welcome to talk too me, as well, if you like. But Dr. Hanover is a trained professional, and he’s got a lot of hybrid patients, so he might have a better perspective, that could be more useful to you than my opinions. 

“Of course, you might not want my opinions, but you can always just vent to me, tell me whatever you want. Just let me know ahead of time if you just want me to listen and sympathize, so I’ll know to keep my big mouth shut.”

That made Kurt smile, briefly. “Those all sound like good ideas, but there are a lot of choices. I’m sure I’ll talk to you about most of this stuff, but I think you’re right, Dr. Hanover is the one I should be talking to about sorting out my feelings.”

Adam nodded, but didn’t speak. Kurt wondered what sorts of things he was going to discuss with the vet – doctor, for Adam – when it was time for his appointment. He slumped further down in the seat and leaned his head back, hoping he could fall asleep for just a little while. He really was tired. And hungry, he realized.

“Hey, Adam? Can we get some fried chicken and mashed potatoes and all that stuff?”

Adam chuckled. “If you’d like, yes, certainly. We’ll get whatever you like, within reason. How about one fairly healthy side order, and one that isn’t?”

Kurt shrugged. “Or one healthy side order, and two that aren’t?”

“Depends on what they are. We’ll share them, so we both get some of the healthier option,” Adam insisted. “And maybe get a dessert as well,” he mused.

Kurt yawned, and didn’t bother to cover his mouth.

“Try to sleep, if you can,” Adam advised. “You’ve had some very busy days, again, so let’s make sure you get your proper rest, and food.”

“Uh-huh,” Kurt agreed with another yawn, not particularly caring what he was agreeing to, just at the moment. Sleep was calling him, and it seemed only polite to answer.


	69. Chapter 69

Dinner was quiet, but Adam was pleased that Kurt ate a lot. A good appetite had to be a sign that he wasn’t totally depressed. 

At least the clean-up went quickly. Adam waited to get his cue from Kurt, as to what he might want to do.

Kurt sighed heavily. “I guess I’d better write out those questions for Dr. Hanover, so I don’t forget.”

“Good idea. I’ll be in the living room –“

“On your laptop,” Kurt finished, with a wan smile. “Okay.”

He was just getting into writing a good scene, when Kurt came back into the living room. He took off his shoes and sat at the far end of the sofa with his feet on the cushion and arms wrapped around his knees. He wasn’t staring at Adam, just looking down at the space between them.

“Have you had enough cat time today?” Adam inquired.

Kurt thought about it. “I guess so. Maybe.”

Adam saved the file and closed the laptop, setting it on the coffee table.

He opened his arms, and didn’t have to say a word. Kurt scrambled to cuddle up to him. They just held onto each other for a while, until their breathing and heartbeats matched each other.

Adam finally spoke.

“Maybe you can spend extra time tomorrow, after the appointments, but I’d like you to sleep with me tonight. As a human.”

Kurt looked up at him, eyes wide and cheeks flushed. “Sleep with you…as in…?” 

“ _Mostly_ sleep,” Adam attempted to clarify. “Let’s see how things go.”

Kurt grinned widely.

Adam thought he’d better change the subject. “Would you like me to read to you for a while? Or perhaps you can read to me.”

Kurt shook his head. “You’ve already got your glasses on, you can read to me.” He snuggled in closer.

Adam hugged him tighter, then gently reminded him, “But I still have to get up to get the book.”

“Oh, that’s right. In that case, while you’re up, can you get my glasses from my bag?”

Adam nodded, and gently pushed Kurt away so he could get up. It didn’t take him long to find “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”. Kurt’s glasses were right where he said they’d be, in his bag.

He came back to the living room to find Kurt curled up on the sofa, laying on his side. At first he thought Kurt was asleep, but he opened his eyes and sat up.

“I’m awake,” he insisted.

“If you want to take a nap, or go to bed early, you can, you know,” Adam reminded him.

“No, I’m fine!” He sat straighter and took the book and glasses from Adam.

“I’ve got an idea,” Adam suggested. “Stand up for a minute.”

Kurt did so, obviously curious about what he had in mind.

Adam took off his shoes and stretched out on the sofa. He set a pillow behind his back and spread his legs wider. He patted the sofa in front of him, and Kurt settled in front of him, leaning against his chest. 

Once they were both comfortable, Adam rested his chin on Kurt’s shoulder and read along with him, as Kurt read aloud. He was amused that Kurt tried to give different voices to the characters. He did a pretty good job on the accents, even mimicking the voices Adam had given some of the characters. Every now and then he’d stumble over an unfamiliar word, and Adam would help him with it. He let Kurt know which ones were real words, and which were made up for the story, as far as he knew.

Kurt finally stopped at the end of a chapter and set the book down on the table. He turned his head a bit to see Adam more easily. Adam pulled away a little and they both changed position until they were comfortable.

“Adam, I’d really like to read something you’ve written. Or have you read it to me, whichever you want. Maybe not tonight, ‘cause I’m kind of tired, but soon? Maybe tomorrow?”

Adam bit his lip uneasily. “Kurt, it’s nice of you to say so, but you don’t really need to do that.”

Kurt blinked at him and frowned. “What do you mean? I’d really like to see how you write.” He paused, thinking. “I’m not saying it right. I want to know more about you, and I think reading things you’ve written will help. But I’m tired tonight, and I want to be able to concentrate.”

Adam nodded slowly. “Sure. I’ll look through them and find something you might like. They’re mostly short stories.” He bit his lip, thinking it was time he told Kurt about the novel.

“Kurt, I wanted to tell you, but it didn’t seem to be the right time. And I’m thinking sometimes, when you don’t know how to say something, it’s better to try, than leave it till another time. Because there may never be the perfect moment.”

Kurt nodded. “Okay. Go ahead and tell me whatever you want.”

“Right.” Adam took a deep breath, and continued. “I’ve been working on a novel, these last few weeks, since the time I adopted you. You’ve been a real inspiration.”

“I have? How?”

Adam hoped Kurt wouldn’t be offended or hurt. “Well, it’s about you, actually. I didn’t intend to use you as the subject of a book,” he added quickly, as Kurt stiffened. “It’s just that so many things came up that I thought others should know about, and I didn’t want to forget.”

Kurt looked at him warily. “Like what?”

“Well, any number of things. Amusing, heartbreaking, or thought-provoking things. You playing with Harriet, your perspective on the food I was going to serve for the group, or trimming Misty’s nails for Lily. Which turned into a bona fide crush for poor Misty.”

Kurt smiled at the thought.

“In general,” Adam continue, “the idea was that there is so much the average person doesn’t know about hybrids, and I thought, the problem is they don’t know you.”

Kurt blinked and looked down at his hands. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“I’m stating it badly, I’m sure. But I was thinking, a book with a title something like, ‘Life With Kurt’, where I could explain the joy, and frustration, and happiness you’ve brought into my life, it just might be good for other people to know about it. But if you don’t like the idea, I won’t try to publish it or anything, but I hope you don’t mind if I keep writing it for myself. Or for us.”

Kurt didn’t respond for a while, probably trying to think of the best response to being told his life was the subject of a book for others to read.

“I don’t know. I’d like to see it, if you don’t mind. I don’t think tonight is a good time. Maybe I should read the short stories first, then when we’ve got some time, I can read the book about me. If you’re there with me to answer questions or explain things, it might help.”

“Of course,” Adam agreed, relieved. “And, please do tell me if I’ve gotten something wrong, especially when it comes to your feelings or how you experienced something. I can only guess, but I want it to be right.”

“Um, I was thinking…” Kurt hesitated, then continued in a bit of a rush, “if this is something that could maybe be published for other people to read, do you want it to be accurate, like my version of accurate? Or do you want it to be something people will actually read?”

Now it was Adam’s turn to be puzzled. He shifted around on the sofa, trying to get comfortable. “Why can’t it be both?”

Kurt shrugged, then looked up at Adam. “I don’t think my life will be all that interesting to people, to humans. I mean, maybe you can change some things to make them funnier, or something they’ll like.”

Adam took a deep breath. “I really hope they’ll like it just fine if it’s truthful. So far it’s written in my perspective, from my point of view. So, as I said, your reactions or thoughts are just my interpretation. I could write some of it from your point of view, if there’s a difference. It might help readers to understand that we might not know as much as we think we do, about our own pets.”

Kurt nodded slowly. “Maybe.”

“I’ll tell you what. All along I’ve been planning for you to have the final say. I mean, I’m the author, but it’s your story as much as mine. It’s about what it’s like for me, living with you, but I don’t want anything going out there that will upset you, or that you don’t want other people to know about. So you will have the final say in anything having to do with you.” He took a deep breath. “Does that make sense?”

Kurt nodded. “I’d like some more time to think about it, and I’ll know more after I’ve read what you have so far. But I’m really not sure – if you’ll let me tell you if there are things I don’t want in there, it might be okay.”

“Good.” Adam released his breath slowly. “I’ve been worrying about it for a while now. I didn’t want to do anything that would affect you personally, without you knowing, but it’s been so enjoyable to write! There are so many things I’ve written down because I didn’t want to forget them, and I haven’t even been able to put them into a scene yet, but I want to capture those moments. 

“I have this intense desire to keep you all to myself, keep you safe from the rest of the world. Yet at the same time, you’re so incredible, I think everyone should know how wonderful you truly are.”

Kurt blushed. “Now that’s just your perception, I’m sure. But I wonder if this is the kind of thing that will make more people want to go out and adopt hybrids, and give them a good home?”

Adam bit his tongue and thought carefully before he replied. “It might. And in some cases it might make people stop and think much more thoroughly about what they’re doing, before they adopt a hybrid, for themselves, or for their children. Hopefully it will make some people stop and think if it’s really right for you and the others to be taken away from your birth family, and sold to a stranger, who may or may not grow to love you.”

“I think maybe we should talk to Dr. Hanover, and maybe Miss Julia and Dad about it, too, you know, whatever group we get going. But I’m not sure I want them to read it yet, at least, not before I do.”

“That’s an excellent idea. I’ve already told your father a little bit about it, and he didn’t seem to object, but thought I should tell you.

“Of course, there’s always the possibility no publisher will want it, but there are ways, as I mentioned, that I can pay to publish it myself, if that’s what we want to do.”

Kurt closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, then slowly let it out. He opened his eyes, and looked a bit calmer.

“I need some time to think about this, and I’m really tired right now. But thank you for including me in what you decide to do. I was just thinking, some owners wouldn’t even bother to tell their pet they were using their life as inspiration for a novel, let alone give them final approval.”

Adam winced. “When you put it like that, it does sound like I’m taking advantage of you, a bit, but I didn’t meant to, so I’m sorry for that.”

Kurt patted Adam on the hand. “It’s okay, I’m not upset. I don’t think.” 

“It might be a good idea to get some extra sleep. Remember, your appointment is at 10:00 tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I remember.” 

He put his hands on Kurt’s shoulders.

“Hey, your muscles are really tense. I’m not sure how much good the massages as a cat are doing you as a human.”

Kurt mumbled, “Better than nothing.”

“Alright, sit up just a bit. You’ll be able to sleep better if you’re not so tense.”

“Mm-hm,” Kurt nodded, but didn’t move forward.

Adam thought it was less likely to be stubbornness, and more likely he’d simply run out of energy, like a car that runs out of gas and isn’t going to go any further without more fuel.

He positioned Kurt as though he were a rag doll, albeit it a heavy one. When Kurt was leaning slightly forward and making inquiring sounds, Adam started kneading the muscles in his neck and shoulders. He kept his touch firm, but not hard enough to cause pain.

“Just relax as much as you can,” he said rather uselessly.

He wouldn’t have been surprised to hear a snore coming from Kurt, but instead, he started that strange not-quite-purring he sometimes did. Adam kept steadily massaging his shoulders and upper arms, then moved on to his back. As with kitty Kurt, he was careful not to press too hard against his spine, but he found several areas where Kurt was obviously carrying tension.

Adam had often given various members of the Apples a brief neck and back massage, especially before performances. As with them, he kept his touch impersonal rather than intimate. When he’d worked out some of the worst knots, he stopped and flexed his hands. Time to quit.

Kurt sleepily protested, but didn’t object when Adam stood up, then lifted him into his arms. He carried him into the bedroom, rather than forcing him to wake up enough to stumble in on his own two feet. It didn’t take long to undress him, and he knew Kurt was thoroughly exhausted when he didn’t react to his clothing being removed.

He left Kurt’s t-shirt and underwear on, along with his socks, and maneuvered him into bed. He was pretty sure Kurt was asleep before his head hit the pillow. 

When he came back out of the bathroom, in his sweats and t-shirt, Kurt was sound asleep, snoring softly. Adam got under the covers and pulled Kurt close, before allowing himself to relax and sleep.

 

 

When Adam woke the next morning, even before the alarm went off, Kurt was still next to him, cuddled close. But he had obviously been up already, and taken the time to shower, brush his teeth, shave, and otherwise look and smell annoyingly perfect first thing in the morning. He was also wearing pajama bottoms and nothing else.

Adam sighed, and tried to extricate himself, so he could get himself ready for the day.

“Where are you going?”

At least, that’s what Adam thought Kurt mumbled.

“I’m just going to clean up a bit. Go back to sleep,” he suggested.

“Can I shower with you?” Kurt asked hopefully, opening his eyes partway.

“No. You don’t need another shower.”

“But I can help you!” Now he looked wide awake. “It’ll save you some time, and save water, too.”

“No,” Adam repeated, but he grinned. “They’ve done studies that show showering together does not, in fact, conserve water, but usually uses more of it.”

“I don’t care,” Kurt whined.

“I know you don’t,” Adam sighed, patting him on the shoulder as he stood up. Kurt’s bare skin was very warm and felt good under his hand. 

“I’m sorry I fell asleep last night, before we could do anything,” Kurt explained. “So I thought we could make up for that now.”

Adam considered it. “I wish we weren’t so rushed this morning, otherwise –“

“That’s why I suggested the shower,” Kurt explained.

“Ah, there’s a method to your madness!” Adam misquoted.

Kurt looked at him oddly. “I’m not crazy, or angry, I just meant we could save time. Because you need time to shower and get ready, and maybe we can, I don’t know, do something, besides get you clean, while we’re in there.”

Adam sighed. Kurt’s tendency to take things literally was usually charming, but there were times…

“I suppose that makes sense,” he agreed. “Tell you what, give me a few minutes, and you can join me once I get the shower going.”

“Okay!”

Kurt looked surprised, as though he hadn’t expected Adam to give in so easily. He had a feeling this wouldn’t be an isolated incident.

By the time he was ready for his shower, his mouth felt better, and he was more awake. He’d decided this might not be the worst idea in the world.

He set the water for slightly warmer than he was used to, knowing Kurt preferred it that way. He’d started to soap up when the shower door was opened. He glanced over at Kurt, and his mouth went dry. As he’d expected, Kurt was gloriously naked.

“Come on,” he encouraged him, and Kurt stepped into the shower.

They just stared at each other for a minute. Then Kurt blinked and smiled. He picked up the bottle of shampoo and poured some onto his hand.

“What are you doing? I’m sure you already washed your hair,” Adam protested.

“It’s not for me.”

Adam changed his mind quickly when Kurt started massaging his scalp as he worked the shampoo in. 

When he’d finished with the shampoo and conditioner, Adam asked, “Wash my back for me?” 

Kurt poured some onto his hand, and set the bottle on the floor. He rubbed his hands together to warm up the soap.

Adam sighed with pleasure at the feeling of Kurt’s hands on his skin. Kurt took his task very seriously, starting with Adam’s neck, and slowly working his way down his shoulders, arms, and hands. Adam wasn’t about to complain.

After getting more soap, Kurt slowly ran his hands over every inch of Adam’s back, making sure to work up a lather. 

When he got to Adam’s low back, and knelt behind him, he tensed up. “You don’t have to.”

Not surprisingly, Kurt was stubborn. “I want to.”

Adam tried to relax as he felt Kurt’s hands on his ass. He let him continue to wash him. Kurt was very thorough, and Adam was both embarrassed and turned on. He rather wished they’d tried this before now; he might have gotten over his concern that Kurt wasn’t really ready for any intimacy yet.

He thought of protesting when Kurt began washing his legs; he could do that on his own.

“Kurt –“

“Shhh. Let me take care of you for a change,” Kurt insisted. Adam found it easy to give in to him, because it was obvious he was doing this because he wanted to, not because he thought he had to. 

By the time Kurt had turned him around, Adam had resigned himself to his oh-so-pleasant fate. 

He tried to suppress his natural reaction, but his self-control was no match for a determined Kurt, who seemed intent on not just washing him, but making sure he enjoyed the experience as much as possible.

“Are you sure –“

“Yes. Shut up,” Kurt added absently.

Adam was happy to comply.

When Kurt had reduced him to a boneless mass, and he could barely stand on his own two feet, he decided it was time to set aside his own hesitation.

“Okay, now let me make you feel good. Lean against the wall.”

“Why?” Even as he asked, Kurt complied.

“You’ll see.” Adam sank to his knees, and proceeded to show Kurt, with his hands and mouth, what they’d both been missing.

Kurt realized later he might have slipped to the floor, if he hadn’t been leaning against the wall.

“Next time, I’ll take my time,” Adam promised. “We _are_ in a bit of a hurry, but it will be better when we don’t have to rush.”

“Better?” Kurt asked, blinking sleepily at him.

“Oh no, don’t fall asleep, darling!”

Kurt tried to stand up straight. “Can you change the water to really cold? That will wake me up.”

Adam did so, but slipped out of the shower before many of the cold drops could reach him.

“Coward!” Kurt called out.

“I’m not the one who needs to wake up!” Adam yelled back.

He grinned as he dried off and went back to his room to change.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him as he exited the bathroom.

“You could at least put on a towel, Kurt,” Adam complained, very faintly, as he finished putting his pants on.

“Why? I’m dry, and it’ll only take a second to get to my room.”

Adam sighed and watched appreciatively as Kurt sauntered slowly out of the room. 


	70. Chapter 70

They left the apartment a little later than planned, but still managed to get to Dr. Hanover’s on time. The good thing was they didn’t need to wait very long. Kurt was very affectionate this morning. At first he wanted to rest his head on Adam’s shoulder, but since other people and pets were in the waiting room, and weren’t doing anything that demonstrative, he discouraged it.

“Kurt, this isn’t the time for that,” he whispered, and gently nudged Kurt’s head away with his own.

Kurt sighed, but sat up straighter.

He didn’t want him to see it as an outright rejection, so he picked up Kurt’s nearer hand and held it. Kurt beamed at him, and relaxed.

Adam had, of course, brought his laptop. He wasn’t sure he wanted to add things like the intimate details of their relationship. In fact, he was quite certain he didn’t. But he had plenty of other inspiration.

He sat up straighter as he thought of something he’d forgotten.

“Kurt, I just realized,” he whispered, “I forgot to bring Harriet. I don’t know if you want to change while you’re waiting for me –“

“It’s okay.” Kurt reached into his messenger bag and brought out the familiar pink mouse. “I thought it might be a good idea to have her, just to hold onto, if I get nervous or anything.”

“Good idea, glad you planned ahead,” Adam praised him. It might not seem like something to encourage, Kurt hanging onto Harriet as a comfort object as a human, but then, he wasn’t a typical 18-year-old boy, either. It seemed wiser to let Kurt decide when he was ready to give her up, at least as a human.

Adam stifled a sigh. When he’d thought of finding a long-term boyfriend, or someone to spend the rest of his life with, he hadn’t had Kurt in mind. He’d been thinking of someone more like Jesse, but, well, look how that had turned out!

He may not have daydreamed of someone like Kurt, certainly not a hybrid. And yet, somehow he’d stumbled upon someone who was so right for him, it was almost scary. But he’d never been so content with anyone before.

Kurt stopped petting Harriet and slipped her into the front pocket of his shirt. Adam could barely see her fuschia nose sticking out. Kurt still hadn’t had time to make a little dress or whatever for her, but he was sure when he did, it would not only fit her, but would look appropriately Harriet-like.

Adam rolled his eyes and wondered when he would stop thinking of the little toy mouse as Kurt’s pet. He supposed it might be around the same time Kurt, as human and cat, stopped thinking of her that way.

 

 

Sara came out to get Kurt. He recognized her, so wasn’t concerned about going with her, even though Adam was staying behind.

“Leash on or off?” Adam asked her. “I can keep it with me.”

“Whatever Kurt prefers, since it’s not a physical exam or vet appointment.”

Adam nodded.

“Really? Um…” Kurt was thinking quickly. It would give him something to do with his hands, to play with it, or just touch it or something, but he really didn’t want to be distracted, either.

“Can you hold onto it for me?” he asked Adam quietly.

“Of course.” Adam unsnapped the leash, and put it in his jacket pocket, leaving Kurt with his collar and bell.

“I’ll see you in a while,” Adam said, keeping his voice low.

Kurt nodded and gave him a quick smile. “See you later.” He resisted the urge to kiss him, sensing it wouldn’t be as welcome now as it would with fewer people around.

He remembered he would have to refer to the vet as Dr. Hanover now, not Gabriel. It was okay; he was used to using more formal names rather than first or nicknames.

Sara knocked on the door, which was slightly open, and Dr. Hanover told him to come in. Kurt thanked her, and took a deep breath. He knew he had no reason to be nervous, and Adam couldn’t be with him every minute. He knew this was supposed to be his time to talk about himself, or even talk about Adam, without him being there. It just seemed odd to be without his owner or another authority figure. Except, wasn’t the vet an authority figure? He sighed to himself and relaxed a bit.

This office was different than the examining room he’d seen before, or the office with the big desk in it. This was a more open room, and he quickly realized it was because there was no desk at all. There were several comfortable chairs, including a recliner, and a sofa.

Dr. Hanover was standing near the window, looking outside. He turned when Kurt entered the room, and pulled the blinds. Kurt didn’t mind, because in some ways the sunlight was distracting.

“Hello, Kurt. Please sit wherever you’d like. If you’d prefer to lie down on the couch, you can do that, but try not to fall asleep.”

He smiled slightly as he said it, so Kurt knew it wasn’t a rebuke.

“I guess that’s what most people do when they see a shrink – psychiatrist,” he amended, “I’m sorry.”

“That‘s okay,” Dr. Hanover reassured him. “That’s why I have it here, it’s an option, if that’s what you want. You don’t have to think about it a lot, I just want you to be comfortable and relaxed.”

“Oh, okay.”

Kurt chose one of the deep, padded leather chairs that seemed to almost swallow him up. He hoped he’d be able to get out of it by himself when it was time to leave. But it was very soothing. He was restless however, and wasn’t sure why. At the moment he was perfectly content to stay in his human form.

Dr. Hanover sat in a chair that wasn’t quite as deep or padded, even though his legs were longer. He was sitting up straighter. But then Kurt saw he had a notepad and a pen.

Dr. Hanover must have noticed him looking. He explained, “I’m going to take some notes while we talk, so I can remember things accurately later, but it’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“I’m not worried,” Kurt said without thinking. He paused a moment, and realized it was true, so he relaxed again.

Dr. Hanover leaned forward slightly. “Now, this is supposed to be about you, a chance for you to talk about anything that’s bothering you, or whatever is on your mind that you might want to talk to me about. You can talk about Adam, especially if there’s anything relating to how you feel about him or how he treats you, but I mainly want to know how you’re doing. Whatever you tell me is confidential, so you don’t have to worry about it getting back to Adam.”

“Okay,” Kurt agreed. He opened his messenger bag and removed the list he’d made. “I wrote down some things I wanted to talk to you about, or ask you about. Adam said we might not have time to get to everything, but it’s okay. He said to talk about the most important things first, and we can always get to the other things later.”

He set the bag down next to the chair, and hoped he’d remember it when he left. 

“That’s fine. Just take your time, I realize you might not have things written down in order of importance.”

Kurt nodded. 

“Um, there’s one thing I didn’t put on the list. Or, actually, it’s there, but things have changed.”

Dr. Hanover didn’t say anything, but waited for him to continue.

Kurt wet his lips with his tongue, and coughed, realizing this might not be as easy to talk about as he’d thought.

“Would you like some water?”

“Yes, please.”

Dr. Hanover brought him a bottle of water from the small refrigerator in the corner, that Kurt just now noticed. He thanked him, and after taking a couple of sips, put the cap back on and set it on the floor on the other side of the chair.

“Okay. You know how last time we were here, I was kind of upset that Adam and I hadn’t had sex yet? And I was thinking maybe he didn’t want me? And you said you’d tell him it was okay for hybrids, it wasn’t the same as for regular guys my age?”

He winced as he realized he’d asked several questions, but the vet didn’t seem upset or confused.

“Yes,” he said simply, and waited.

Kurt had some more water while he tried to think of the right words.

“Well, this morning we – we were supposed to maybe do something last night, but I fell asleep, I guess. Adam must have put me to bed, ‘cause I woke up really early in his bed. He was sound asleep, and I remembered we were maybe gonna do something. He said he wanted me to sleep with him last night, sleep as in mostly sleep, and we’d see what else. But I couldn’t stay awake. So this morning I woke up before Adam and took my shower and got cleaned up, changed into pajama pants, and I guess fell asleep again.”

He didn’t think the vet needed a lot of detail, so he just told him vaguely what happened. “I’m not worried anymore that maybe Adam doesn’t like me that way,” he concluded. “But I really am glad we waited, like Adam said, so we were both really ready. It just makes me feel a lot better, about myself, to know he does want me like that.”

He drank more water and waited for a response.

“It sounds like it was a positive experience for both of you, and neither of you was upset about it, right?”

“No, right.” Kurt shook his head, then nodded. “I mean, we were both fine with it.”

“Good. You look happier than when I saw you last, even from seeing you a couple of days ago. But you also seem a little agitated or restless.”

Kurt realized he’d been drumming the fingers of one hand on the chair arm, and tried to stop.

“Oh, yeah. I’m a little restless, but I don’t know why. But it’s a good thing. It’s not like I want to change right now. I guess I have a little more energy than usual.”

“Tell me more about that.”

“Well, I feel a lot better, I mean physically – um, the massage Adam gave me last night, as a human, I mean, that was really nice. It hurt a little bit, when he was trying to loosen some of the muscles in my shoulders that are really tight, but it was also soothing. I think I fell asleep before he was finished, though. But my whole body feels, I don’t know…more alive, maybe? I can’t really explain.”

“What about the sexual intimacy – did you feel different afterwards? I mean, aside from the usual reaction you might have to an orgasm.”

“I’m not sure I – oh, well, yeah.” He realized he wasn’t making much sense except to himself. “I mean, it was really different, somebody else touching me like that, and doing things I haven’t had done before. But it’s not just that. It’s because it was Adam, and I love him. And he loves me. I’m not sure if I’d have the same physical reaction to anyone else – well, maybe I would, I’m not sure. The other hybrids at the store didn’t seem all that picky, and some of them sort of experimented with each other, a little, if they could get away without Mr. Will or Miss Emma seeing or complaining. But there wasn’t any – huh, now that I think about it, the others were usually good about backing off if the other hybrid they liked wasn’t interested. There were only a few that liked me like that, and they all were different about my reaction.”

“Do you want to tell me more about that? It seems to be troubling you a little.”

Kurt shook his head. “More like puzzling me. Well, yeah, one was –“ He sighed. “Let me tell you in the order it happened, and maybe I can make more sense. 

“I was one of the first hybrids at the New Directions Pet Store when Mr. Will and Miss Emma took over. They used to be teachers, but he inherited the store, and decided they wanted to sell hybrids that could sing. They tried to train the ones that were already there, and I think traded them to another store or something if they couldn’t sing or really didn’t want to. 

“They had me brought there because when I was tested to see what kind of pet I might be used for, they were told I could sing. I think I was technically classified as someone who might be best in a home with small children, as a babysitter or entertainer for them, something like that.

“Anyway, one of the other cats, Mercedes, liked me. We were friends, sort of. Well, I thought of her as a friend, and I guess maybe she wanted more. She was really angry when I told her I like boys, not girls, romantically anyway, and she stopped talking to me. She was one of the first ones who was adopted after we got there, so she wasn’t there that long.

“Then there was Brittany, and she was another cat. I thought she wanted to play, but she mainly wanted to wrestle, and kept rubbing up against me. This was when we were cats, and people, too. I didn’t like it, but couldn’t figure out what she wanted. Then Santana, who liked Brittany, came over and hissed and me and pulled her away. After that Brit pretty much left me alone.

“Then there was Dave.” He heaved a huge sigh and finished off the water bottle. He held it in his hands and crushed it slowly as he spoke. “He was a dog hybrid, and he was big, and always seemed to be angry about something. I thought he hated me. Dog and cat hybrids don’t get along much better than regular dogs and cats do. I mean, some get along, but usually the instinct is to stay away from each other. But Dave was always pushing me around, hitting me, stealing my food, calling me names, making fun of me. He made me feel like I was totally useless and would never get adopted. 

“Then one day, we were the last ones left in the shower room. He cornered me, standing with his arms on either side of me so I couldn’t get away. I knew they’d come looking for us in a few minutes, at most. I didn’t know what he wanted, whether he was going to just beat me up, or what. But he tried to kiss me. I managed to change to my other shape just in time, and ran out into the shop, screeching my head off. Miss Emma tried to calm me down, and Mr. Will went back to see where I came from, and saw Dave in the shower room, naked, still in person form. 

“I don’t know what happened after that, but I tried to stay in cat form as much as I could. He was kept locked in his cage, and always had a staff member escort him whenever he wasn’t in the cage. But he was adopted a couple of weeks later, so I didn’t have to worry about him anymore. But I noticed the others didn’t bother me as much, so I kept to my animal form as much as I could.”

He looked around and saw a trash can near the door. He threw the squashed plastic bottle in it, and grinned briefly when it landed safely inside.

He tried to remember what they’d been talking about before he started talking about the other hybrids.

“Um, what was your question? I think I lost it somewhere in there,” he admitted hesitantly.

“That’s fine.” Dr. Hanover got another bottle of water and handed it to him. When he returned to his chair, he glanced down at his notes, as though he, too, had gotten a bit confused. “I had asked you whether you felt different, after being with Adam, than you normally did, perhaps after mast—“

“Uh, yeah,” Kurt interrupted him. He could feel his face flushing. “It was different. I felt loved, for one thing. I didn’t feel alone anymore. But physically, yeah, I was tired, maybe more than usual. But we had to get here, so I asked Adam to change the water to cold, and that woke me up. I feel more confident, too, emotionally, but physically… I just feel more alive. I’m not sure how else to describe it.”

“That’s fine.” Dr. Hanover took some more notes, and Kurt waited until he had his attention again.

“Kurt, most of the hybrids I see aren’t comfortable talking to me about any of this. If I try to ask them questions, to make sure they’re not being abused, they get nervous, and change the subject, or refuse to answer. Even if they seem to really love their owner, they don’t want to talk about it. It’s helpful to me that you’re trying to be as articulate as possible, so I can have a better understanding of other differences between human, animal, and hybrid physiology. I know female cats go into heat, and female hybrid cats, but males don’t. But it still seems they have a biological imperative to mate. I’m trying to figure out if it’s pure biology, the urge to reproduce, or if there’s something else involved as well.”

Kurt shook his head. “I know I’m never going to get a female pregnant, and I can’t get pregnant, obviously, so I’ll never have kids of my own. But I would someday really like to have a child to take care of. There’s this nurturing instinct, that I think must be a hybrid thing. 

“What I really need, though, is affection, from someone who loves me. Like when I told Adam I just really need him to hug me sometimes. It doesn’t have to lead to sex. It can, that would be fine, too, but it’s more about the reassurance, knowing I’m loved, and being able to show love in return. I don’t know what I’d do if I’d been bought by someone I couldn’t actually love, or who didn’t love me. I feel like I might just wither away and die.”

Dr. Hanover fixed his gaze on him. “That’s the type of thing that really concerns me. It’s a real problem, I think, for the hybrids and owners who don’t mutually fall in love. I don’t know if it’s worse for the hybrid to truly love someone who doesn’t love them back, or to never love their owner.”

“Is that one of those things that sometimes makes the hybrids try to kill themselves?” Kurt asked softly, remembering what he’d heard about Harold.

“It could be.” Dr. Hanover paused, and leaned forward. 

“I’d like to identify those potential situations, and help the hybrid to find another solution to their problem. Maybe it’s just a case of mismatch of pet and owner, and it might be better for the owner to return the pet to the store, so they both have a better chance at finding what they’re looking for. But it’s very hard to explain that to an owner, and they don’t usually listen to me.”

Kurt sighed, not knowing what to say.

Dr. Hanover sat up straight again. 

“How are you feeling about living with Adam, in other ways? Are you adapting, or do you have any concerns or fears?”

Kurt wasn’t sure why he was asking about that. “No, I like living with Adam. There’s a lot of stuff to think about, but nothing I’m really worried about. Oh, yeah. Last night, Adam said he’s been writing a book about me. Sort of. Inspired by me, I guess. About living with a hybrid pet, well, me specifically. He wanted me to know about it, and said he’s not going to try to get it published, or show it to anybody else if I don’t want. And if there’s anything in it I don’t want people to know, if I tell him, he’ll take it out. But he wants to know how I feel about it, and I’m not sure. He thinks it might help people who don’t have hybrids understand a little more what it’s like to have one, I guess, and for people that have them to realize they maybe don’t know – wait, let me try again.”

He took a deep breath, then released it slowly. “Okay. He said he’s writing it the way he sees things, but it might not be right, for me or my feelings. He said he could put in some scenes from my point of view, so people could realize they might not know as much about their pets as they think. Like he might think I felt one way about something, but maybe I felt differently, and he won’t know till I tell him. And that might make people realize, just because they think they know what their pet is thinking or feeling, they might be wrong.”

He drank more water.

Dr. Hanover nodded. “How do you feel about all this? Do you think it’s a good idea, or does it make you feel uncomfortable?”

Kurt thought about it. “I don’t know. I need to read it first, or have him read it to me. Probably better to read it myself. But I trust him. I mean, maybe he’s wrong about some things, but he’s really trying to understand me, and I think he wants to do what’s best for me. It might be really good for other people to see how --  Well, we’re different from other owners and pets, so it might make some people mad, but it might help some of them. 

“Maybe someone will want to adopt a hybrid and give them a good home, if they hadn’t thought about it before. Or maybe someone who already has a hybrid might start to think differently about them. It might help some people decide not to get a hybrid, which might be a problem, because if they don’t get adopted, they’ll be put to sleep. But Adam said they might start thinking about whether it’s good for them to take us away from our families. Like what we were talking about the other night.”

He bit his lip worriedly. “Is it okay to talk about that?”

“Yes,” Dr. Hanover confirmed. “Like I said, whatever you say here is confidential.”

Kurt shrugged and looked at the floor.

“Okay. It’s just… I know you guys want to make changes, and maybe it’s a good idea. But what happens before the changes get made, or while the government is deciding things? ‘Cause I’ve heard Dad say it takes them a long time to make any changes to the laws. And what about the hybrids who aren’t getting adopted in the meantime? What’s going to happen to them?”

Dr. Hanover spoke softly, and Kurt had to lean forward a little to hear. He looked up, so he could see his face better.

“These are very complicated issues, Kurt, and unfortunately I can’t give you any answers right now. I think this book of Adam’s sounds fascinating, and it might very well cause some people to look differently at hybrid pets. But I think the best thing, for now, would be for you to read it, and let him know what you think about it.

“These social changes _are_ going to take a long time. They always do. I don’t think anything is going to happen right away. For now, you’ve got enough to adjust to with your own new life. I’m not saying you shouldn’t think about these things, but it’s a lot to try to figure out when you’re still so new to the adoption part of things. But after you read Adam’s book, or what he has of it so far, I’d like to know what you think.”

“I was wondering if you might want to read it, I mean, before he sends it out anywhere.”

Dr. Hanover nodded, and looked as enthusiastic as Kurt had seen him that day.

“Yes, I really would, if that’s okay with him.” He glanced at his watch.

“But for the rest of today’s session, is there anything else you want to talk about? Your father’s visit, perhaps?”

Kurt nodded. “It was great, I loved seeing him again. And he brought a lot of my old stuff from home, including my cat Phoebe. My stuffed cat – toy cat, you know. And Carole, his wife, she knitted that scarf I was wearing. And he brought some other things I’d missed having, and this photo album my mom started. He has copies of all the pictures. He and Adam made a video of me playing the piano and singing, and we got some pictures of me and Dad. There was a lot of stuff going on. We took him to the airport last night."

He sighed, missing his dad already, but it wasn’t as painful as he’d thought.

“I think I’m adapting pretty well. He and Adam got along really well, considering.

“Even though I’m sad he left, I was thinking about something this morning in the car. I haven’t really had a chance to talk to Adam about it yet. The way Adam treats me, it’s a lot better than I expected. He’s really trying to treat me like a boyfriend, not a pet, at least when we’re home and I’m human.

“I was thinking, what if I was human, and I’d stayed at home till I went to college, and then I met Adam? If I went to New York, I wouldn’t be living at home any more anyway, and I probably wouldn’t see Dad all that often. ‘Cause regular people, when you move away from home, you don’t see your parents as much, especially, it seems, once you’ve got a boyfriend. At least, it’s that way in movies and books. I’ve got Adam now, and all these other people, who might become like real friends, in my life.

“It used to be just me and Dad, for years, and before that it was just Mom with us. I wasn’t all that used to being around other people, maybe not even as much as other hybrids, I’m not sure. But I’m not scared anymore that the only person who cares about me is someone I’m never allowed to see again. Adam cares about me just as much, just in a different way, and Dad said that’s good. And I don’t think Dad is that worried about me anymore, because he saw I’m okay, and Adam’s taking care of me, and he knows Adam will let him call or visit whenever he wants.”

He stopped to catch his breath, and waited patiently for Dr. Hanover to respond.

“That seems like a very healthy attitude. There was a time when it made sense for you and your father to be very concerned about each other, because you had no one else. Now you have Adam, and he has Carole. Now you can both focus a bit more on your own lives, because you don’t have that worry in the back of your mind about each other. You know you’re each in good hands.”

Kurt nodded. “I hadn’t even realized how much I was worried, because I tried not to think about it a lot because I couldn’t do anything about it. But when Adam brought it up, it hit me really hard. Maybe because I had been ignoring it for so long. It’s not like the worry went away, it just got shoved aside until I could look at it more easily.

“It’s weird, some of the other hybrids at the store were homesick, and missed their parents, but some never talked about their home or parents at all. I mean, if Mr. Will or Miss Emma heard anyone talking about that stuff, they’d remind us it’s better to let go of our past, and not get sad about it. They said it was better to think about the future, and how some day we’d be adopted and have new homes, and have someone new to care about us.”

“Did it help, that type of advice?”

Kurt sighed deeply. “Not for me. I think it eventually got through to some of the others. But I heard Mr. Will sometimes when he thought I couldn’t hear him. I think he forgot most of us have really good hearing. He thought my dad had really spoiled me, and made me think I was better than I was, special somehow, and it was going to make it hard for me to be adopted, because of my attitude.”

“What did he mean about your attitude?”

“I guess just that I wasn’t all smiling and jumping around and trying to get attention when people came in the store. He told me a few times I wasn’t trying hard enough. He said people wanted happy pets, not gloomy sourpusses that scowled at them.”

It looked like Dr. Hanover was struggling not to smile, but he wasn’t sure why.

“And were you scowling at the potential customers on purpose?”

“Yeah. I didn’t want to be adopted by just anybody, and I didn’t like anyone that came into the store. I wanted to either find the right person, or no one at all. I knew that meant I might end up being euthanized, but I thought that would be a lot better than ending up with someone who would hurt me, or ignore me, or treat me like an animal. The way they’d treat a regular pet, treat me like that all the time. And I didn’t want that.”

He paused and thought about it a little more. “I guess maybe my dad did spoil me. He kept telling me that I mattered, that I was important, and to not listen to all the people who would tell me I was nothing but a dumb animal, because they were idiots who didn’t know any better. One time he said he felt sorry for all those people who thought we were just our animal selves, and only looked like people some of the time, but still were animals inside. He said a lot of people were ignorant, and it was too damn bad, for us and for them, that they didn’t know any better. Then he’d start talking about the government, and how they needed to do a better job of educating us, and also the public, about what we were really like.”

He grinned as he remembered something else. “He also said, maybe it was just me, maybe I was special, because he thought I was smarter and more talented than the average hybrid. Or human, for that matter.”

Realizing what he’d said, the smile disappeared and he looked down at his feet.

“I guess I shouldn’t say that. I mean, it’s okay for him to say that, because he’s human, but it’s not right for me to say it.”

“Why not?”

He looked up at the vet.

“What do you mean?”

“Why can’t you say you’re smarter and more talented than the average human?”

“Because it’s insulting.” He thought it would be obvious.

Dr. Hanover opened his mouth, then closed it again. After a moment he spoke.

“I’m not insulted to hear you say that. And I’m sure there are other people who wouldn’t be upset. But I realize some people would be, so I guess it’s meant to protect you from making someone angry. 

“I know it’s got to be confusing for you, because society as a whole is trying to keep you down, put you in what they think is your place. On the other hand, your father, and Adam, and others, want to lift you out of that little box society has placed you in. They want to see you be more free than you’re allowed to be, which I admit is a problem.”

He looked directly at Kurt, and wasn’t writing anything down.

“What I’m saying is, many hybrids just accept their lot in life. Perhaps their parents treat them the way they’re expected to, and they want their child to get used to thinking and behaving as their future owner will expect them to. For whatever reason, your father felt differently. That makes it much more complicated for you, because the way you were raised conflicts so much with what everyone else is telling you. It’s different than the way you were trained to think about yourself.”

“Yeah, Mr. Will used to get so frustrated, because at first I didn’t want to go along with the way everyone else was treated. And I guess it made them mad, the other hybrids, because I was arguing about things, and they weren’t.” He stopped to consider it. “I guess they were trying to accept things the best they could, and here I was, talking back, not cooperating, and I guess they saw it as me thinking I was better than them. And it wasn’t that way, really, I just couldn’t figure out why they didn’t see things like I did. I didn’t realize just how differently my dad saw things, and that he treated me so different.”

Dr. Hanover looked at his watch again. “I’m sorry, we’re just about out of time for today. But these are really important things to think about, Kurt. We can continue talking about them, or other things, the next time I see you.”

“Okay. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take up too much time.”

“You didn’t. There’s no need to apologize. But I do need to talk to Adam soon. I do want you to try something, though, before you go. This is something that used to help me when I was away at college, and had too many things on my mind. Often painful things.”

Kurt nodded his understanding.

“Close your eyes for a moment. Try to picture this:  In your mind is a box. Later on you can design it, decorate it however you like. Maybe drawing a picture will help. But for now, there’s a plain, ordinary box in a corner of your mind. I want you to lift the lid, and put in there any thoughts that are distracting, or too upsetting to think about. Pretend each problem or issue is written on a piece of paper, and put those papers in the box. Then close the lid, and lock it. Make sure you know where you’re going to keep the key.

“You can always go back to that box at any time, and take those pieces of paper out and look at them. See if they still bother you, or are still things you need to think about. If you don’t need them, you can wad them up or tear them up and throw them away. If there’s one you need to concentrate on, put the others away, and focus on that. Any that you don’t get to will always be waiting for you. Just make sure if anything is an obligation of some kind, or something you have to do, you’ll need to look at it soon, and not keep putting it back in the box.”

He was silent, and Kurt tried to picture it. For right now it was a plain white box with a lid that fit neatly on top of it. But it also had a lock; half was on the lid, and the other half was on the box. When the lid was in place, the two halves could slide together and be locked tightly. He quickly changed it to a combination lock, so he didn’t need a key at all. The combination would be the date Adam adopted him. He could remember that.

He opened his eyes and looked at Dr. Hanover, hoping he hadn’t taken too much time.

“I have the box, and a combination lock for it, but I haven’t put any of the problems in it yet. But at least I know the box is there and I can use it.”

Dr. Hanover smiled warmly at him and stood up. 

“That’s great, Kurt, you’ve got the idea. Just put those issues in the box when you’re ready.

“Sara will take you back to the same resting area you were at before. You can stay human, or change, whatever you’re more comfortable with. There’s food, water, a litter box, and bed for you as a cat, or a bed for you as a human. If you need to go to the bathroom, let Sarah know, and she can take you to the restroom. If you’re hungry, she’ll give you a snack.”

“I think I’ll stay human, for now. Adam said we need to stop at the grocery store on the way back, and I need to be human for that.”

He stood up, with a little difficulty, but nothing hurt, so he thought he might try the same chair again the next time. Or maybe a different one. It was nice to be able to make the choice on his own. 

He picked up his messenger bag and followed Sarah to the comfortable room. He didn’t need to go to the bathroom, but he was hungry. She brought him a fruit cup with a spoon, a small carton of milk, and a little bag of the goldfish crackers he loved. Maybe Adam would get him some when they went to the grocery store.

When he was finished with his snack, he stretched and did a few exercises, then made himself comfortable on the cot. He still had a lot of things on his mind, but he knew he should think about them later. He mentally wrote them on pieces of paper, and one by one put them into the little box in his mind that said LATER in purple glitter, and closed it, and spun the combination lock. 

He wondered if he should tell Adam about that little trick? Or maybe even create an actual box, that he could keep in his room or closet. Whenever something upset him, or he needed more time to think about it, he could write it out and put it in the box, and it would stay there till he needed it.

He took Harriet out of his pocket and held her close to his face. He had no trouble falling asleep.


	71. Chapter 71

Adam was sure Kurt was comfortably settled in the little relaxation area, but he had to ask.

“Yes, he’s fine,” Dr. Hanover assured him. “He’s resting, in his human form, and he’ll be ready to go when you’re done.”

“Good!” Adam relaxed further into the seat, a comfortable, overstuffed leather one that was deep enough to sink into. “He’s doing so well in a lot of areas, but I think he’s still got some adjusting to do when it comes to abandonment and trust issues.”

“We’re actually here to talk about you right now,” Dr. Hanover reminded him. “How are _you_ doing?”

Adam sighed and ran one hand through his hair. “I’m fine. A little tired, but we both are. I’m so glad Kurt got to see his father, and Burt was able to see he’s alright. It would have been very sticky if he hadn’t approved of me.”

Dr. Hanover made some notes, then asked, “Now that the visit is over, do you feel better about things in general?”

“Yes, I think so. I’d been wanting to meet Kurt’s father, to see the kind of person who could raise someone like him. He did an incredible job, I think, of helping Kurt to feel good about himself.”

Dr. Hanover’s voice was mild, but his words stung a bit. “Bringing it back to you, though, was it difficult or stressful to have Kurt’s father there? To have someone else staying there, when you’re used to being alone, and you’re still getting used to Kurt?”

Adam shrugged and began tapping his fingers on one knee. “It was fine. It really wasn’t much trouble, and Burt and Kurt both helped with the meals and dishes, so it worked out. We ran some errands, got some tools and books for Kurt, and me as well, actually.”

He paused, considering. 

“I don’t know how much of this Kurt has already told you.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Dr. Hanover advised him. “Just talk about what you want to talk about. I know Kurt is a huge part of your life now, but this is the time for you to talk about yourself. Maybe things you can’t discuss with anyone else. It can be related to Kurt, of course, but it doesn’t have to be. I want you to get used to the idea that it’s okay to have some time just for yourself, and this is one of those times.”

Adam nodded thoughtfully. “Well, I wanted to give you a progress report, of sorts, on something we discussed before. Now that Burt is gone, and Kurt is more relaxed, and I am too, I decided it was time for us to become more intimate.”

“You decided?” Dr. Hanover asked, “Or you and he together decided?”

Adam’s eyes widened. He hadn’t meant it to come out like that. “I guess we both decided. I mean, I think he’s been ready much longer than I have. But he was definitely willing and consenting. If he hadn’t been, I certainly wouldn’t have done anything.”

“You sound a little defensive about it, Adam. What’s that about?”

Adam sighed, wondering why the doctor wasn’t getting it. “Well, I just mean, it’s important to me that he want it as much as I do, and I don’t want to seem like one of those insensitive owners who doesn’t really care what their pet wants or doesn’t want.”

Dr. Hanover nodded. “Okay. You’ve established that before.” 

Adam was a bit frustrated. He was going over it again because it was important to him. He tried again.

“I guess I feel a little guilty, _now_ , for not outright asking him. I told him I wanted him to sleep in my bed with me, as a human, mostly for sleeping, and we’d see how things go.”

Dr. Hanover’s voice was calm, though his words were annoying. “A lot of pets might not speak up. But don’t you think Kurt would have said something if he really objected to that idea?”

“Of course he would have! He knows he doesn’t have to be afraid of saying ‘no’ to me.” 

“Okay. It sounds like you’re saying, since you were the one holding back, you finally decided _you_ were ready, and Kurt seemed fine with the idea.”

“Yeah, that about sums it up,” Adam agreed.

“Do you think it’s brought you closer together, has maybe helped your relationship?”

“Yes, of course it has. In some ways we’ve been a lot more intimate emotionally than physically, up to now, so this will probably just enhance the whole relationship. At least, one would hope that will happen.” He had a troubling thought, and tried to push it away. Kurt was NOT Jesse.

Adam sighed heavily. “But now that you bring it up, how am I supposed to know when I should include Kurt in decision-making, and when I should just tell him what we’re doing or where we’re going?”

“How have you made those decisions these last few weeks?” the doctor countered.

“I guess it depends on the situation, how things feel at the time, if I think it’s something that he really needs to help decide, or to decide for himself, things like that. As you know, I’ve been trying to help him be more comfortable in making his own decisions.”

“Okay. Since both you and Kurt are comfortable with writing lists, and it can be helpful to plan ahead, I’m going to give you a homework assignment between now and the next time I see you. This is just as assignment for you. I gave Kurt a different one.” 

Adam sat up straighter, curious about where this was going.

“I want to you write two lists, on separate pieces of paper. One is for situations that might come up where you think you’ll want to talk to Kurt about ahead of time, and get his input. The other is for times you think it will be fine to not bother consulting him. It might help clarify things in your mind, so you won’t be worrying about it as much when something does come up. You don’t have to think of every possible situation, but enough to make you more comfortable when similar things come up.”

Adam nodded as the thought about it. “Good idea. Speaking of that…” He told Dr. Hanover about the book, and finally telling Kurt about it.

Dr. Hanover nodded, but didn’t say anything.

“Did he already talk to you about that?” Adam asked.

He hesitated a moment before answering, “I can’t tell you what we did or didn’t talk about. You can always ask him later, but let him know he doesn’t have to give you an answer.”

“Of course. I’ll work that out with him, later, after he’s had a chance to read it.”

“What else did you want to talk about today?”

There were so many things, and they almost all involved Kurt.

“Oh, I know. I’m supposed to give Kurt a bath, as a cat, every now and then. But I was wondering, is there some specific kind of soap or is just any kind okay?”

The corners of Dr. Hanover’s lips turned up. “You’ll want to use shampoo. You’re mostly washing his fur, though you’ll want to get down to the skin. However, soap will dry his skin.”

“He won’t be pleased with that,” Adam muttered.

“There are a few different brands, and they’re all about the same, but make sure it says it’s for hybrid cats. It’s a little on the expensive side…”

“What isn’t, with Kurt?” Adam wondered. “Not that I mind, but he does seem to have expensive tastes.”

Dr. Hanover grinned briefly. “You can get it at any hybrid pet store. They might sell it at a pharmacy or grocery store, but a pet store will have the best selection. Some types are better for short-haired cats, others for long-haired cats. The rest is similar to the different types of shampoo options for humans.”

“Right. Maybe I’d better bring him with me. I’m sure he’ll have an opinion on the matter.”

“There you go,” Gabriel commented. “See, you already know some things you’ll want to consult with Kurt, and which things you could just buy without asking him.”

“Mm, yes, I suppose so.” 

Adam frowned, but decided to ask the question anyway. “I know this is still about Kurt, but it’s something that might affect me, too. Since I’ve brought him home, he’s been affectionate, and wants to be close to me, preferably touching me, pretty much every minute of the day. When he’s a cat, he might wander off and play for a while on his own, but he always comes back, and needs to be with me. It’s not that I mind, exactly, but I’ve spent the last five years living alone, and I’m not used to it. It’s like he’s starved for touch. But maybe I am, too, for that matter. And I have to admit, it’s very nice, and I often feel calmer when he’s right next to me and I’m holding his hand or something. The problem is, it’s not really in my nature to be that openly affectionate.”

He told the doctor about Kurt wanting to put his head on his shoulder, and how he’d resolved that. “He’s usually pretty good when we’re in public, about not attracting undue attention, but I have a feeling that he may start clinging more, now that things are more physical between us.”

He waited to see if Dr. Hanover could give him any insights, or if this was one of those things he’d have to figure out on his own.

Dr. Hanover leaned forward and met Adam’s eyes directly. “It’s not uncommon for hybrids to be highly affectionate with their owner, especially if they have a sexual relationship, but usually not in public. It’s just a matter of training Kurt, or him training himself, perhaps, to wait until you’re alone to be more demonstrative. However, if you’re comfortable with holding his hand, that may be sufficient for him, or at least help him relax.

“It takes a while for hybrids to get used to going out in public, and being surrounded by other people again, especially if they’ve been in the store for a long time and have maybe forgotten how they’re supposed to behave. There’s always a certain amount of training involved, but you and Kurt have already gone through some of that. If Kurt gets anxious, or restless, and you’re in public, see if holding his hand will settle him.”

Adam nodded decisively. “Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem. Sometimes I have him walk beside me and hold onto me, or my hand, when we’re in public, if he’s nervous, or I’m afraid we may get separated, even with the leash.”

“It sounds like a good idea, to keep him as calm as possible when you’re out in public. If letting him touch you, in a casual way, benefits him, and makes it harder for you to be separated, I don’t see a reason not to do it.”

“I was just thinking, though, there’s that thing about the pet staying two steps behind the owner.”

Dr. Hanover shrugged. “That’s more of a guideline, and most people seem to be fine with it. But you shouldn’t actually get in any kind of trouble if you’re holding his hand, as well as holding the leash. You shouldn’t have him off the leash yet, unless it’s in a place like this, where you’re expected to be separated for a bit.”

Adam nodded. “It’s the same thing at the gym we go to. They welcome hybrids, but for safety purposes the leash needs to be off, and they should stay close to their owner.”

He was silent a moment, thinking what he should discuss next. There were so many different issues.

Dr. Hanover broke the silence. “How did things go last week? It sounded like you both had quite a busy schedule, even before Kurt’s father arrived.”

Adam brightened as he thought about the previous week.

“Everything went really well. Kurt was thrilled that I took him to see his favorite Broadway musical, _Wicked_. And it just so happened that my ex, Jesse, was working at the theater as an usher. He spotted me, and came over to help us find our seats. He wanted to talk to me, actually, and I could tell Kurt was getting rather territorial. I was afraid he might try to mark me as his, in case Jesse didn’t understand.”

Dr. Hanover smiled. “Good thing he didn’t. You did explain that Jesse was an ex-boyfriend?”

“Oh, yes. He understands that now, and in fact, we’re going to have Jesse come over for lunch. He wants to bring someone with him. We haven’t worked out the details, but I have a feeling it’s his latest partner. I don’t know, but Kurt has nothing to worry about.

“But what I wanted to mention was, Jesse was able to get us backstage to see April Rhodes, one of the leads in the show.”

He decided not to bring up Shelby Corcoran and her possible connection to one of the other hybrids Kurt knew. That wasn’t really his story to tell, anyway.

“Kurt was so excited to meet Miss Rhodes. It was just the two of us in her dressing room visiting, and she seemed positively delighted with Kurt.” He told him in a little more detail about the meeting.

“I didn’t really think anything would come of it, but she called the other day, and wants to come over to see Kurt. He doesn’t know all the details, but I do want to show her a video recording I made of him singing at the piano.”

Dr. Hanover leaned forward. “That does sound like a fantastic opportunity. Do you know what she has in mind?”

“Not really. She said she’s got something going in the back of her mind and wants to talk to us about it. We’ll be seeing her Saturday.”

“You’re not overloading your schedule, are you? It seems to me both you and Kurt must still be tired from last week.”

“Erm, maybe a little tired, but there’s not that much planned this week. We’ll be having lunch with Jesse and his friend one day, and lunch with two of my friends on Wednesday, I believe. I don’t think we have any more appointments, though I suppose we’ll go to the gym once or twice. All of these things are only going to be for a couple of hours each, I think, so we should have plenty of time to rest. Kurt should have time to process one thing before the next happens, I hope.”

Dr. Hanover smiled. “I have faith in Kurt that he’s a lot smarter than we give him credit for. Not that either of us think he’s slow, but I think there’s a lot more going on in his brain than we realize.”

“Oh, I have no doubt of that. And he’s probably smarter than me, I’ll grant him that,” Adam admitted cheerfully. “Anyone who thinks hybrids are just dumb animals just hasn’t met the right ones. And it could be that some of them are playing dumb, because they’re smart enough to know it’s a good survival tactic.”

“I’m sure that’s the case with most of them. I think it’s possible they’re superior to us, and the government is trying to suppress them so they don’t end up making pets out of us.”

He wasn’t smiling as he said it, so Adam was pretty sure he was serious. He decided that was a concept he really didn’t want to think about.

“You could be right. Kurt said his mother’s parents were both hybrids, but that’s about all he knew. Burt said he adopted Elizabeth from a store shortly before she’d have been euthanized, and I guess that would have been in her records. But I think in that case they must have been bred, I mean, the owners breeding them to get a more valuable hybrid. Yet the result, Elizabeth, almost didn’t get adopted. Interesting.”

“Very. As much as I’d like to see an end to the hybrid adoptions, it can’t be stopped so abruptly. There needs to be a training period, for the current hybrids to learn to take care of themselves, for one thing. It will be a very slow process.”

“Maybe the best way to tackle the problem is from within,” Adam mused.

Dr. Hanover’s brows raised as he commented, “I’d really like to know what you mean by that, but we’re out of time. Perhaps we can discuss it next week.” he thought out loud. “You can make another appointment for next week, if you’d like, for just Kurt, or yourself as well.”

“I think we should maybe have a joint session next time,” Adam suggested. “Unless there are things Kurt wants to talk to you about privately.”

“Why don’t the two of you work that out, then call my office to schedule the appointment.”

Adam and Dr. Hanover stood at the same time. He took Adam to the patient resting area, and left him to wake Kurt.

Adam was about to say something to wake Kurt up, but he opened his eyes and looked at him, and smiled sleepily.

“Hey, is it time to go?”

“Yes. I thought you were asleep.”

Kurt sat up and stretched, and yawned so widely Adam was afraid his jaw would be dislocated.

“I was. I heard you come in.” He picked up Harriet and put her back into an inner pocket of his messenger bag. When he sat up, Adam fastened the leash onto his collar.

“Where to next? The grocery store?” Kurt asked as they left the room.

“Just a second.” Adam spoke to Sara briefly, and told her they’d call to schedule the next appointments.

As they walked out to the car, Adam said they needed to make two stops.

“The grocery store, definitely, but we also need to go to a pet store and get you some hybrid shampoo, for your cat baths. And maybe I can find that massager there too. And you can pick out some toys, if you see any you like.”

Kurt grinned. “Thanks, but maybe you can pick some out for me. You’ve done a great job with Harriet and Bernard.”

Adam took his hand and squeezed it. “Thank you, but I was thinking more in terms of toys you’d actually play with, rather than more furry friends. Why don’t you give it some thought, and let me know if there’s anything specific you’d like.”

“Okay. I’ll let you know if I see anything.”

Adam helped Kurt into the car, before getting in on his own side.

“Do you want to go to New Directions, or another store?”

Kurt stiffened, then relaxed a bit. “I don’t know. In a way I never want to see the place again, and in another, I’d like to go back and show them I’m doing really well, and I’m happy, and you love me.”

Adam grinned. “That’s just what I was thinking. On the other hand, I’m not sure I want to give them any more of my money.”

“Let’s not, then. We can always go another time, but for now, let’s go to a different pet store, please.”

Adam glanced over at Kurt, and saw he was biting his lip.

“No problem. I think I saw one not far from here.”

 

 

Kurt was nervous about going into the pet store, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint why. He should have known he couldn’t hide it from Adam.

“What’s the matter, Kurt? Do you not want to go in with me? I suppose you can stay in the car.”

No, he didn’t want that, either.

He shook his head, and looked up at Adam, who was holding the car door open for him.

“I’d rather go in with you.”

“Hm, rather than stay here, you mean. Well, if you want, we can just go to the grocery store, and I can go to a pet store later. Or you could stay at home, and I’ll do both. I don’t mind.”

Kurt hesitated, not sure what he wanted to say.

“Come on, say something, so I don’t feel like a complete idiot standing here with the door open.”

Adam’s tone was light, but Kurt knew he was concerned.

“It’s okay.” He stepped out of the car, and handed the end of his leash to Adam. “I don’t know what’s the matter, I can’t really explain it. I just…I’m nervous, even though it’s not the same store.”

Adam frowned as he closed the door and locked the car. “Are you worried they’re going to try to keep you there somehow? Don’t worry, I won’t let them. They’ll have to know you were never one of their pets anyway, right?”

“Yeah, they’ll know. I mean, that’s not really it. I just don’t feel that safe in one of those places.”

“Then here, hold my hand. Go on, it’s alright.”

“But I should –“

“Dr. Hanover said it’s fine for you to take my hand.”

He had to admit that eased his mind. He did trust the vet, and he certainly wouldn’t deliberately steer them wrong.

He didn’t mind at all holding Adam’s hand, in fact, it made him feel more secure. The end of the leash was looped around Adam’s wrist, and most of the leash hung down between them. It wasn’t low enough to touch the ground, or trip either of them up. In fact, if he really tried, maybe he could pretend the leash wasn’t even there, and they were just regular boyfriends, holding hands, going shopping together. It was a nice fantasy.

But of course, reality came crashing down as soon as they crossed the street to the store. The outside was very different from New Directions, but one thing was the same; there were pets displayed in the window. They were trying to entice would-be owners by looking friendly, adorable or seductive, depending on what they thought would work.

Kurt had rarely been put in the window, supposedly because it was a waste of time; he didn’t try hard enough to attract anyone into the store. He mostly looked down at the floor of the display, or stared vacantly across the street, mentally replacing the boring scenery with scenes from a movie, or childhood memories, or anything other than the stark reality of what was in front of him.

Those memories felt like they were going to crush the breath out of him, but he felt Adam squeezing his hand, and his voice was in his ear:  “Breathe.”

Kurt exhaled, then inhaled again. He’d found out the hard way that if he inhaled when startled like that, it just caused him to choke and cough.

He took a couple more deep breaths, then consciously tried to relax.

“It’s okay, Kurt. I’ve got you. I’m right here with you.”

He knew that; he did. There was no reason to feel lost and alone.

He couldn’t bring himself to look at the faces of the pets in the window. Not that he was likely to know any of them anyway.

Adam hurried them into the store, Ryerson’s Pet Emporium. They were greeted almost immediately by a tall, thin man who had a receding hairline and glasses. Something about him gave Kurt the creeps, and he moved even closer to Adam, and ducked his head down. It was expected, and also would keep the man from seeing his or Adam’s name on his collar.

The man glanced at Kurt, and looked him up and down.

“Well, I see you already have a pet, so are you looking for supplies? Or perhaps a second pet, to keep this one company, or to breed them?”

Kurt wouldn’t have been surprised if Adam had turned around and walked out of the store. His hand tightened briefly around Kurt’s, before relaxing slightly. Maybe he felt the same way Kurt did, that they’d just have to go through it with someone else, who might not be any more polite.

He could hear that Adam’s teeth were gritted, as he said, “We’re just here looking for a few things. Some shampoo for cat hybrids, and a massaging comb.”

The man nodded. “Very well. I’ll show you what we have.” 

He led them to a rack of bottles, containing shampoos for different types of hybrids. There seemed to be several different options for each type of animal. “Here are the ones for cat hybrids.”

The man looked at Kurt’s hair, and started to raise his hand as though he were going to touch it. Kurt flinched, and the salesman put his hand down. Adam stroked his hand with his thumb, a gesture no doubt meant to soothe him. It did help, a little.

Kurt forced himself to ignore the creepy man and look at the bottles. He pointed to one, and said softly, “That one, for long and silky, and the conditioner next to it.”

“Fine. We’ll take those.” Adam took one of each bottle before the salesman could say anything. He had to let go of Kurt’s hand to do it, and Kurt moved even closer.

“Very well,” the man sighed. 

Kurt didn’t know why he seemed disappointed. Perhaps the shampoo and conditioner weren’t expensive enough, the more cynical part of his mind thought.

“The combs are all over here. We have a couple of different types.”

They both looked at the combs, rakes, gloves and all the other tools designed for removing loose hair. Most of them offered some type of massage as well. 

“Would you like some help finding just the right thing?” the salesman asked hopefully.

“Thank you,” Adam said firmly, but with a smile on his face. “But I think we’ll be alright. I’ll let you know if we have any questions.”

The man backed off, but kept his eye on them while they searched.

“This one looks promising,” Adam whispered, picking up a glove that promised to pick up loose hair while massaging at the same time. It even had mesh on the other side, so it could be used wet or dry.

“No, I think that would work better on a cat with short hair,” Kurt demurred.

“How about this comb thing?” 

Kurt glanced at it, then away again dismissively. “They used those on us at the store, and they were okay, but I just didn’t like it that much. But look at this.”

He picked up a tool described as an undercoat rake with rotating bristles.

“The comb and brush at home work pretty well for the outercoat, but the undercoat, the finer hairs underneath, and on my stomach, those are a little different. This should separate the fur without hurting me, and the rotating bristles should feel good against my skin underneath.” He handed it to Adam, who read the claims and instructions.

“Alright, this should work. Although, I was looking at this one, too.”

It was oval in shape, plastic on the back, with soft rubber bristles that looked deep enough to actually get through all his fur. There was a stretchy strap to keep it on the human’s hand so they wouldn’t have to grip it constantly. It was also bright blue.

“This might work, too,” he suggested, wondering which one Adam would choose.

“Well, it’s cheap, so I’m going to get both. If it doesn’t work, maybe Misty will like it.”

Kurt shrugged. “Maybe. Her fur is similar to mine, and I don’t see any reason this can’t be used on regular cats as well as hybrids.”

They’d kept their voices low, but had no illusion of actual privacy. As they walked to the cash register, both kept their gaze away from all the cages in the back, with all the hybrid pets waiting to be adopted by some kind soul who would love them and give them a good home.

Kurt wished people would stop being greedy and breeding more hybrids, when there were clearly quite enough already who weren’t being adopted.

“Did you find everything you need?” the salesman asked, in a tone that indicated he’d be happy to help them find more things they simply must have.

“Yes, thank you, that’s everything,” Adam said firmly. He paid cash for the items. 

Kurt rarely saw him use cash, and wondered if the man made Adam as uneasy as he felt.

On the way out the store, Adam took his hand and held it, which made him feel much better. He’d known there was no way Adam would leave him there, or try to sell him, but something about the way the man was looking at him made him feel like he was back in the front window, on display for anyone to see. Thankfully they’d always been fully dressed. Some of the hybrids, both male and female, would undo some buttons on their shirt, if possible, to entice more interest, but Kurt not only wore an undershirt, but usually kept his shirt collar buttoned all the way to the top. It’s not that he was all that modest, but considering most of the gazes he would receive would be indifferent or hostile, it was nice to have more layers protecting him, like a shield of sorts.

The day Adam had seen him, he’d been wearing his most risqué outfit, the tight black shirt and even tighter gold pants, but more because he wanted to try a new song and dance, rather than trying to attract a customer. He’d been wrapped up in what he was doing, and had only vaguely registered that someone had come in the store and was looking at the pets. He wondered if Adam would have been as attracted to him if he’d worn more conservative clothes, and hadn’t been singing. He could always ask him, but wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. Maybe some day he’d be brave enough to ask.

When they were safely in the car, Adam said, “Well, I guess that went alright. I didn’t want to take the time to look at any toys or anything else. I didn’t like the way that man was looking at you.”

“Me either,” Kurt mumbled. He cleared his throat and raised his head. “Thank you for getting the shampoo and everything.”

“You’re very welcome. I was just thinking, though, I wonder how many things they sell for hybrid cats, for instance, that are exactly the same as they have for regular cats?”

Kurt shrugged. “Probably a lot. And the hybrid things are more expensive. But I know they used a hybrid shampoo and conditioner at the store, and they wouldn’t have if there’d been a cheaper alternative. Well, I guess the other guys were given the cheapest shampoo, but I got to use the better shampoo and conditioner. The girls were a lot more fussy about things like that than the other guys. But like I said, most of the grooming tools could be used by either.”

“Hm. I know the food is different, and that makes sense because of your biology, but I suppose it’s not that surprising that a lot of other things would be the same.”

“Grocery store next?” Kurt asked.

“Hungry, are you?” Adam grinned. “Yes, we’re on our way. We need to stock up on various items, so we’re going back to Costco, where we can get a lot more things.”

“Is that the place we met Angie and her mother?” Kurt asked, wondering if they might run into them again.

“Yes. It’s unlikely they’ll be there at the same time we are, but it’s the same place.”

When they got to the store, Adam was willing to take a little more time than previously, and they ended up wandering up and down quite a few aisles. They were also able to try samples of a lot of different types of food.

Kurt had been surprised they were willing to give him samples, as well as Adam, but he saw other hybrids were also getting them. He understood why when he tried a bite of chicken in some type of sauce.

“Oh, this is fantastic! Adam, can we get some of this sauce?” Adam rolled his eyes as the store employee smiled, but they did end up with the bottle of barbecue sauce.

“While we’re here, let’s see if we can find you a watch.”

Kurt didn’t bother saying he didn’t need one. If Adam thought he should have one, he probably had his reasons.

“Thank you,” he said, determined to find an inexpensive one. 

It didn’t take long to locate one that looked nice, had large enough numbers that he didn’t need his glasses to see it, and it was less than $20. He bet Adam’s watch cost at least 10 times as much, if not more. But he didn’t need anything that fancy; he just needed to know the time.

As they were passing by the men’s clothing aisle, Kurt gasped.

“Adam!” He pointed to a bright yellow button-up shirt that was exactly the color of his tennis shoes, he was certain. 

Adam grinned. “Let’s see if they have your size.”

Kurt resisted the urge to help him look, as no other hybrids were touching the clothes, only their owners. Soon Adam had located the shirt in a medium.

“Do you want to try it on, over your t-shirt?” Adam inquired.

“No.” Kurt shook his head rapidly. “It will be fine. A small won’t quite fit, and the large will be way too big.”

Into the shopping cart it went. They found straight razors, to use with the shaving cream they’d found at Lush, which Kurt was eager to try. Adam didn’t seem quite as thrilled, but Kurt was sure he’d like it once he tried it.

They found another pair of inexpensive tennis shoes that were in Kurt’s current size, some plain black ones.

Kurt was careful to stay close to Adam, but he didn’t want to hold onto him. He figured between the leash and the cart, Adam had his hands full enough.

They went through the grocery aisles last. Kurt’s gaze was caught by a tempting display.

“Adam, look, they’ve got sushi!”

“No, sorry. We’ll get some from a restaurant sometime. I’m sure this is pretty fresh, but I don’t want to take a chance on either of us getting sick from it.”

Kurt wasn’t too disappointed, since Adam hadn’t turned it down altogether. 

They arrived at the snack aisle, and Adam was about to barrel through it to get to the sodas and fruit juices just past that aisle, but Kurt put on his best pleading face and Adam let him pick out a few things. He was thrilled to find a box of the little bags of goldfish crackers, a dozen bags to the box.

“Adam, look! It’s a variety pack! I didn’t know they had anything but cheddar flavor! But this has parmesan, ranch, pizza, pretzel, and bacon flavors, too! Wow, the bacon sounds really good.”

“If you say so.” Adam took the box and added it to their every-growing cart.

“I don’t suppose,” Kurt started, “you’d consider getting some real goldfish?” He kept his expression wide-eyed and innocent. “I mean, they look pretty swimming around in a bowl or aquarium, right?”

Adam scoffed at him. “And you just want to look at the pretty fish, eh? You wouldn’t be tempted to make a snack out of them? No. Just be satisfied with the crackers. You can pretend they’re real, if that makes you happy.”

Kurt knew when to let go of an argument. Besides, he saw something new and intriguing.

“Adam, look at all the hybrid cat food!” There were several different brands, and a multitude of flavors.

“Alright, pick out whatever you want to try. For now, though, let’s just get one can of each thing you want. That way, if you don’t like it, we won’t have extra cans we can’t use.”

Kurt nodded. He added several of the flavors, from different brands. Not that he minded the brand he’d been eating for years, but he wouldn’t mind something new on the menu.

Past the food was a collection of collars, leashes, toys, beds, and other hybrid-related necessities.

They stopped while Kurt looked at the cat toys, but he didn’t see much that looked inspiring. Until he saw some bright plastic balls.

“Hey, Adam, these would be good!” He picked up a package of the orange ones. They were very lightweight, just as he’d expected.

Adam read the package. “Hm, not surprisingly, these glow in the dark, so it’s unlikely you’ll lose them.” 

He added the package to the cart.

Kurt resisted the urge to jump up and down. “Thank you, Adam! I appreciate you getting me all these things.”

He smiled fondly at Kurt. “You’re very welcome.”

They finally had all their groceries, but in order to get to the check-out counter, they had to pass a huge display of DVDs. Kurt couldn’t help but look. There were so many of them.

Adam glanced at the display, then looked away, not interested. “Some other time, Kurt. We could spend hours looking for DVDs.”

He didn’t sound annoyed, just tired. Maybe he’d be ready to take a nap, too, when they got home.

They’d almost made it past the DVDs, when one set caught his eye.

“Just a second Adam, please? What’s this?”

He pointed to one with a picture of what appeared to be a castle in the background, and British people standing in front of it. They seemed to be aristocrats and servants. He liked anything to do with the British monarchs, or British history in general.

“What’s the title mean?”

Adam smiled. “It’s the name of the mansion in the background. And, luckily for you, my friend, I have the whole series on DVD. There are three seasons, and they’ll air a fourth one soon. I promise, we’ll have a marathon, and get you all caught up before the new season starts. I really think you’ll like it.”

Kurt felt oddly content. It had been a very good day so far, and maybe they could snuggle while watching Downton Abbey. Then he remembered that they could now do more than snuggle. Okay, it was an excellent day!

After they got home and put everything away, Kurt was more than ready for a nap, and Adam seemed to be pretty listless, too.

“I think while you’re napping, I’ll do the same,” Adam suggested.

Kurt nodded, yawning widely.

“Cat or person?” Adam asked.

Kurt blinked. “Um, cat, I think.”

“Fine.” Adam kicked his shoes off and stretched out on the sofa. He patted his stomach.

Kurt changed, and jumped up onto Adam’s legs, walking carefully up his body until he got to his stomach. After turning around three times, trying not to hit Adam in the face with his tail, he settled down, with his head under Adam’s chin.

Adam sighed, but it sounded like mock annoyance.  He wrapped his arms around Kurt to hold him securely. Kurt purred, and settled further onto his comfortable pillow, that breathed with him.


	72. Chapter 72

Adam was startled awake by his cellphone ringing. Kurt twitched his ears in annoyance, but didn’t move.

He tried to hold onto Kurt with one hand while reaching for his phone with the other, not wanting to dump the cat onto the floor. He finally retrieved the phone from the coffee table, just as it went to voice mail.

“Damn it!”

Kurt’s ears twitched again, tickling Adam’s chin.

“Don’t worry, Fuzzy Face, go back to sleep.”

He realized he couldn’t hold the phone and operate it with one hand, so he lifted his other hand off Kurt, who growled low in his throat.

“Shhhhh,” he said distractedly, looking at the display.

He groaned, but he had said it was alright to call. Without bothering to listen to the voice mail, he called back.

His called was answered immediately.

“Adam! Sorry if I called at a bad time.”

“It’s okay, Jesse. Kurt and I were just taking a nap.”

Kurt meowed loudly to complain about his nap being interrupted. Or maybe it was to complain about Jesse being the caller.

“Ah, I see,” Jesse said. “Sorry about that. So, would Friday work, for lunch?”

Adam mentally ran through the errands and plans they had for the week.

“My housekeeper comes at 1:00, so maybe we can make it an early lunch. She has someone else she sees after me, or I’d ask her to come later.”

“Early works for us,” Jesse agreed. “How about 11:00, or is that _too_ early?”

Adam only debated a moment. “That’s fine. You do remember how to get here, right?”

“It hasn’t been _that_ long.” Jesse laughed nervously. “And thanks, Adam, I really appreciate this. _We_ appreciate it.”

Kurt lifted his head, and turned to look at the phone. He could probably hear both sides of the conversation.

“Okay. Does this mysterious other party have any food preferences or allergies I should know about? Vegetarian, vegan, lactose intolerant? Not allergic to cats, I hope?” Adam asked.

“No, no.” Jesse’s laugh sounded nervous. “Anything is fine. We’ll bring some wine, just let us know, red or white.”

Awkward. “Ah, I’m not really drinking these days, and Kurt can’t have any.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

He sounded genuinely sorry, and he hadn’t been the malicious type, anyway.

“It’s alright. You don’t need to bring anything, just yourselves.” He hoped he wasn’t making a huge mistake.

“How about sparkling cider? It’s a celebration, of sorts.”

Adam closed his eyes and rubbed the area between his eyes. He could feel a headache coming on. He was pretty certain he now knew the identity of Jesse’s guest, and could guess at the purpose.

“That would be lovely,” he said, pleased at how steady his voice sounded. He wasn’t jealous, not really. He was quite happy at the way things had worked out. But it would definitely be awkward. Maybe he should have said yes to the wine after all…

He cleared his throat. “We’ll see you around 11:00, then, on Friday.”

“See you then.”

Adam hung up, and stared into Kurt’s bright green eyes.

“Well, as you probably heard, Jesse and friend are coming to lunch on Friday at 11:00. I have no idea what to serve, so I’m counting on you to help me figure it out.”

Kurt sighed, then leaned up to nuzzle Adam between the eyes. 

Adam giggled. “If that was an attempt to make my headache go away, thank you, but it might take more than that. I will tell you about Jesse, before he gets here, and explain why you have no reason to be jealous.”

He sighed, debating the wisdom of going back to sleep.

“Well, I suppose we might as well get up.”

Kurt disagreed by settling back down on top of Adam’s chest and closing his now blue eyes.

Adam rolled his eyes, even though Kurt couldn’t see him do it.

“Well, don’t let me disturb your nap. Except I do have to get up. You can stay here. At least the sofa will be warm.”

He very carefully slid Kurt off his chest, while moving to the edge of the sofa. He deposited Kurt in the small space between his body and the back cushions, and managed to extricate himself. Kurt just blinked and yawned. He made himself more comfortable, moving into the area where Adam had been lying, and promptly went back to sleep.

Adam shook his head and walked to the kitchen, so he could write down this latest appointment on the calendar. He’d already confirmed that Tessa and Jessica were coming for lunch the next day, Wednesday. Jesse and friend would be there Friday, and on Saturday, April Rhodes would be coming over to chat about something mysterious. She was coming mid-afternoon, but Adam was certain Kurt would want to fix appetizers or something. He would remind Kurt and make sure they had whatever ingredients were necessary, then stand back, unless he asked for help.

When he came back, he saw Kurt was curled up in a ball, with his tail almost completely wrapped around himself. He didn’t think most cats’ tails were so long, but there was so much long hair, that probably added a bit of length.

He’d already checked to see there were no messages on the landline, and once he’d checked his e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, and everything else, decided he was as caught up as he needed to be with everyone. Now he could write in peace, without feeling like he should be doing something else. Except, perhaps he should work on the homework assignment Dr. Hanover gave him, before he forgot completely about it.

Once he was satisfied he had a good start on the two lists, he set them aside in his bag, and went to fix himself a late lunch. He thought it might be a good idea for Kurt to have something, too. The food samples they’d had earlier weren’t really sufficient for a meal. As soon as he turned on the can opener, he heard Kurt race into the kitchen.

“Hello there. I just fixed myself a sandwich, and thought you might like something as well.”

Kurt sat about two inches away from his feet, tail sweeping back and forth in anticipation. He was also licking his chops, just in case Adam didn’t get the message.

“Yes, I’m opening it as fast as I can. I thought you’d want something different. This claims to be Sushi Surprise, but I expect the surprise is that it isn’t really sushi, just raw fish in some sauce, it looks like.”

Kurt reached up and pawed at his pants leg, though he kept his claws retracted.

“Does that mean it actually sounds good to you? Or smells good? I beg to differ, but luckily I’m not the one eating it.” He finished spooning it into Kurt’s bowl, and carried it over to its usual spot. He’d just refilled the water bowl. Naturally, before he could even set it down, Kurt was in the way.

“Come on, now, Kurt, how am I supposed to set it down? Back up just a bit.”

Kurt sighed, but did as he said. His idea of “a bit” and Adam’s weren’t quite the same, but he did just have enough room to set the bowl down.

“Remember, it’s not a race. Nobody is going to take it away from you, so you might as well take the time to actually taste it.”

He supposed Kurt was listening, after all, because he did eat more slowly than Adam expected.

Kurt still finished eating well before he did, so he came down to sit near the chair. He glanced up at the sandwich, but seemed indifferent to it. At least, he wasn’t begging, just watching him intently. It was only slightly unnerving.

It took almost no time to clean up the kitchen. Kurt actually stayed out of his way, sitting under the chair Adam had been in.

Adam opened a drawer, and took out one of the bright orange balls from the package. It was about the same size, and weight, as a ping pong ball. He hoped Kurt would be able to play with it without breaking or damaging anything, then immediately felt guilty. He should be the one to have sense enough to cat-proof the house.

He held it in his hand, and turned to Kurt, who had come over to sit beside him. He was looking at Adam’s closed hand with rapt attention.

“Let’s go into your bedroom. There’s a lot more open space there.” And a lot less that could get hit by a flying plastic ball.

He hadn’t known it was a race, but supposed he should have. It was always a race. By the time he reached Kurt’s room, his feline companion was sitting at the base of Buckingham Palace.

Adam looked at all the many rooms, windows, and openings in the structure, and shrugged. Maybe it would be fun for Kurt if the ball got “lost” somewhere in there. For now, though, he just threw the ball in Kurt’s general direction, not close enough to actually hit him.

Kurt’s gaze followed the ball, and he jumped up and almost caught it. He raced after it as it bounced off the wall. He picked it up in his paws and attempted to throw it at the wall. It did eventually make its way from the floor to the wall. Kurt growled and chased after it, picking it up with his mouth.

Adam was about to leave him to it, when Kurt dropped it and batted it in Adam’s direction. It rolled to a stop when it hit his right shoe. He obediently leaned down and picked it up, thinking Kurt had aimed it pretty well. He tossed it to Kurt again, deliberately aiming over his head and at the wall. It bounced quite a ways back, and Kurt was able to snag it mid-air. He turned around with it in his mouth.

“Yes, I saw. Very impressive,” Adam assured him.

Kurt dropped it and batted it with his paws, this time hitting it from floor level. Adam couldn’t get it fast enough, so it sailed right past him to the back of the room. As he was throwing it back, he had to wonder, who was actually playing fetch.

“Okay, Kurt, that’s it for now. You can play as long as you want in here, but I’ve got to get some writing done.”

He’d never seen a cat actually pout before he’d met Kurt, but he’d perfected the art.

“I’ll play with you another time, I promise,” he soothed him. “Why don’t you play and nap now, if you want, while I’m busy. When you’re human again, I’ll let you read what I’ve written so far, or you can read some of my short stories.”

Kurt nodded and meeped his approval, then picked up the ball in his mouth again. He stood up and tried spitting it out in the direction of Buckingham Palace. Even though he was about a foot away, it fell short of its goal.

Adam laughed, and was tempted to stay and watch, but really felt like he should take advantage of this time to do some work.

 

 

  
Kurt played for a while longer, but it just wasn’t quite as much fun without Adam there to watch him. He finally picked up the ball and dropped it onto a platform where he could find it easily. He found the kickaroo and bit and wrestled with it for a while until he got bored. He wanted to find Adam, but knew he was trying to write.  


It was okay; he would be fine on his own for a while. He tried exercising, stretching and contorting himself into different positions. That was always fun. Then it occurred to him that since he had privacy for a little while, he could give himself a bath. That was always a challenge. He hoped Adam would give him a bath soon, now that they had everything they needed.

Maybe he could remind Adam about it later, but he was suddenly sleepy. He jumped up on the bed and tried to fit in between Phoebe and Bernard. He thought Harriet was in his bag, but he couldn’t get it open with his paws. That was okay, too; she wouldn’t get too lonely. He’d just have to remember to take her out of there when he changed back, and put her where she belonged.

But for now, it was naptime.

 

 

  
Adam looked up when he heard Kurt’s bell ringing rapidly as he ran into the room. He glanced over at him, but he didn’t seem agitated. Kitty Kurt rarely walked, preferring to run whenever possible. But instead of coming over to him, Kurt instead jumped up on a nearby chair and just watched him, blinking slowly as though he were sleepy.  


“If you want to nap for a bit, that’s fine. I just want to finish up this chapter, then we’ll find something to do.”

Kurt stretched out as much as he could in the chair. Not long after he began to snore.

“Poor thing, I bet you’ve worn yourself out playing all this time.” On the other hand, he was a big cat, he should be able to figure out how much playing he could handle, and when he needed to rest. He sometimes wondered if he worried about Kurt a bit too much, in either form.

He went back to writing, until he felt he’d reached a decent ending place. He saved the file, knowing it would be better to read it over at another time.

He had no sooner clicked the laptop shut, just the tiniest sound, when Kurt woke up and meeped to get his attention.

“Yes, Your Royal Highness? What can I do for you?”

Kurt started licking himself, as though he hadn’t heard him. What was he --

“Kurt, what are you doing? That’s disgusting – oh, sorry, you’re just having a bath. But why –“

Then it dawned on him. “Oh, are you trying to tell me it’s time to give you a bath?”

Kurt stopped what he was doing and looked directly at him. He meowed very forcefully.

“Yes, yes, I’m not entirely stupid. Let me get a few things together. I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

He was certainly glad Kurt could understand him, because otherwise he’d feel rather foolish having a one-sided conversation with a cat.

He gathered a couple of plastic buckets Nancy sometimes used for cleaning, and a plastic measuring cup. He hurried into his own room to change into his swim trunks, being 100% certain Kurt would not be the only one getting wet.

Shortly after that he heard a loud meow outside his door.

“Keep your fur on, I’ll be ready in a minute,” he yelled in response.

He heard an indignant meep, and could hear the very faint sound of Kurt’s bell as he walked away.

A couple of minutes later, he found Kurt on the floor near the bathtub. 

Kurt stared up at him, but to his relief, seemed more curious than interested in what he was wearing. Or not wearing.

Adam cleared his throat. “I think this will be the easiest, if I use the sink rather than the tub. It will certainly be easier on my knees.”

Kurt nodded his head to show he understood.

“You trust me, right?”

The look he received in response, and the tail thwacking his leg, let him know what a stupid question it was.

“Alright, let’s get through this with as little aggravation as possible, for either of us, okay?”

Adam kept his voice level and stern, to let Kurt know he meant business. As he spoke, he cleaned the sink. It looked spotless to him, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

“I’m going to comb you, quickly, and use this new rake, just to get any loose fur out of the way, and untangle any mats. But I think you’ve been brushed enough lately, it won’t be a problem.”

Kurt sat still for it, purring to let him know he was enjoying it.

Adam was glad he’d taken the time for the combing and raking, considering the small pile of fur he’d collected. “Well, that’s what you get for having long hair,” he teased.

Kurt just stared up at him, his eyes huge and his ears sagging, whining low in his throat. 

“No, I’m not suggesting we trim your fur shorter,” he sighed in exasperation. “It’s supposed to be long, I know that.”

Adam started to pull on some thin vinyl gloves, but Kurt wailed at the sight of them.

“Oh, come on now, these aren’t going to hurt you. They’re supposed to protect me from your claws or teeth, if you should forget your manners.”

Kurt meeped angrily at that, then leaned forward, towards Adam’s hand. He pulled back again when his nose got close to the vinyl. He shook his head violently.

Adam considered the problem. “You don’t like the smell of these, eh?” When Kurt didn’t disagree, he sighed, and peeled the gloves off and tossed them in the trash.

“Fine. No gloves.” He started to reach out to Kurt, who pulled back again. 

Kurt sneezed, and ran to the opposite end of the bathroom. Adam sighed in resignation, and washed his hands and arms thoroughly. He cautiously extended one hand. Kurt came back, sniffed at it, then leaned into it, allowing Adam to pet his head.

“Alright, let’s try this again. Come on up here. I promise, you’re not going to get wet yet, but I want you to get used to the water.”

Kurt jumped up onto the counter, but stayed away from the sink. 

“Now, you might not like this, but it’s better than getting water in your ears.”

Adam showed the cotton balls to Kurt, who sniffed them, then slowly blinked. Adam was very careful as he put the cotton into Kurt’s ears. Kurt shook his head like they irritated him, and grumbled a bit, but he didn’t try to dig them out with his paws.

Adam turned on the faucet and ran water into a plastic bucket. He pushed the stopper to keep the water in the sink, and added a capful of the cat shampoo. Kurt watched as he swirled it around until it foamed.

“Come on, get in,” Adam coaxed.

Kurt gingerly reached out one paw and touched the water in the sink, then drew it back. He glared at Adam.

“Yes, darling, I know it’s not hot, the way you’d prefer, but that’s not good for you in this form. The sooner you get in, the sooner we can get this over with, and we can get you dry again.” He wondered if Kurt could hear him through the cotton.

Kurt moved a bit closer, bending down until his nose was almost touching the water. He licked a soap bubble, and didn’t seem to like it very much.

“You’re not supposed to drink it, just get in it. Please.”

Kurt sighed, but very slowly inched closer. Adam helped steady him as he climbed down into the sink. The water was only a few inches deep, and didn’t come quite up to his belly, but did wet the long fur that was hanging down low enough.

“Stay there, please, and keep still.”

Kurt grumbled a bit in the back of his throat, but he did as Adam instructed.

Adam was careful, but thorough. He apologized for getting too personal, but the point was to get Kurt clean everywhere. Kurt wasn’t capable of blushing, but his indignant hissing conveyed his unhappiness.

“There, just your tail left.”

Kurt was fairly quiet while Adam finished the bath, and allowed himself to be lifted out of the water and onto a towel. He shook himself, much as a dog would, to try to get the worst of it off. Adam retreated until he was far enough away to observe without getting wet. Then he very carefully removed and discarded the cotton balls.

He tried wrapping Kurt up in another towel and drying him in sections. It didn’t do a very complete job, but at least Kurt was now just damp, rather than sopping wet.

“Do you want me to use the hair dryer, on the lowest setting? We’re going to have to be very careful with all this water around.”

Kurt looked up at him thoughtfully, then meeped his agreement. Adam picked him up again and put him back on the counter, on another towel. “Stay there, while I find your dryer.”

Kurt grumbled softly, but laid down on the towel. While Adam searched for the dryer, he saw Kurt was rolling back and forth, very carefully, so as not to fall off the towel.

“Good idea,” Adam praised. “Remember, we don’t want any water on or in the dryer.” He held it up triumphantly.

Kurt meeped and nodded, looking warily at the large dryer, which was close to his own size. Adam plugged in in. He tested it on his own hand, first. The lowest setting was cool air. Not very pleasant, but it wouldn’t hurt him. He tried that setting, but Kurt kept pulling away and bitching at him in Cat.

“Calm down. It’s not that bad,” Adam tried to tell him.

Apparently Kurt begged to differ. He still glared at him, and batted at the dryer.

“Stop that! Alright, let me try the next setting.” He decided it wasn’t too hot, just a low heat setting, but would have to feel better to Kurt, who was clearly cold enough already.

“Shhhhh, it’s okay, love, here we go.” Adam was careful to keep on hand on Kurt, drying in small sections between his fingers. It took longer to dry him that way, but it also made sure he wouldn’t get painfully hot from the air heating his skin up too much. Kurt clearly wasn’t happy about the situation, but must have realized he didn’t have much choice if he wanted to get dry faster.

 

 

  
Kurt put up with the warm air, which felt kind of nice, but he’d rather have been able to control the dryer himself. Since he currently lacked the ability to hold it, however, he let Adam continue.   


He felt better when Adam started lifting small sections of fur and trying to dry the undercoat instead of just the ends. He hoped Adam understood a good massage AND brushing were expected once he was dry.

The bath had been nice, and he was sorry Adam had gotten a bit wet in a few places, but that usually happened. He didn’t enjoy baths nearly as much in this form, but he felt so much better afterwards, it was worth the minor discomfort and inconvenience.

He couldn’t remember how his mother had bathed him, except she’d been in human form. His father was quick, but pretty thorough. Miss Emma had taken even more time than Adam, and he’d done his best to not splash her, even though she wore a special cover-up that looked kind of like a space suit. He wasn’t sure any water _could_ get through, but he hadn’t wanted to find out.

He definitely liked this bath better than the others, maybe because he trusted Adam, and he knew Adam would be as careful as possible to make it pleasant, or at least not an annoyance. 

Still, it had been fun to over-react to a few things, to see how Adam responded.

By the time Adam was finished drying him, Kurt felt much better. He licked Adam’s hand in thanks. Before he had a chance to say, “You’re welcome,” Kurt changed back. Unfortunately, his clothes were now still a bit damp, and wrinkled.

“Shit,” he muttered. “Next time I’ll plan it better, and make sure I’m not wearing anything when I change.”

Adam dared to giggle, the bastard. Without another word, Kurt walked out of the bathroom with as much dignity as he could manage, to change into sweats. He’d launder his clothes tomorrow, when he could collect enough clothes to do a proper wash.

Just a few minutes after he left, he returned to the bathroom, to find Adam scrubbing the sink.

“That was great, Adam, thanks! You’ve done enough, I’ll clean this up.”

“I can do it. You just got clean and relaxed,” he protested. “But I want to change back into my clothes first.”

“You don’t need to do that,” Kurt said with a smirk, glancing up and down Adam’s mostly-exposed body.

“Yes, I do. Stop that!” 

He hadn’t meant to do anything wrong, but Adam said it so sharply, Kurt had immediately lowered his gaze to the floor and muttered, “I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry,” Adam apologized. “I didn’t mean to yell. Just let me get changed first.”

Kurt shrugged his shoulders and straightened his hair, which had fallen into his eyes. “Hm, maybe I do need a haircut. As a human,” he specified.

“Ah. That will be easy to fix. I’ll see about getting you an appointment later this week. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Kurt was just finishing the cleaning when Adam came back wearing a set of sweats. Kurt didn’t know how he managed to look so gorgeous in something so casual. It looked like he’d run a comb through his own hair, but it was unlikely to stay neat for long.

“Thank you. I’d have been glad to help,” Adam insisted.

“What?” Now he was confused.

“Hello? Earth to Kurt. I just said I’d have helped you if you’d waited.”

“Oh! I know, but I thought it would be easier to just do it myself.”

“Well, thank you. At least now we have an idea of the time frame, the next time we do this.”

“Yeah, maybe around this time next month?”

“Sounds good,” Adam agreed. “I have to admit, while some of it was fun, it would be exhausting to do this every week.”

“Tell me about it,” Kurt muttered.

“What do you mean?” Adam asked indignantly. “You’re just sitting there in the water or on the towel, I’m the one doing all the work!”

Kurt realized it wasn’t the right time to tell Adam about his acting efforts, to see what kind of response he got.

“Yeah, you’re right, I’m sorry. It’s much more tiring for you than me. But yeah, once a month should be fine.”

“What are you in the mood for now?” Adam asked.

He wasn’t going to ignore an opening like that.

“Can we make out for a while? And maybe do more?” 

Adam smiled slowly and hugged him. “Of course we can.”

Kurt paused. “Um, maybe I’d better take a shower.”

“Darling, you can’t get much cleaner,” Adam protested. “Though you might perhaps brush your teeth. That should be enough.”

_ Oh no! _ His eyes widened and his hand covered his mouth. He grabbed his toothbrush with the other hand.


	73. Chapter 73

Kurt found Adam in the living room, organizing some stacks of paper.

“Um?” he asked in confusion. “I thought we were –“

Adam looked up and grinned. “Oh, yes, I was just sorting out the printouts I wanted you to read, my stories and the novel. But that’s for later,” he added quickly.

“Oh, good!” That was a relief. Kurt tried to smile confidently. “Hey, can we go to my room? That bed that’s too big for sleeping on alone, should be good for two people, to not sleep on, I mean.” He could feel himself blushing, and wished he wasn’t quite so awkward about things like this. But Adam didn’t seem to mind.

“That’s fine. Wherever you’re comfortable.”

Adam put an arm around his waist and walked with him into the bedroom.

Kurt took his shoes off, and flopped back onto the bed. He scooted up using his elbows and butt, until his head was resting on a pillow.

Adam climbed onto the bed beside him. “Erm, do you think Harriet, Bernard and Phoebe would mind sitting somewhere else? There’s really not room for the five of us here, not with what I’m hoping to do. And I’d rather not have them watching us.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, but picked up his babies and set them on the floor. “You guys all take a nap or something,” he suggested sternly. “I don’t want to hear a peep out of any of you.”

Now Adam was chiding him, though his smile belied it. “Is that any way to talk to your babies? They’re not doing anything wrong.”

Kurt shrugged. “I don’t think they mind too much.” Just to be on the safe side, he got off the bed and pushed the animals underneath it.

“I hope you remember where they are later,” Adam said.

“That will be one of the first places I look,” Kurt said, as he got back on the bed. “Now then, where were we?”

“I believe I was about to kiss you.”

“That sounds like a good start.”

With no immediate distractions such as appointments or friends, they were able to focus on each other. Kurt was very curious about Adam’s body, and couldn’t wait to find out what he liked. 

At first Adam had no objection, then he finally broke off a kiss. “Hey, slow down. This should be about you having fun.”

“Oh, I am,” Kurt assured him, and started kissing his way down Adam’s neck.

“In that case, go right ahead.”

Kurt was enjoying the chance to just relax and kiss Adam as much as he wanted. For the moment, he didn’t want to be distracted by Adam trying to reciprocate. There would be time for that later, he was sure. He slowly unbuttoned Adam’s vest and shirt, being careful not to actually rip any buttons off. He didn’t feel like sewing them on again later.

It was intriguing that Adam’s breathing changed, especially once his shirt was entirely removed. Kurt stroked Adam’s chest and abdomen, tracing the well-defined muscles. 

“You can look all you want now,” Adam told him, running a hand gently through his hair.

“What’s the difference between now and a few minutes ago?” Kurt wanted to know. He stopped what he was doing, leaving his hand on Adam’s stomach and looked into his eyes.

Adam inhaled sharply. “Well, I wasn’t really expecting it right then. I have more warning now, and I’m ready for you to look at me.”

“Okay.” Kurt thought there was probably more to it than that, but wasn’t going to ask for more details now.

He moved his hand lower, and left it there for a moment before starting to unfasten Adam’s pants.

“What are you doing?” Adam asked, sounding as though he were having trouble breathing.

“Your pants are in the way,” he patiently explained.

“…Okay.”

It wasn’t easy, considering they didn’t want to separate for even a few seconds, but they finally managed to get Adam’s pants and underwear off.

“I want to do what you did for me earlier, or at least try,” Kurt admitted.

Adam sat up slightly, steadying himself on his elbows. “Are you sure?”

Kurt met his gaze. “Very.”

Adam nodded, then rearranged the pillows behind him so he could watch Kurt.

Kurt wanted to take more time than they’d had that morning, but from the way Adam was reacting, though he should maybe speed things up. There would be plenty of time later to go slowly.

Afterwards, Adam sighed in contentment. “Wow, you’re a fast learner.”

“I’ve been thinking about doing that to you for a long time,” Kurt admitted. “So I’ve been practicing it in my mind.”

Adam started to sit up. “Now it’s my turn to return the favor.”

“You don’t need to…um…” Kurt looked down and Adam followed his gaze.

“Really?” Adam blushed. “You already -- That’s incredibly flattering.”

Kurt grinned, pleased that Adam wasn’t disappointed.

“Then let’s just rest here for a few minutes,” Adam suggested, pulling him closer so they could cuddle.

They were both just dozing off when Kurt’s stomach reminded them they hadn’t had dinner yet, growling rather like an annoyed cat.

“Sorry,” Kurt giggled.

“That’s alright,” Adam insisted. “I’m still awake. Why don’t you stay here and rest, take a nap if you want, while I fix dinner?”

“Oh, I can help you with that.”

“There will be plenty of other dinners you can help me with. This is going to be pretty simple, just pasta and salad.”

“Okay, then I’ll take a nap.”

He wasn’t sure if Adam would clean up in his bathroom, or wait to get to his own, but he fell asleep before he found out.

 

 

  
Dinner was quiet. Kurt seemed very relaxed, almost mellow. Adam wanted to relax, but had a lot on his mind, wondering what Kurt would think about his stories, especially the novel based on him. He supposed it didn’t really matter if Kurt liked the other stories, but the most important was the novel. What if Kurt read it, and said, “This is all wrong. You really don’t understand me at all”? Of course, that would have other, more important implications. But, on the other hand, they’d have a good starting point for things they needed to straighten out.  


Kurt interrupted his thoughts. “Adam? Is there something wrong with the food? ‘Cause mine tastes really good,” 

“What? Oh, the food, yes, it’s fine. I’m glad you like it.” He wondered why Kurt was talking about food, when there were more important things to consider.

Kurt grinned. “Because you’ve been holding that same forkful in front of your mouth for a couple of minutes now, and it’s really not _that_ hot.”

Adam saw he was right, and ate that bite, then forced himself to eat most of the rest.

“I’m sorry, I haven’t been paying much attention.”

“What are you worried about?” Kurt asked perceptively.

Adam notice Kurt had finished his dinner.

If he wanted Kurt to be open and honest with him, he’d have to do the same.

“I was thinking, what if you don’t like my book about you? What if you think I’ve got it all wrong, and I really don’t understand you? If that’s the case, I need to know now so we can work on that, because for the sake of our relationship, I need to know you as best I can, and if –“

“Adam, stop talking and breathe,” Kurt advised.

Adam did so, and felt a little bit better.

“There you go. Tell you what, if you’re done, let me do the dishes and clean up the kitchen,” Kurt insisted, “and while I’m doing that, you can make sure you have everything together. Just try to relax, and I’ll read whatever you want me to, and give you my honest opinion. That _is_ what you want, right?”

He was somewhat relieved already. “Yes, that’s exactly what I want. And thank you for taking care of all this.” He swept his hand above the table.

Kurt shrugged, and started gathering dishes. “No problem, you cooked, so I should clean. Go on and relax, and I’ll be in pretty soon.”

Adam was about to go into the living room, but then hesitated. What was it he needed to do? Ah, yes, that was it. As Kurt came back from the kitchen, empty-handed, Adam gently pulled him into a hug and kissed him.

“What was that for?” Kurt asked, sounding slightly dazed.

“I just wanted to,” Adam explained. He really did feel better, and he was willing to bet Kurt did, too.

Kurt kissed him on the cheek, and squeezed his hand, before continuing to clear the table.

By the time Kurt was ready to start reading, Adam had re-sorted the piles of paper, with the stories in the order he wanted Kurt to read them. They were roughly chronological, with his earliest story on top. Well, the earliest that he was willing to show anybody. Most of the stories were fairly short, five to ten pages. A couple were closer to 20.

Adam was already slumped in his favorite corner of the sofa. Kurt sat on the opposite end and looked at the stacks of paper piled on the coffee table.

“You don’t have to read all of them,” Adam suggested, “just the ones you want. Or do you want me to read them to you?”

Kurt carefully picked up the stapled stories, and thumbed through them. “It looks like it might take me a while to get through these. I do want to read them, but maybe I should read the book first? Then I can read these later when I feel like I have more time. Because it seems like you’re really worried about the story about me.”

Adam nodded in approval. “That’s fine.” He handed him a much larger stack, which currently had a large rubber band around it.

“You don’t have to read all of it tonight, just as much as you want to,” he explained. “I don’t want to pressure you to do this.”

Kurt glanced at the stack. “Oh, good, the pages are numbered. That helps, to make sure I don’t mix any up. Let’s see how far I get with this tonight. If I have any questions, I’ll ask, okay?”

Kurt didn’t sound worried, so maybe he should stay calm himself. Kurt tended to pick up his moods, and he really didn’t want to spoil things by making him anxious again.

“Yes, please. You’ll need your glasses, though,” he pointed out, hoping he was being helpful rather than nagging.

“Yeah, good idea. I’ll be back in a minute.”

By the time Kurt came back, they both were calmer. Adam noticed Harriet’s pink nose sticking out of Kurt’s shirt pocket. He knew she hadn’t been there earlier. She was probably there for comfort, he thought. He hoped Kurt had gotten the other animals out from under the bed…stuffed toys, he reminded himself sternly.

 

 

  
Kurt settled in and made himself comfortable on the sofa, which meant stretching his legs and feet into Adam’s space. Adam didn’t verbally object or move away; he didn’t even roll his eyes. He just moved around a little bit till they were both more comfortable, but still had their feet and legs entwined.  


Between being able to touch Adam, and having Harriet right there, Kurt thought he could get through anything. Hopefully there wouldn’t be anything too bad, though he realized Adam had probably written about his parents, his mother dying, and other painful things. He wondered what it would be like to read about it, instead of remembering it directly. He knew there was only one way to find out.

Adam had started with some information about himself. It wasn’t a lot, but in a way, Kurt wished he’d known it earlier. He might not have been nearly as worried about Adam coming back to the store to actually adopt him.

When he realized how protective Adam already was of him, before they’d even talked, it felt like tiny little ice chips were starting to melt in his heart. Adam really did want him, and had been attracted to him from the start. He still wondered what might have happened if he hadn’t looked his best that day…would Adam have bothered wanting to get to know him? He went back and re-read the section where Adam first saw him. Ah, his voice…yes, it was more than just the physical attraction, then, good.

Kurt thought back to his own initial reactions to Adam. He hadn’t noticed him there until he opened his eyes and glanced over, and saw a good-looking man watching him. He’d automatically changed; as Adam had thought, it was a reflex action to protect himself. He wanted to wait and see what this man wanted from him. Just because someone was nice-looking didn’t mean they were a nice person. But the stranger had been gentle, and tried to reach out to him. Not the way some others did, aggressively shoving their fingers through the bars of the cage like they wanted to grab him, but more like giving Kurt a chance to come closer to him, if he wanted.

When he’d tested Adam a bit in the interview room, by not moving quite close enough, not changing right away, things like that, Adam had remained patient, even slightly amused. He’d realized then that Adam wouldn’t hurt him, and might even have a similar sense of humor. He’d done something he never had before, and jumped into Adam’s lap, and made himself comfortable. He’d been worried Adam would push him off his lap, or stand up and dump him onto the floor, but he hadn’t done those things. He’d merely petted and scratched him, and allowed him to feel warm, and welcome, and safe… He smelled good, in a way most humans didn’t. If he had to put it into words, he supposed Adam smelled like love. Kurt would have stayed right there and fallen asleep, if Adam hadn’t reminded him that they didn’t have a lot of time.

He’d decided it was worth taking the chance of rejection, if it meant he could actually talk to this man, and get to know more about him. And Adam had wanted to hear him sing, had even encouraged him to sing whatever he wanted! He didn’t know why he’d had such a harsh reaction, when all Adam did was compliment him, but he supposed it was years of being teased and told he shouldn’t be allowed to sing. Adam had even wanted him to sing in front of his friends, and that took a little while to process.

He read about Adam’s version of events at the pet store, and those first few days. He wondered why it had taken him so long to trust Adam; now, looking back, he could see that he’d been nervous about all sorts of things that he really didn’t need to worry about. But Adam had helped him realize he was safe, and wanted. Now he knew he shouldn’t have listened to the other hybrids, or Mr. Schue, or anybody who tried to tell him he wasn’t good enough. Because Adam’s opinion was the only one that mattered. As long as Adam approved of him, the rest of them could all go to hell.

It took him a long time to read everything Adam had written, because he kept stopping to think about how differently he’d interpreted things. He finally realized he should talk to Adam about those things, but by then he was almost done.

When he got to the last page, he realized he wanted to read more. There were plenty of things Adam hadn’t put in there that Kurt wanted to read about, and thought maybe others would like them, too. He hadn’t covered everything yet; he was still writing about Dad’s visit. He hadn’t gotten to the part where they were filming him while Kurt starred in his own movie, but he thought it might be a good idea to tell Adam his side of that, so he would finally know what the hell he’d been up to. It was interesting that Adam instinctively knew he was looking for Harriet. He patted her through his shirt pocket, letting her know he was thinking about her.

He set the pages aside, and saw Adam was looking at him anxiously. He’d been aware of Adam’s gaze, and had purposely blocked it out of his awareness. It wasn’t exactly creepy, but it was weird to try to read what Adam had written with Adam watching him, no doubt looking for every little reaction. He was probably just as anxious about Kurt’s reaction to the book, as Kurt was about anyone else seeing it.

He took a deep breath, and smiled at Adam.

“I really like it, and I’m looking forward to reading more. There are some things in there that are so different from my memories or my interpretation, but reading all that made me tired. I’m sorry.”

Adam nodded. “No, that’s fine.”

“I’d like to go over it with you, slower this time, and tell you some things from my perspective, like you said you wanted…right?” He hoped that was still the case.

“Yes. It would be helpful to me, as both your boyfriend and owner, to get a more complete picture of you, and what you’re thinking. I mean, your thoughts are your own, you don’t need to tell me everything, but if there’s any way I’ve misunderstood you, I’d like to straighten it out. It will also help the book, to give your point of view.”

Kurt took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. “I kind of want to know what someone else might think of this. I dunno, maybe Dr. Hanover, if he has the time to read it.”

“I already asked him, and he said he’d be very interested in reading it, as long as it was okay with you.”

“Good.” Kurt yawned. “I’m sorry, I know it’s not all that late, but I’m really tired.”

“Do you want to go to bed early? I was going to read for a while, but…” Adam looked at him expectantly.

“Can we both go to bed? I mean, can you read while I sleep? I want to cuddle with you, but I don’t want to keep you from what you want to do.”

“That’s fine. Do you want anything to eat before you go to bed?”

“Not now, but I might later. I can always come out here and get a snack, if I need something.”

Adam tilted his head up as he thought. “Tell you what. Why don’t you go ahead and get ready for bed. I’m going to bring us some water and some of those slightly better-tasting energy bars we got today. That way, neither of us will have to get up and go anywhere.”

“Okay. You know, If they hadn’t had the samples to try, we never would have bought that kind.”

“True. Just goes to show, it pays to keep an open mind. Especially with free samples.”

They both laughed at that. Kurt scrambled up from the sofa, but leaned over to kiss Adam. “I’ll see you in a little while.”

 

 

  
Adam was surprised he didn’t find Kurt already in bed when he brought their water and snacks in. He put one bottle and one bar on his bedside table, and the others on the one on Kurt’s side. After a moment he realized something was missing. He found another box of tissues, and put one on Kurt’s side, as he already had one on his own nightstand. It would certainly make clean-up easier.  


He’d just gotten into his sweatpants and t-shirt, and settled down with his Kindle, when Kurt came in, wearing the navy blue pajamas that looked better than they had any right to, considering they were just plain cotton. He got lost in his thoughts a moment while Kurt got under the covers.

“Kurt, I was thinking, you should probably have another pair of pajamas, as well as those.”

“Yeah? I guess,” Kurt said through a yawn.

“I was just thinking, maybe we can find you some more comfortable ones. Maybe in black silk? Unless you have something else in mind.”

“Silk would feel nice,” Kurt mused. “I dunno, let’s look sometime.”

“Deal. I’m glad you managed to get into your pajamas before you fell asleep.”

“I wasn’t _that_ tired,” Kurt protested, kissing him on the cheek and snuggling as close as he could get. He brought his pillow closer, turned on his side, and wrapped himself around Adam as well as he could. It was a bit tricky, because Adam was sitting up, propped against a pillow, but he reached down and started petting Kurt’s hair. It didn’t feel quite the same as petting his fur when he was a cat, but Kurt seemed to like it, and started almost-purring anyway.

Adam didn’t read for very long. Kurt’s not-quite-purring was very soothing, and making him sleepy. In the morning, they’d need to figure out what to serve for lunch, that Tessa and Jessica would both like, and get any ingredients they didn’t yet have. They’d have a nice chat with the girls, hopefully without too many awkward questions, and then he and Kurt could discuss the book, and whatever changes or corrections Kurt might want to make. Then they’d settle down for an afternoon or evening of Downton Abbey. Maybe they could get through the first season.

Kurt was now snoring softly. Adam closed his Kindle and turned off the light, and settled down into the bed. Kurt didn’t wake up, just shifted and moved with him, so they were soon comfortably entangled.


	74. Chapter 74

Gabriel locked up his office, and headed towards his car. It had been a long day, but then, most days felt that way. Even though he’d chosen this career, it wasn’t easy to listen to so many different problems. Helping his patients to heal from physical illnesses or injuries was much easier than his psychiatric job duties. But overall, it was a rewarding career, and he wouldn’t change it. That didn’t mean he wanted to spend the rest of his life married to his job, though.

He’d already looked up the directions, and he didn’t have that far to go. He’d had a quick, microwaved dinner at work, and still had a couple of hours before the store closed.

Gabriel surveyed the outside of the place with a critical eye. The sign was big and splashy, and the pets in the window looked healthy, if not exactly happy. But then, he’d seen few hybrids in stores who looked happy, until they saw a potential owner there.

He checked his appearance in the car mirror one last time, though he knew it was unnecessary. He’d taken the time to shave before leaving the office, and put on a clean, unwrinkled shirt. 

He crossed the street and strode up to the door. The pets in the window all turned their faces towards him, and some tried to show off their best assets. He averted his eyes. He definitely didn’t want a pet for sex. He preferred to get that from a partner who was fully an equal in the relationship. Too bad he hadn’t had one of those in a long time.

Gabriel was greeted almost as soon as he stepped inside, by a man who seemed even happier than the pets, to see a potential customer.

“Good evening, sir! How can I help you find the perfect pet?”

A red-headed woman walked briskly up to them and smiled widely at him. “Hello, sir.” She turned to the man next to her. “Will, why don’t you go make sure the interview room is clean and ready?”

“But Emma, didn’t you just clean –“

“Honey, please make sure the room is ready,” she said, not losing her smile, though her voice gained a forceful edge.

“Okay.” The man sighed and pouted like an overgrown child, but looked at Gabriel and said, “I’m sure Emma can help you find just the right pet!”

Gabriel finally spoke, when Will was out of hearing range. “How do you know I’m not here to just get some hybrid chow or a toy?”

“Oh!” Emma looked nonplussed. “Um, sure, yes, of course, we have all sorts of supplies…”

He sighed. “Actually, I would like to take a look at the pets, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh, certainly.” Emma regained her composure. “Would you like to start with the ones in the window?”

He shook his head. “No, thank you. I’ve seen them already.”

“But – okay, sure. Let me show you some of the others.”

The shop seemed to have all the usual things for sale, but it all appeared to be much more neatly displayed and carefully organized than others he’d seen. 

“You’ve got an excellent display here,” he commented. “It must be very easy for customers to find exactly what they’re looking for, in terms of supplies.”

Emma smiled warmly. “Thank you. I prefer to make it easier for customers, and staff, to find exactly what they want or need. It’s a little harder to organize the hybrids themselves.” She blinked, as though she’d confused herself, then continued to lead the way to the back of the room.

It was suddenly very noisy, with at least a dozen voices singing a dozen different songs. “It might help,” he murmured, “to suggest they sing the same song, instead of competing so hard with one another that it’s hard to hear their individual voices.”

Emma took a deep breath. “Thank you. I’ve been trying to explain that to Will for the longest time, but he’s trying to encourage freedom of expression.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow at this. “Really? Among pets whose lives are no doubt going to conform to very strict standards?”

He almost regretted it when he saw the look of hurt in her eyes. She quickly shifted gears, however. “It’s one of the ways we’re a little different than the other stores,” she explained, wincing as the singing became louder. “We like to encourage each of our pets to express themselves through song.”

“You do?” He raised an eyebrow, wondering what Kurt would think of the statement.

“Yes,” she hurried on, “all of our hybrids here are trained to sing, and most have very good voices.”

“What about the ones that don’t have good voices?” he mildly inquired.

She hesitated a moment, then continued, “Well, they tend to try to sing louder, as if that will help. But they’re all given a chance to show off their individual talent.”

“Very commendable,” he replied. As was often the case, the hours he’d spent training himself to show little emotion paid off. “Well, I’ll just look around.”

“Please let me know if you’d like to see any of the pets privately, in the interview room.” She discreetly moved back to the front of the store, but was still able to see him. The door at the end of the hall, next to a large window, opened to admit Will, who looked slightly exasperated.

“I hope you’re able to find exactly what you’re looking for,” he called out.

“Thank you.” Gabriel waited until Will was out of the way before he started walking down the right-hand aisle, looking at the pets in their cages. The four in the window he’d already dismissed, as they clearly hadn’t fit the description.

He saw a couple of empty cages, with a sign on each, reading “Recently Adopted”, with a picture and name of the hybrid who had occupied that cage. He recognized Kurt right away. The other was a dog hybrid named Finn.

He paused to listen to some, and smiled at others as he walked past. He didn’t want to give them false encouragement that he would adopt them. Some tried to talk to him or ask him questions, but he let them down politely.

When he’d seen all the pets in that aisle, he moved to the left-hand side. He finally saw the one he’d been looking for, that Adam had told him about. So far, he was the only one currently in animal form. He stopped in front of the cage, and looked intently at the small rabbit, who raised his head and twitched his nose in curiosity. He was sitting in an old, manual wheelchair, looking almost like a toy tossed away carelessly, without consideration of where it might land.

He looked at the tag. “Hello, there, Artie. How are you today?” He kept his voice low and gentle, not wanting to frighten the hybrid any further. He wondered if Artie had received the same kind of treatment Kurt had told him about. “I’ll be right back, I promise,” he told him, then went to find Emma.

 

 

  
In the interview room, Gabriel sat and contemplated Artie, who still hadn’t changed into human form. He wasn’t about to insist, or ask Will or Emma to turn the hose on him. He wondered how much information Artie would really be able to give him about his condition. He also wondered why they hadn’t brought the wheelchair in.  


“Artie, I’d really like to talk to you in human form. I’d like to ask you some questions, and the answers could really help me to help you.”

The pink nose twitched and the long ears moved a little. Instead of standing upright, the ears drooped down, giving the rabbit an appearance of sadness. He wasn’t sure if Artie was a lop-eared rabbit, in which case his ears were normal, or if they actually did indicate his feelings. He was about the right size for some breeds of lop, very small, about four pounds. His fur was mostly white, though he had a few spots of black here and there, and the ears were black. Artie glanced up at Gabriel, then down again.

“I’m a vet, Artie, and a doctor, for hybrids. My name is Dr. Hanover.”

At that, the ears perked up slightly, but still weren’t upright. Definitely a lop, then. The bunny tried to sit up straighter, but he still didn’t look comfortable.

“I’d like to know what happened to your legs, or spine, and see if there’s a way to help you.”

In the blink of an eye, he was looking at a dark-haired teenager, wearing baggy black pants and a blue-and-white striped shirt and black vest. The black frames of his glasses were large, and magnified his eyes. He was a nice-looking boy, Gabriel noted absently, and probably would have found a home before now if it weren’t for his mobility issues. He was sitting on his bottom, with his legs straight out in front of him, awkwardly trying to balance some of his weight on his arms, propping himself up. 

Artie cleared his throat. “Do you really think you can help me, sir?”

His voice was hesitant, but clear.

“I hope so. I asked Emma about your condition, and she wasn’t able to give me much information, other than you’re paralyzed from the waist down. She said there’s a lot more detail in your file, but she can’t share that with me unless I’m ready to adopt you.”

Artie looked down at the ground again and sighed heavily.

“However,” Gabriel continued steadily, “she said you could tell me whatever you want to about what happened, that it’s up to you how much to tell me.”

Artie shook his head, making his bangs fall across his glasses. He absently swiped at his hair with one hand. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know, sir, as much as _I_ know. Nobody’s ever taken this much interest in me before. I mean, a potential owner.”

Gabriel had trained himself not to react to the word “owner” so he merely waited. So far, Artie sounded more articulate than he was used to hearing from hybrids. He wondered if all the pets at New Directions were as well-spoken. Did it have anything to do with their training as singers?

Artie continued to look down. “I’m sorry, sir, I don’t know a lot of the medical terminology. Nobody ever thought I really needed to know,” he sighed. “My mom and I were in a car accident when I was eight. Mom was okay, pretty much, but I ended up paralyzed below the waist. I can’t move my legs, unless I use my hands to move them. But I can move my torso above the waist, and use my hands and arms, move my neck, that kind of thing.”

“It’s okay to look up at me, Artie. I realize you probably can’t do it yourself, but if I help you, would you like to sit down in this other chair?”

Artie looked at it thoughtfully. “It’s really for visitors, not for us. But I’m more comfortable in a chair. It’s easier on my back to have something more solid to lean against.”

“Do I have your permission to assist you in getting to the chair?”

Artie shrugged. “Yes, sir, if you want. I’ve been told I’m not all that heavy, not compared to some of the other guys.”

“Just one moment.” Gabriel turned and looked through the window, and saw Emma watching, as he’d expected. He walked over to her, and she opened the door. She looked disappointed, but then tried to smile.

Before she could say anything, he allayed her concerns. “I’d like to help Artie get off the floor and onto the other chair, if that’s okay with you. I know how to do it, and I promise I’ll be careful. I think he’d be much more comfortable sitting up with support at his back.”

She nodded. “He is. I’ve told Will we need to do something for him. I looked into it, and they have these little chairs, like for the beach, that are flat on the ground, but padded, and you can adjust the back to different angles. They’re not expensive, and I think it would make him much more comfortable, but Will doesn’t want the other hybrids to get envious.”

“Really? Are they envious of his inability to do so many things they take for granted, like walking? Would they want the same condition he has, if it would allow them to sit on a padded chair some of the time?” He bit his tongue before he said anything else.

Emma’s face burned a deep red as she murmured, “No, of course not.”

“Why not at least bring the wheelchair in with him?”

“Oh! That probably would make it easier. I’ll bring his chair in now, and you can help him get into it.”

Gabriel was sure Artie was heartily sick and tired of sitting in that wheelchair. He turned and smiled reassuringly at Artie as they waited. Emma returned in a minute with the chair.

Gabriel took a deep breath when she was at the doorway. “Emma, let me be frank with you. I’m a hybrid veterinarian and doctor, and I’d like to see if there’s anything that can be done to help Artie to be more independent. At least physically.” He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

She blinked, and the blush started to fade. “Really? That’s wonderful.” She took a deep breath. “I need to come into the room, and if necessary, I can help you lift him onto the chair. I just need to make sure –“

“I have no intention of taking advantage of him, or hurting him,” Gabriel assured her. “Please let me help him.”

She nodded, and followed him into the room.

He spoke to Artie again. “I’m going to lift you now, and get you back in the chair. Is that alright with you?”

Artie blinked, and frowned slightly, as though he were confused.

“Of course, sir. Whatever you want.”

“I want to know if that’s what you want, or do you want to sit in this chair?” He thought it likely the wheelchair would actually be more comfortable, but the other would be a change of pace.

“The wheelchair is fine, sir, thank you.”

He knelt down next to Artie, and put one hand low on his back, and carefully slid his other arm under his thighs, just before the bend of the knee. Although Artie was slight of build and not tall, it was still a bit awkward to get him off the floor. He supposed it would get easier with practice. Emma hovered anxiously, but let him perform the lift on his own. It wasn’t exactly graceful, but it was efficient. He was used to moving patients with mobility issues from a wheelchair or exam table.

When Artie was settled on the wheelchair, Gabriel stepped back. “Are you more comfortable now?”

Artie shifted his back and shoulders a little, then nodded. “Yes, sir. Thank you.” 

Emma spoke up, a bit too loudly. “Well, I see you don’t need me here anymore, so I’ll just go back and let you two talk.” She swiftly left the room, but not before Gabriel saw her wipe at her eyes.

Gabriel moved his chair so he was sitting opposite Artie, so they could see each other easily. He realized Artie still had to look up a little bit to see him, but he wasn’t as likely to be hurting his neck to do so.

“When you’re ready, please tell me more about your condition.”

Artie took a deep breath. “I can go to the bathroom on my own, as long as I can use the wheelchair to get there, and a transfer board. It’s kind of awkward, ‘cause I can’t stand, but there are ways – and I can wash and dress myself, but it takes a long time, especially getting dressed. Washing and dressing goes quicker if somebody helps me, but…” He sighed heavily and blinked a couple of times. “There’s nobody here anymore who wants to help me with that. The other hybrids don’t – “ He bit his lip, then continued. “The guys think it’s too gay, even the ones who are gay themselves. I can sort of understand why the girls  don’t really want to help me. And it would be awkward. I like girls, even though, uh, the equipment doesn’t work. Some of them kind of feel sorry for me, but they don’t really want to be bothered. Someone on staff usually helps me, if they remember.”

Gabriel allowed his face to show the concern he was feeling. “How long have you been here?”

“About three years, I think.”

“So, you’re what, 16?”

“I think so.”

“And all this time, you’ve had to try to take care of yourself, with no one to help?”

Artie looked up. “The night crew are really good about helping me – well, Miss Sue and Miss Shannon. There used to be a hybrid here who was willing to help me. He was here before I was, maybe a year or two I guess. The other guys told me I shouldn’t let him help me, because he was gay, but I really didn’t care about that. And he never, ever, looked at me the wrong way or did or said anything that made me think he was as predatory as they seemed to think. He was just nice, you know, wanting to help because…I don’t know why, exactly, but it wasn’t just that he felt sorry for me. I mean, I think he did, but he really didn’t seem to mind helping. He also tried to show me how to comb my hair so it wouldn’t get in my eyes, but I never got the hang of it, and it was embarrassing to have him do that for me when anybody else was around.” 

He stopped, and blushed. “I mean, everything else was embarrassing, too, but that was usually – he did things in a way that was like – I don’t know, like he cared about my dignity or something. But the hair thing, that was more, like, public, so he stopped when they started laughing at me.

“I’m not sure, because I can’t imagine why anybody would do it, but it seemed likes sometimes he was trying to get the others to stop teasing me, by making them turn on him instead. But the last year or two he was here, he mostly stayed as a cat, because they weren’t as mean to him for some reason. So he couldn’t really help me as much.”

Artie heaved a huge sigh. “Then he got adopted, a few weeks ago, I think. So it was good for him, but now there’s nobody here that really gives a damn about me.” 

He bit his lip, and looked a bit distressed, so Gabriel nodded encouragingly.

“I mean, I think Miss Emma does care, but it’s not the same. But it makes me realize, all over again, how hard it’s going to be to ever get adopted.”

Gabriel had been afraid this would happen. He wondered, even if he could find some sort of cure or help for Artie, if he would be more likely to be adopted.

“Have you given any thought to what your day-to-day life would be like, if you were adopted now?”

Artie’s eyes widened. “Who would want me the way I am now? As a rabbit, I wouldn’t be a very fun pet if I couldn’t move by myself. I should mention, everything I said before, that’s when I’m in my human form. In my rabbit form, I need someone to pick me up and put me in a litter box, and pretty much move me everywhere.”

“It’s not much of a life for you, whether you’re here or adopted,” Gabriel observed.

“Right. I can’t see it being much different, except I’d probably be alone most of the time. An adult would probably be at work, and kids would be at school. Even if little kids were home with a nanny or something, I wouldn’t be that fun to play with as a pet.”

Artie’s depression was clear to see, and he thought it unlikely that he was receiving medication for it.

“I sometimes think,” Artie said, very quietly, “maybe it won’t be so bad, waiting just about four more years, then they’ll put me to sleep and that will be it. No more problems, it’s all over. I won’t be any trouble to anybody. Sometimes I think about asking them why they haven’t done that yet.”

Gabriel wasn’t terribly surprised, but he still found it disturbing.

“I would hope there’s some other option,” he said gently. “Tell me, is your entire existence miserable for you, or do you have some fun sometimes, or some things you enjoy doing?”

“Singing,” Artie immediately replied. “I can’t dance, though I can move around pretty well in my chair. But Mr. Will thinks I have a good voice, and none of the others tease me about my voice, the way they did with Kurt – he’s the hybrid cat who was sort of my friend, and used to help me. When I’m singing, sometimes I can forget about the chair entirely.”

“If it’s allowed, would you sing for me, please, Artie? Anything you want to sing.”

The request startled him.

“Um, what kind of music do you like?”

Gabriel shrugged. “I listen to a variety of things, from rock to classical, all sorts of things in between,” he answered with a smile. “What about you?”

Artie nodded. “I like classic rock, and r&b, hip-hop, occasionally country. I’m not as familiar with classical, because we never listened to it at home, and I haven’t had many opportunities to hear it since I’ve been here. Miss Emma’s the only one who likes it.”

Gabriel kept his excitement to himself. He really wanted to introduce Artie to classical music, and he was already getting some ideas of shorter works he might enjoy.

“Do you listen to the radio a lot, or did you?” he asked.

“Yeah, at home I did. They don’t usually play the radio here, because somebody always complains. No matter what station they put on, someone will bitch about it, though I think the classic rock gets the least complaints. That’s Mr. Will’s favorite, so we hear that a lot, when he does play the radio.”

“Please, go ahead and sing for me, if you’d like. Or do you need music?”

Artie shook his head. “We’ve been trained to sing a capella. Let me think…”

Patience was a virtue Gabriel had cultivated early on in his professional life. He had no problems waiting until Artie was ready.

 

 

  
Will joined Emma by the window.   


“Are they still in there?” he asked in surprise.

“Yes,” Emma confirmed. “Artie’s talking a lot.”

“I hope he doesn’t talk himself out of getting adopted,” Will fretted.

Emma gave him a sharp look. “Don’t be so negative! This is the first time in the last year, I think, that anyone has wanted to talk to Artie alone.”

“Yeah, but I can’t figure out why.”

“Will!” Emma tried to keep her voice down, aware that most of the hybrids could probably hear them. “Artie can be very charming, he’s a great singer, and he’s got a good sense of humor. He has a lot to offer, it’s just his paralysis that gets in the way.”

“Exactly. And it’s not like that’s going to just go away.”

Emma bit her lip, unsure whether to say anything about the visitor being a vet. She didn’t think it was likely anything could be done, but maybe there had been advances in that field in the last few years. The vet who came to the store to do house calls once a year, or more often if it was needed, hadn’t ever suggested Artie’s condition might change or improve. He’d just shake his head if asked, and say that other than the paralysis below the waist, and being a little underweight, he was healthy.

Emma was concerned that some of the pets seemed to be underweight; Kurt had been as well. Most of their pets looked well-fed and healthy, but she knew there were some who got comfort from food, and always wanted more, and others who ate because they had to, but didn’t necessarily enjoy it. They always encouraged the pets to eat everything they were given, but Will insisted on giving them all the same amount. Emma thought it was ridiculous, and had told him so, to expect someone tall and husky like Finn, and someone tiny like Rachel, for instance, to eat the same amount of food. Will got annoyed if anyone didn’t finish their food, even if Emma could see it was too much for them. Kurt forced himself to eat everything, but he still was underweight when he was adopted…she’d never been able to figure that out. Maybe he just had a fast metabolism. And some of the girls stayed slim despite eating the full amount… 

Now that she thought about it, those same girls, and Kurt, and sometimes Artie, were the ones who got sick to their stomach the most. At least she’d persuaded Will that the last thing they needed was more food to replace what they lost. She’d wait a few hours, then given them a much smaller amount of food, to see if they could tolerate that. She’d told the night crew about that, and while Sue had argued at first, she didn’t like having to take the pets to the restroom and watching them throw up. Emma was pretty sure that some of Sue’s records were fudged a bit to keep Will from complaining, though you’d think he’d want to save money by giving some of the pets smaller portions, if that made them more comfortable.

At any rate, she was sure, if this man was a vet and doctor, as he’d said, he’d figure out the right amount to feed Artie, and would probably pay a lot more attention to his needs than most owners would.

She wondered how Kurt was doing, and if he was happy. She suspected he was happier than he’d been in all the time with them. She wasn’t as worried about Finn; a nice woman had adopted him, partly to help entertain her children, and they’d all liked him. He’d always done well around kids, and the limited background check they ran on the family didn’t show any red flags. It always made her a little sad for her own sake, but happy for the pets, when one was adopted. Although some could be very irritating at times, she had a soft spot for all of them.

 

 

  
Artie finished his rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “For Once In My Life”. He had really belted it out, and Gabriel clapped politely, though he was a trifle concerned about the lyrics.  


Artie seemed to realize, too late, how the song might be interpreted. His eyes widened in alarm, and he started to stutter a bit. “Um, I didn’t mean – that wasn’t – uh, present company excepted?” he ended weakly.

Gabriel held out a hand to stop him, but slowly, not intending it to be a rejection.

“I understand. It’s probably a song that has meaning for you, as something to hope for in the future?” he suggested.

Artie closed his eyes and released his breath slowly. He nodded rapidly, then opened his eyes and looked at Gabriel again. “Yes, exactly.”

“I really enjoyed that. You’ve got a powerful voice. You must practice a lot.”

Artie shrugged. “I try.”

“What else do you like to do, besides singing?”

He looked around the room, everywhere but at Gabriel. “There’s not much to do here. But I used to like listening to music, and reading. My mom taught me to play chess when I was young, and that was something I could still do after the accident. She also got me a lot of puzzles to put together, like tourist sites in foreign countries, things and places I’ll probably never get to see. And I liked to sing and dance when I was little, but then we had the accident, and obviously I can’t dance anymore.” He sighed heavily. “It’s a bummer, because I had a lot of fun with it. It was a good way to work off excess energy, you know?”

“And how do you work off energy here?”

Artie looked up at him again. “Well, we exercise every day, and sing. And the others all get to dance as well as sing. I try to dance as much as I can in the chair, but it’s not the same. I wheel myself around a lot when I can, to keep my arms and shoulders strong, but I can’t use much of the equipment in the gym, not without somebody watching and maybe helping.”

“Is that something the staff helped you with?”

“Sometimes. Miss Sue and Miss Shannon are the ones who were really interested in physical conditioning, and they’re usually here at night. But on the weekends, if they’re here, we’d get a lot more time spent at the gym. That would be before the customers came in for the day, and in the evenings as well. They’re both really strong, and they don’t seem to mind helping me, it just makes it a little harder for them to keep track of what everyone else is doing, and keep the rowdier pets in line.”

“It sounds like you could all use more physical activity on a regular basis.”

Artie nodded, but didn’t say anything.

“It’s interesting that you play chess. I’ve never heard of a hybrid that did.”

Artie brightened up. “Yeah. I haven’t played in a few years, of course, but sometimes I beat my mom, and I don’t think she was just letting me win. She tried to teach my dad, but he wasn’t all that interested.”

“Your father is the hybrid, rather than your mother, right?”

“Yes, sir. He was at home when we had the accident, but luckily Mom was hardly hurt at all. She wanted to stay with me at the hospital, but she needed to get back to dad and explain. Just telling him over the phone would have been really difficult. I was so out of it, between the surgery and painkillers and all that, I don’t think I knew she wasn’t there. She did visit a lot, and said Dad wanted to, but he wasn’t allowed.”

“I see. Well, I won’t know, without doing some tests, if there’s anything that can be done for your spine, but I’d like to come back tomorrow or the next day, and see you again.”

Artie blinked a few times, but didn’t cry. He licked is lips, as though his mouth was suddenly dry. “I’d like that. If you can help me, that’s great, but even if you can’t, thank you for taking the time to talk with me, and wanting to help.”

“You’re welcome.”

Gabriel turned around and waved for Emma to let him out.

“I’ll see you soon, Artie.”

Emma entered the room. Gabriel appreciated the fact that she looked at Artie first, to make sure he was okay.

“Artie, if you’ll stay here, Will can let you out in a few minutes.”

“Sure, Miss Emma. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

She led Gabriel out of the room. “Do you have somewhere more private where we can speak?” he asked her.

“Well, there’s my office. Come in, please.”

He looked briefly around the room, and wondered how long Emma had been coping with OCD. He’d noticed some minor OCD tendencies in Kurt, and wondered if he’d unconsciously picked them up from Emma, or if he had them before. 

Once they were both seated, Emma clasped her hands in front of her on the desk. She smiled brightly.

“Well? What do you think of Artie?”

“He’s very charming, and articulate, and I suspect highly intelligent. He’s got a very strong and pleasant voice. But I think he’s very depressed and lonely, despite all the other hybrids here,” he said candidly. “I’d like to be able to see his medical records, and do some tests on him, to see if his condition can be improved.”

Emma looked conflicted, he had to give her that. “I’m afraid we can’t do that. We have our own vet here, but we can’t even let you speak to him, or see the records, unless you agree to adopt him. Although I suppose, if you adopt him, and his condition is unchangeable, you could return him here and get most of your money back, but I’m sure you’d also be losing money on the testing.”

He’d thought about it on and off. His life was very lonely, because he spent most of his time either working or doing research. He had some friends, but they were as busy as he was, so he rarely saw them. He hadn’t found time for dating in quite a while, because it was hard to find a woman who wouldn’t end up being frustrated by the extra hours he spent at work. That was the primary reason he’d never married; he’d never found the right woman, who would understand that his patients sometimes had to take first priority in his life. It didn’t seem fair to ask that of anyone.

He could afford a hybrid pet, but again, wouldn’t have much time to spend with one, and most hybrids were pretty emotionally dependent on their owners. However, for someone like Artie…he’d been thinking about the possibility since Adam first mentioned him. It didn’t seem likely that anyone else was going to come along and offer him a good home. But he still wasn’t quite ready to bring a pet home yet, especially one with mobility issues. His house had seemed very accessible when he bought it, but now that he’d seen Artie for himself, and had a better idea of the type of injury, he would need to look at his home and workplace with a more critical eye. The whole building he worked in was as universally accessible as possible.

“I’m interested in adopting Artie, but I can’t do it tonight. I’m planning on coming back either tomorrow night after work or the following night, and I’ll let you know my decision then.”

“Really?” Emma’s eyes were wide and bright. “That’s wonderful! I mean, that you’re even considering… He’s very sweet, and mostly obedient, and he’s got a good sense of humor, and a lovely voice. Yes, I’m sure he’s depressed, it’s completely understandable, but I’m sure he’ll be much better when he’s in a good home. Have you told him yet that you want to adopt him?”

Gabriel shook his head. “Not yet. I want to make sure it’s really feasible, and I’ll have to consult a contractor, and have some work done at home, especially in the guest bedroom and bathroom. It might be a week, maybe longer, before I can officially adopt him.”

Emma bit her lip. “I’ll consult with my husband about this, and talk to you more about it the next time we see you. But it’s possible, if you put a down payment on Artie, we can let you see the medical files before you officially adopt him. But I need to check on that.”

“I’ve never heard of that, so if you don’t mind, I’ll consult with a lawyer about that as well.” He was pretty sure Julia would know if this was legal or not. He didn’t want to do anything illegal, but was determined to do what he could to help Artie.

Emma’s eyes widened even further, then her features smoothed out. “That’s a good idea. I expect to have more information the next time we see you.”

“Yes, I’ll be sure to get a consult before then. Thank you for your time.”

He shook her hand, and gave her his business card. “I’ll be in touch.”

She looked down at the card. “I look forward to it, Dr. Hanover.”

 

 

  
On the way home, he started making a mental list of things to do, and people to consult, before he made a decision. He had some very good ideas, from things he’d heard from patients, of what not to do. He spent so much time advising other people what their pet needed, physically and psychologically, he didn’t want to make the same mistakes with his own pet. On the other hand, he thought it more likely he’d make different mistakes.  


He sighed to himself as he thought further about it. He supposed it was similar to having a child, and he was sure there were pediatricians and child psychologists who made the occasional mistake or bad decision about their own child. If he allowed himself to worry too much about it, he’d talk himself out of it completely. But with Artie, wouldn’t it be better to adopt him, and do the best he could to give him a good home, than just leave him there, knowing the odds were against him ever finding someone who wanted him, or could give him the care he needed?

When he got home and had jotted down some notes, he checked his watch. It wasn’t terribly late; he could at least leave a message for Julia if she didn’t want to pick up the phone. Maybe he should wait until the next day and call her at work, as it really was a work-related issue. But they were both likely to be so busy, they’d end up playing phone tag for who knows how long.

Before he knew he’d made up his mind, he was already calling.

She did answer the phone, and they ended up talking far longer than he’d intended, but she refused to send him a bill. She explained she did a lot of pro bono work, and she wouldn’t have taken the time if she hadn’t wanted to help him.

He spent the rest of the evening researching contractors, and looking at possible solutions for redesigning his home. It didn’t look like it would take much extra work, or be that expensive to do. He’d make some calls during his breaks and lunch hour, and try to get some estimates on cost and when the work would be completed.

By the time he was ready to go to bed, he was confident he was making the right decision.


	75. Chapter 75

Adam hadn’t bothered to set the alarm, knowing either he or Kurt would wake up in plenty of time. The only scheduled activity they had that day was lunch with Jessica and Tessa. Kurt was still sleeping peacefully, lying halfway across Adam. It would be a bit tricky to get out of bed without waking him, but not impossible, considering how heavily he was sleeping. He managed to slide out from underneath Kurt, and pulled his pillow down so Kurt was resting on that. Kurt merely grabbed onto the pillow with both arms and kept sleeping.

After some exercises, Adam got ready for the day. He was almost completely dressed, just doing up the last button on his shirt, when Kurt woke up. Adam looked over curiously when he heard Kurt growl, just in time to see him give the pillow a vicious bite. He didn’t tear the pillowcase, let alone the pillow, but if he’d been in cat form, it would be a different story.

“Ouch,” Adam commented. “I’m glad that wasn’t me.”

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him and said, “If it was you, I wouldn’t have bit. Not that hard, anyway.”

“The pillow offended you somehow?” Adam guessed.

“Yes. It wasn’t you.”

Adam sat next to him on the bed and kissed him thoroughly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just wanted to get up and get ready for the girls to come over.”

Kurt glanced at the alarm clock. “They’re not going to be here for over 4 hours.”

Adam had a feeling Kurt already had things planned out, just hadn’t shared the details with him yet. “How long will it take to prepare lunch? Do you even know what we’re going to serve?”

“Yes, Quiche Lorraine. Home-made. Didn’t I tell you? It’ll take about an hour and a half, at most.”

“Maybe I wasn’t listening closely enough. Do we have everything we need?”

“Of course.” Kurt wriggled free from Adam. “Let me get cleaned up a bit, and we’ll have some time before I have to start making lunch.”

“I can help you with lunch, if you want?” Adam suggested.

Kurt thought about it. “That’s okay, I think I’ve got it under control, but thanks. I’ll be right back.”

Adam sighed, wondering when Kurt had become so assertive. Not that he minded, at all, but it seemed rather sudden. He grabbed his laptop and started working on more scenes while waiting for Kurt.

When he returned from the shower, Kurt was rather ambitious about what they should do with their extra time. Adam really hated to disappoint him, and himself as well.

“Some time when we don’t have friends coming over. Maybe after they leave?”

As it turned out, neither of them really minded finding some variations to what they’d already been doing.

Adam knew by now that Kurt wanted to cuddle for a while afterwards. To his surprise, instead of falling asleep while cuddling, Kurt seemed more energized. “Let’s get up. I was thinking, I need to start working on Lily’s dress. I want to make sure it’s ready in time.”

Adam wasn’t going to discourage him, having no idea how long such a project would take, anyway.

“Sure. Do you want me to give you a heads up, to start fixing the quiche?”

Kurt shook his head. “No thanks. I’ve got a watch now.”

Adam couldn’t help smirking a bit. “True. But it doesn’t do much good if you’re not actually wearing it.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, but patted Adam on the knee. “Right. I’ll go do that.”

 

 

  
Kurt spent a productive morning, first making tiny modifications to the design of the gown. Lily had given him her measurements and assured him they were current. He wasn’t quite ready to trust cutting the fabric with just something heavy to weight it down.  


“Adam!” he hollered. “Can you help me with this a minute?” After a moment he added, “Please?”

Considering Adam was only in the other room, he grumbled a bit about the unnecessary yelling, but showed up quickly enough.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Just hold onto that end of the material. Hold it taut so I can cut accurately.”

Kurt cut the fabric carefully, and soon was satisfied. He dismissed Adam, and wondered why the older man was smirking at him. But he didn’t have time to think about that now.

He couldn’t let himself get as completely involved as he’d have liked in making the dress; he had to keep looking at his watch to have enough time to make the quiche.

By the time he decided he absolutely had to quit, he was satisfied he’d made decent progress. Still, he knew he had to concentrate more on finishing it, to have enough time for Lily to try it on, and make any necessary changes.

He was going to ask Adam if he could leave the sewing machine on the dining room table, but he realized that was where they were going to eat lunch.

Adam came over to see if he could help with anything.

“Kurt, that’s amazing! I can’t believe how much you’ve done, in less than two hours!”

He looked at it critically, and decided it did look pretty good. “Thanks. But I need to move all this stuff now, hopefully without messing anything up.”

“Tell you what,” Adam offered, “why don’t I put everything back on the desk in your room? I can lay the dress down on top of the dresser in your closet. Maybe I’ll put a towel or sheet over the dresser first.”

Kurt hugged him, thinking again how lucky he was to have found Adam, or that Adam found him. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome.” Adam beamed at him. “You just concentrate on what you need to do for lunch, and I’ll take care of this. And I’ll set the table, nicely this time, I think.”

Kurt nodded. “I’m going to fix a salad to go with the quiche, and maybe some fruit afterwards. I’m not sure about drinks. I was planning on having a diet Coke for myself, but maybe Tessa and Jessica would like wine, maybe white wine of some kind?”

Adam nodded. “Leave that to me. I might have one glass with them, but I promise, I’ll behave.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “I know you’re not going to go overboard. But I wanted to be sure, because you didn’t want Jesse to bring any wine.”

“That’s different,” Adam explained. “They’d probably be buying a bottle especially for us, and since neither of us will be drinking, it would just be them, and would be sort of tacky. But let’s not tell them I’m serving wine to the girls today.”

“Okay. But I don’t understand, if you think you can have a glass today and be fine, why not have some with lunch on Friday with Jesse and whoever?” Kurt thought it was a reasonable question.

Adam sighed. “I’m not sure I can even explain it to myself. I just want to be as quick-witted as I can around Jesse. We didn’t part on the best of terms, and though he seems to be pretty nice now, I just don’t want either of us to bring up things best left in the past. And I’m more likely to let that happen if I’m a little too mellow from wine.”

“I just want to make sure I understand,” Kurt said, trying to think of the best way to ask. “I guess you trust the girls to not say or do anything awkward?”

“Right. I think we got it straightened out, that I don’t want them to interrogate you, about our relationship or anything else. I think they can stick to discussing other things. And I _will_ tell you about Jesse, before he gets here.” He changed the subject quickly. “Now, I’d better get this moved for you,” he added.

“Thanks,” Kurt repeated, and went to the kitchen to concentrate on lunch.

 

 

  
Things did go well, overall. The girls arrived together, and brought with them the burgundy NYADA hoodie Adam had asked for. He paid Jessica for it, and Kurt admired it. He liked his better, and it still smelled mostly like Adam, with some of his own scent mixed in. It was almost more comforting to wear now than when it was just Adam’s.   


Jessica and Tessa were polite, but a lot more subdued than the last time he’d seen them. Well, the last time he’d been a cat, and they’d been acting very oddly. Now they seemed more composed.

Lunch was ready shortly after the girls arrived. They served the salad first, while the quiche was in the oven. 

At first the conversation was a little awkward, until Adam brought up Burt’s visit.

“Really? What was that like, Kurt? I’m sure you missed your dad,” Tessa offered.

He nodded, trying to think of the best thing to say. “It was great. I never thought I’d see him again, and I was worried about who was taking care of him. But Adam arranged it, and now I think Dad and I can both stop worrying.”

Adam mentioned a couple of amusing stories about Burt’s visit meant to put Kurt at ease.

“The best thing is,” Kurt concluded, “he liked Adam, and he knows I’m happy here, and that Adam loves me, so he doesn’t have to wonder what happened to me.”

Jessica put down her fork, and looked stricken. “I never thought about it that much, but I guess your parents, hybrids’ parents, don’t usually find out who adopted their kid, right?”

“Or if they were adopted at all,” Kurt added, not noticing the distress his words caused in the girls. 

“But this way,” Adam interrupted, “it worked out really well for all of us.”

Kurt remembered what Adam had told him the girls wanted to know. He was pretty sure now they wouldn’t ask on their own. He glanced at his watch first, and jumped up.

“Just a moment, I’ll be right back.”

The quiche was perfect, he hadn’t left it in too long, as he’d feared. After letting it cool for a minute, he moved it onto a nice serving plate, just as Adam brought the salad dishes and forks in.

“That looks wonderful, Kurt.”

“Thank you. Now I just need to get it in there.”

He managed to carry it to the table and set it down gracefully, as the girls oohed and aahed over it. He let Adam cut it into four pieces.

“Oh, Kurt, this is fantastic!” Tessa exclaimed. “Much better than the little frozen ones.”

“This is actually better than I’ve had in restaurants,” Jessica confided. “Probably the best I’ve ever had.”

Kurt was gratified that they liked it, but he could taste that it had come out just right. He was getting more confident about his cooking skills, now that he was getting more practice.

“This is definitely the best I’ve had,” Adam insisted.

“Thanks, I’m glad you all like it. It’s one of the first things I learned to cook.”

He remembered what he’d wanted to tell the girls. “I was thinking, you haven’t heard the story of how Adam adopted me, have you?”

They glanced at each other, and both looked a trifle guilty, maybe for wanting to interrogate him earlier.

“No, we haven’t. But I’d love to know!” Tessa informed him.

“Me, too!” Jessica chimed in.

“Well, it might work best if Adam and I tell you together, and you’ll get a more complete picture that way.”

Adam nodded. “Good idea. Why don’t you go first, and give them an idea what things were like before I came into the picture. If you want to talk about that part of it.”

Kurt was mostly finished with his quiche. He had another bite, then said, “Sure. It will make more sense that way.” He explained how lonely he’d been, even though he was surrounded by so many others, of his own kind, as well as some humans. The girls listened with rapt attention, though they did continue eating.

“And then, when I realized someone was there, watching me, it scared me. I had no idea Adam wasn’t like the other guys who occasionally paid attention to me.” He looked at Adam, who picked up the story.

“His voice is what I noticed at first, and when I saw him, I thought he was absolutely gorgeous. But he changed so fast, I hardly had time to register his looks.”

Kurt finished his lunch while Adam talked, still fascinated with how differently he and Adam had experienced the same events.

When they finished the story, Tessa said, “Wow, I’m so glad that story has a happy ending!”

“I was just thinking,” Jessica added, blinking away tears, “it’s just amazing that you and Adam found each other. I mean, with all the pet stores in this city…”

“If I hadn’t seen the ad, I’m not sure if I’d ever have thought about adopting a hybrid pet,” Adam said, smiling across the table at Kurt. “I’ve seen ads in the past, we all have, I’m sure, in the newspaper, online, on TV…but I guess I looked at it at the right time. And the fact that these particular hybrids were trained to sing was like the final little piece of the puzzle. It was overwhelming at first, with all those voices, singing different songs, but once I saw Kurt, I didn’t really want to consider looking anywhere else.”

“Awww, that’s so sweet,” Tessa sighed.

“And on that note, let me bring in the dessert,” Kurt interrupted, sensing it was time to change the subject. He didn’t want their guests, their friends, to be upset. He brought in the bowl of fruit salad, and let each person take what they wanted.

In the meantime, Adam had changed the topic to the classes the girls were taking at NYADA. They were each in their final year.

Kurt listened, and couldn’t help but wish he could go to a school like that, where he could explore singing, dancing, and acting. If he was even good enough to get in, he realized. It sounded like so much fun, even though the girls were complaining about some of the final exam performances coming up.

“You’ll get through it,” Adam encouraged. “I did, and I had my moments of doubt about it. Some of the instructors are great, and you know they’ll give you a reasonable assignment, but others are going to make it as difficult as possible.”

“And yet, those seem to be the same ones that make it difficult to learn from them. It’s like, they’re insanely talented, but they don’t know how to teach. They assume you’ve got this natural ability like they did, and can bring it out just by practicing,” Jessica observed.

“Right, but you really have to feel it, in order to make it something special. You can sing a song by rote, if you practice enough, and perform it perfectly, technically, and still have it be boring. You have to really find the passion for it to really stand out,” Adam pointed out. “If you can’t feel what you’re singing, and can’t connect to the song, it will be good, but not great.”

Kurt listened to this all with wide-eyed fascination. As much as he didn’t like being told what to do, he thought it would be wonderful to have the opportunity to learn from people who had succeeded in the same field.

He spoke up before he really thought about it. “It sounds like kind of like what Mr. Will was trying to do with us at the pet store. Some of us liked singing more than others, but we all tried to do our best. Some of them could hit every note, but it was still kind of boring. Others would maybe be a little off pitch, but have so much passion for the words, it didn’t matter, and it was brilliant.”

They looked at him expectantly, so he continued his thoughts. “Mr. Will tried to teach us, and he’d been in a glee club in high school, and they’d won the National Championship, so he thought he could teach us to be really fantastic singers. But I noticed a lot of the time when he sang, he tried to really get into it, but it’s like he really didn’t connect to what he was singing. Some of the stuff he had us sing made no sense, because it was about experiences we’d never had, and never would have, as hybrids. Sometimes it was hard to even understand what the song was about, because we weren’t raised like everyone else, didn’t have a lot of the same background or memories a lot of people take for granted.

“And I think a lot of people who listened to us resented the fact that, the way they saw it, we were animals trying to sing about human emotions and experiences, and they didn’t like it. I guess it’s kind of like learning a song in a foreign language, without reading the translation. You can learn the melody and the sound of the words, and reproduce the words, but if you have no idea what you’re really singing, it won’t sound the same as someone who’s singing from that background, that culture.”

He stopped, fearing he’d said way too much.

“I think you’re right, Kurt,” Jessica said thoughtfully. “There’s a saying that those who can, do, and those that can’t, teach. It’s not always true, but there are a lot of people who want to teach what they know to others, and they have the skills and knowledge to do what they’re teaching you, but they don’t have the ability to teach, to get things through in a way that makes sense to other people.”

Adam nodded. “Definitely. And people learn in different ways. Some just by listening to it explained, some by seeing it done, some need to see the explanation in writing, and others learn just by trying to do it, and need that hands-on experience, so to speak. They can’t expect every student to learn the same way, so some are going to get some lessons better than others. And if the teacher is one of those with an in-born ability to dance, and perhaps has a lot of grace and balance to begin with, they might expect every student to be the same way. Some have to learn better balance, and how to move with the music.”

“Kurt, I was thinking,” Tessa interrupted. “I’m sure with your cat genes, you’re more naturally graceful than those of us without.”

“I’m not sure,” he murmured, not wanting to brag.

“I can attest to that,” Adam spoke up firmly. “I wish I had the agility and grace that Kurt has, but I would have to really work hard to come close to it. I think I get where you’re going with this, and I’m sure Kurt would be an excellent dancer, for instance. I’d love to see Cassandra July’s face if she ever saw what raw, natural talent he has, without any real training.”

“Mr. Will did train us,” Kurt felt compelled to add. He wasn’t sure why he was defending the man.

Adam was quick to point out Will’s flaws, however. “Yes, but judging from what I saw of some of the other hybrids, he did a poor job of training, even worse than with the singing. Perhaps he’s good at both, but it doesn’t make him qualified to train others, let alone hybrids, who, like you say, don’t have the same kind of background as he’s used to.”

“Well, I don’t know that the world is really ready to hear a group of hybrids singing, anyway,” Kurt concluded sadly.

“But they might, if you sounded as good as, or better than, human singers.” Jessica winced. “Sorry. Regular singers, I mean.”

Kurt shrugged. “It’s okay, ‘human’ is the right term.”

“Speaking of singing,” Adam spoke up loudly, “Would anybody fancy a few songs at the piano?”

Jessica shook her head. “I’m sorry, I really need to get back to class.”

“Me, too,” Tessa said regretfully. “We both had lunch and the period after free, but we’ve got to get back now.”

Adam grimaced. “I’m sorry I forgot about that. Well, thank you both for coming. It was lovely to see you again. And I really appreciate you picking up the hoodie for me.”

“No problem, glad to do it,” Jessica said. “But thank you both so much for lunch. Kurt, that quiche was terrific.” She smiled warmly at him.

“It really was, and I’m so glad you could have us come over today,” Tessa agreed. “I miss having Adam in class with us, and at rehearsals.”

“I miss the two of you, and the others, but not so much the classes,” Adam confessed. “Besides, if I had classes, rehearsals, homework and so forth, I’d hardly have any time to spend with Kurt.”

“And he would be a sad panda,” Tessa concluded.

Kurt frowned. “Well, sad cat, actually.”

“That too,” she agreed with a giggle.

They were both looking at him so oddly, then stuck their hands in their pockets. He wondered what was going on.

Adam sighed. “Ladies, if you’d like to hug Kurt goodbye, and if it’s okay with him, you can.”

“Yay!”

“Yes!”

“Um, okay,” Kurt agreed hesitantly. He patted their backs gently, and had to admit the hugs felt nice.

Adam offered to walk them down to their car. “Kurt, do you want to come along, or stay here?”

“I’ll go down with you,” he decided. It wasn’t that he was afraid to be in the apartment alone, or that he didn’t occasionally like some privacy, but going up and down in the elevator was fun, and the people behind the desk in the lobby were usually nice, if they stopped there on the way back up.

 

 

  
Adam stopped in the lobby to pick up some mail, and was glad he did. There was nothing terribly exciting in the mail, mainly some bills and catalogs, but they did run into Lily, who was also collecting her mail.  


Kurt mentioned that the dress was coming along. He rather hesitantly asked if she wanted to see it, and perhaps try it on before he went too much further.

“If you’re free right now, that is,” Adam added quickly, not wanting to inconvenience her.

“Oh, I’ve certainly got a little time. Would you like me to go up with you now?”

“Yes, please,” Kurt said. Then he blinked and looked over at Adam. “I mean…”

“Yes, Lily, that would be lovely,” Adam continued smoothly. He sometimes forgot, as well as Kurt, that Kurt shouldn’t be inviting people over on his own.

On the way up the elevator, she entertained them with a story about Misty and some leftover chicken she’d forgotten to put away.

Adam looked at Kurt sternly. “By the way, I don’t suppose I have to tell you not to try that?”

Kurt shook his head, sighing heavily. “No. I did that once, found some leftovers, and Dad was not amused. But he also learned to be really careful not to leave any food out where I could get it.”

Adam busied himself elsewhere while Lily tried on the dress. There were still some pins in a few places, as he’d seen, but he trusted Kurt to warn her about them.

When he came back to the living room, Kurt and Lily were sitting on the sofa, and she sounded very pleased with the dress.

“I’m sure you’ll have it ready on time. I still have a while to go before I need it.”

Adam asked her again what the event was for, and when she mentioned the charity, his eyes lit up. “Oh, yes, that sounds like an excellent idea. Everyone has some sort of creativity, I’m sure, and some just need to find a way to tap into it.”

He asked her when it was, and if she by any chance had any extra tickets to sell.

“As a matter of fact, I do.” Her eyes sparkled. “I didn’t want to ask, but it’s rather difficult to sell them without directly asking people.”

“I’ll take three,” he decided. “One each for myself and Kurt, and another for a special guest, who I hope will be available.”

Kurt naturally wanted to know who, but Adam told him to just wait, and he’d find out soon enough.

Lily went next door to get the tickets, while Adam wrote out a check.

“Am I going to get to wear the blue suit again?” Kurt asked eagerly.

After a moment’s consideration, Adam shook his head. “The black suit, I think. This might be a slightly more conservative occasion, and you don’t want to have anyone see you wear the same suit twice, too close together, right?”

Kurt seemed only a little disappointed.

After Adam and Lily exchanged the check for the tickets, she told them she had some things to do, but hoped to see them again soon.

Kurt sat on the sofa looking a little confused.

“What’s the matter, darling?” Adam asked, sitting down next to him. He started massaging Kurt’s neck with one hand, trying to soothe him.

“It’s just that there are so many things to do.” Kurt turned to try to look at him. “The dress, the design for the t-shirts for the gym, going over your book, reading your stories, getting back to Harry Potter…and I really want to start watching Downton Abbey. I feel like I’ve got all these strings pulling me in different directions.”

Adam gave up on the massage, and hugged him instead. “There’s no time limit on most of those things. You’ve probably done enough on the dress for today, right?”

Kurt nodded, so he continued. “I’d like to go over the book with you, because it will take some time. I don’t know that we can get through it, slowly, in one sitting. But it doesn’t have to be done right away. Have you had any ideas for a design for the t-shirts for the gym?”

Kurt shook his head, hair falling across his eyes. He swiped it away with one hand, then answered. “Not really, not yet. But hopefully Jerry and Daniel don’t need it right away.”

“I don’t think they do. Like I said, most of these things can be put aside for now.”

“Maybe I’d better do what Dr. Hanover suggested.”

“What’s that?”

Kurt told him this marvelous idea about a “Later” box to put ideas and problems in, to be dealt with at another time.

“That sounds like an excellent idea. Do you want to start doing that, while I get these bills paid?”

“I guess.”

Adam was trying to think what they had on hand. “You’ve still got some boxes in your closet, don’t you?”

Kurt nodded.

“Maybe one of those will do, if you want to use an actual box.”

“I think I can just put them in a mental box for now,” Kurt decided, “but I might want to work on a real box later.”

“Suit yourself.” Adam hugged him again. “I’d like to get these bills off my mind, then we’ll figure out what to do next.”

Kurt agreed, and Adam went to retrieve his checkbook. He had a feeling he wouldn’t like the numbers he saw.


	76. Chapter 76

Adam finished with the checks, glad that some of these expenses would be one-time only, or very rare. He’d already spent so much on just buying Kurt… That still bothered him, the concept of buying a person. And damn it, yes, Kurt was a person. He was a human and animal, sort of two for the price of one, but he shouldn’t be bought and sold. But how the hell would he manage to survive on his own? Obviously the problem of hybrids being bought and sold as pets couldn’t be resolved quickly, or by one person. Maybe they could be reached one at a time, however, with the book. A TV show might be better; the weekly adventures of Hybrid Kurt and Adam…no, the Adam and Kurt Variety Hour, with lots of singing, guest stars, and comedy sketches, that would work. In some other universe, perhaps. He sighed, wishing life were simpler.

Kurt came back to sit with him, but he didn’t seem terribly happy.

“What’s the matter, love?”

“I dunno,” Kurt sighed. “I just feel really restless. But I don’t know if I want to change, or have sex.”

Adam blinked a few times, taking that in. “Erm…those are interesting choices. Are they the only ones?”

“Probably.” Kurt slumped down further on the sofa.

“Do you want my opinion, or should I just let you decide?” he asked, thinking this wasn’t something he’d thought to include on his list for Dr. Hanover.

Kurt threw himself at him and hugged him. “Dunno,” he thought he heard against his chest.

“Ah, that’s helpful,” he sighed. “Look, it’s completely up to you. If you need some cat time, that’s fine. Or if you want to have sex, that’s fine too. Just please don’t change your mind part-way through either one.”

“Ick,” Kurt commented, his voice still muffled.

“Exactly.”

Kurt lifted his head, and shifted around until he was snuggled up against Adam, but could see his face. “Can we talk about what I want – what we want, from sex, I mean?”

“Of course.” Adam stroked Kurt’s hair, and tried not to tense up. There was no problem here, talking…he was good at talking. And so was Kurt. So there was no reason for either of them to be nervous. And yet he could feel Kurt’s body trembling, and his own heart was beating a bit too fast.

“Go on, darling. I don’t want you to ever have a question about sex and not ask it. I may not know everything, and I certainly haven’t experienced everything, but I’ll do my best to answer.”

“Okay. It’s just…I love what we’ve been doing, but I want more.”

Adam nodded. “So do I. I’ve been trying to go slowly so you don’t get too overwhelmed with new things. I want you to have time to get used to things before we go on to more.”

“Huh, I hadn’t thought of it that way.” Kurt was quiet a moment, probably gathering his thoughts. “I wanted to know when we’re going to do everything, you know?”

Adam’s eyes widened, though he tried to stay calm. “Everything? That’s encompasses quite a lot, you know? I mean, there are a lot of things, a lot of kinks, that I’m not sure –“

Kurt interrupted him, amusement flashing in his eyes. “I don’t mean _all_ the sex things.”

“Ah, that’s good.” Adam was still puzzled.

“I’m talking about, you know, going all the way. You inside me. I want that.”

_ Oh. Much easier than I thought.  _ “I do, too. I also want you inside me.”

Kurt looked shocked.

“Not at the same time, obviously…” He realized that wasn’t what Kurt meant. “Can you tell me what’s upsetting you?”

Kurt shook his head. “I’m not upset, it’s just…I’ve never heard of an owner wanting that. I mean, maybe a female owner with a male pet, but…” He trailed off, frustrated.

“It’s not that unusual, darling, some couples do switch things up. And I don’t care what most people do or don’t do with their pets, we’re not them.” He tried another explanation. “Some people get a bit hung up over who tops and who bottoms, but I’ve found I enjoy it both ways. It’s frustrating if your partner only wants things to be one way…” He pushed the thought away. “It’s not a problem for me. Unless you really don’t want to,” he concluded, trying to conceal his frustration.

“No, I do, I mean, it’s not something I really thought about. It might be normal with people, but most people who have hybrids want their pet to be subservient, you know? They don’t want to give them that kind of control over them, I guess, even for a little while.”

“It can be an issue, with some partners, if you don’t trust them not to hurt you,” Adam said, scratching his head. “But then, I’ve always made it a point to not have sex with someone I don’t trust. I mean, regardless of the amount of experience, if the other person at least wants to make it good for you, and isn’t going to take advantage of you being vulnerable like that. I know you don’t have any experience like that, and I don’t want to push you into anything you’re not ready for. But I’ve been hoping that eventually you’ll be comfortable enough with me, that you can top me if you want to.”

“Really? That’s…wow. I’m gonna have to think about that,” Kurt mused. “I do think I want to, that’s not what I mean,” he hastily added, “but I’ve never really thought about it any way other than what we were led to expect.”

Adam let out a long sigh. “Well, I’m glad we’ve talked that out a bit. As far as when, it’s up to you. I would like to make sure we’re both relaxed, not too stressed, and don’t have a lot to do that could distract us. At least, in the beginning. Life has a way of interfering in your sex life, I’ve found, but it’s nice when you’re trying to get used to each other, to be able to be relaxed and thoroughly enjoy it.”

“That sounds great,” Kurt sighed. “You know, one reason I’ve been so interested in weddings is I always wanted to have a great honeymoon afterwards.”

Adam sat up straighter. “Well, you know we can’t legally get married. At least not yet. But there’s no reason we can’t take a vacation, and call it a honeymoon, and treat it as such.”

“Really?” Kurt’s eyes widened. “That would be so awesome…I’d love to go to Hawaii or somewhere tropical, where we can just lie on the beach, go swimming when we want, sunbathe naked… Could we do that?”

“You are quite the surprise today, love,” Adam commented with a chuckle. “We can do all that, if you like.”

Kurt looked directly into his eyes. “Some day, I’d like to do that, married or not. But I think for now, we should get used to each other here, in your – in our home. We might enjoy the honeymoon more if we’ve already had some practice, or you know, are more used to each other.”

Adam hugged him tighter. “Yes, it should make it easier to relax and just enjoy ourselves and each other, without worrying about this or that being the first time.” Adam was glad Kurt wanted to wait. He had a feeling travelling with a pet, and staying at a resort or hotel or something, might be more complicated than they thought.

“How much do you know about sex?” Adam asked carefully, looking at Kurt’s face to see if he was getting upset. “You said they didn’t train you at the store. Did they at least educate you about the basics?”

“Um, no, they didn’t, not exactly. That’s part of the training. But before they did any, er, one-on-one training – and it wasn’t like, they didn’t go all that far, just wanted us to know what to expect once we were adopted. First they wanted to determine for sure who was straight, or gay, or bisexual. Of course, it’s probably easiest on the bisexual pets, because they have a better chance of being okay with either a male or female owner. But the trainers they had – Miss Holly and Mr. David – they would kind of demonstrate certain things, and they’d measure our response to them individually, and together, and try to figure out how to classify us.”

“Couldn’t they just ask you?” Adam had a hard time believing all this training nonsense was really necessary.

“Well, you know, sometimes it’s hard to admit things to yourself, or you don’t know until you’re really confronted with someone. But once they established that I really, really liked Mr. David, and Miss Holly didn’t do anything for me, that was that. Mr. David seemed to think they should train me, along with the others, but Mr. Will was insistent that they’d never get a customer who wanted me that way.”

“What an idiot. One of these days I think I’m going to go to that store and have a little chat with Mr. Will,” Adam threatened.

“I’d kind of like to see that. But I’m also not sure I’d want to be there.”

_ Perfectly understandable. _ But Adam wanted to know more.

“Did it upset you that you weren’t getting the same training as everyone else? I’m not trying to embarrass you,” Adam added, “I’m just trying to figure out how to make everything really good for you.”

Kurt was blushing. “Well, not really. I didn’t like the idea of having no connection to anybody, though. That is, sure, Mr. David was really hot – I’m sorry, but he was.”

Adam shook his head. “That’s fine, I’m not jealous.”

“But I didn’t know him,” Kurt explained. “To me, sex should be something special, between the pet and their owner, and not with strangers.”

Adam bit his tongue to keep from saying anything, and let Kurt continue.

“So in a way I didn’t mind, but I also believed what they were saying, that nobody would want me, except maybe the scary guys that came in that sometimes wanted to talk to me, that I told you about.”

“I’m so glad you discouraged them.”

“Me, too. That guy who was in the pet store we were at the other day? I never saw him before, but I still got that creepy feeling. He seemed a lot like the guys I tried to avoid.”

“Well, he skeeved me out as well, so I completely understand.” Adam realized he actually didn’t understand; he was a human being, free to choose whoever he wanted, who was willing, to be his lover. He had no idea what it was like to be a hybrid pet, and expected to just go off to live with someone, and have sex with them, even if he didn’t want them to adopt him. But he had to push that thought aside.

Kurt continued his story. “I didn’t get any training, but I listened to the others talk about it, and they did talk about it a lot. Most of them thought it was fun. I heard all kinds of stuff, but I don’t know how much of it was true.”

“Hm, and some of it might possibly have been said for your benefit, to see how you’d react. It could have been true or not. I don’t know if the others were that mean, but –“

“Yes, I think it’s safe to say they were mean enough to do it. The only other one they didn’t bother training was Artie, ‘cause he was in a wheelchair, and couldn’t – he said the equipment didn’t work. I think he was kind of relieved, like it was one less thing to worry about. But I used to worry that he might not get adopted at all, and they might eventually put him to sleep.”

“Well, let’s hope that’s not the case.” Adam didn’t know if Dr. Hanover had followed up on his broad hints about Artie, but he didn’t think he should get Kurt’s hopes up.

“I’d rather you just teach me whatever you want me to know, or whatever you want me to do,” Kurt added, looking guilelessly at Adam. “That way, I’ll just get used to what you want, and not maybe want something you don’t, that someone else taught me to expect.” He frowned. “If that makes sense outside my head.”

Adam sighed. “It does, though I wish you had more freedom of choice. You do, with me – have some choice, I mean. If there’s anything we try that you don’t like, or you want to try another position or whatever, just let me know, please. I don’t want you to do things you don’t want to do just to please me.”

He saw a faraway look in Kurt’s eyes, and thought he might know what he was thinking. “I guess your whole life has been leading you to think like that. I just want you to know, I’m not like the others. I hope. I don’t intend to be.”

Kurt shook his head, and smiled. “No, I know you’re not, and I really like that about you. And I’m so glad you adopted me. But I know by now you’re not going to force me or hurt me, on purpose anyway, I know it’s going to hurt, that can’t be helped.”

“Not necessarily,” Adam pointed out. “It doesn’t have to hurt, not if you’re really well-prepared. Like I said, I want everything to be as good and positive for you as possible.”

Kurt closed his eyes and sighed deeply, then looked up at Adam again. “That’s good.”

“Do you feel a little bit better now, getting some of this out in the open?”

“Yep. And in conclusion…cat time now, sexy times later?” Kurt asked hopefully.

“Of course.” Adam squeezed his hand. “Maybe you can include a nap in there somewhere so you don’t fall asleep on me later.”

Kurt pouted a bit, but the light in his eyes belied it.

Without any warning, Adam was suddenly sitting next to a cat, who wrapped his tail around his wrist, then let go and jumped down, running out of the room.

“Well, so much for that,” Adam muttered to himself. He leaned back against the sofa, closing his eyes for a moment as he contemplated his life. Never a dull moment, that was for sure. He heard Kurt’s bell, but before he could get his eyes fully opened, Kurt was pressing against his knees. He looked down, and saw the bright orange ball held in Kurt’s jaws. His tail was whipping back and forth.

“Do you want to play?” he asked, at the same time thinking, “Stupid question.” Of course he did. 

Adam carefully removed the ball from Kurt’s mouth, and stood up. “Let’s go play in your room. Fewer things to trip over in there,” he explained.

Kurt happily ran ahead of him, and was waiting for him by the time he got there. They played another game of fetch. Adam played a bit longer than he really wanted to, not wanting to hurt Kurt’s feelings. As amusing as it was to watch his feline friend, Kurt was obviously having more fun than he was.

“Tell you what, let’s switch this up a bit.” Adam grabbed the ball, and walked over to Buckingham Palace. Kurt jumped up onto the lowest level, anticipating this new game.

“Close your eyes. I’m going to hide it. If you find it soon enough and bring it back to me, I’ll hide it again. Otherwise I’m going to get bored and go play the piano or write or something.”

Kurt growled, but quietly. He blinked a couple of times, then kept his eyes closed while Adam searched for a good hiding spot. He chose one of the many little bedrooms, since the ball wouldn’t show up as easily there.

He reached out to tap Kurt’s nearer leg, and stepped back. “Tag. You’re it.”

Kurt looked around excitedly, using the ladder to get to the next level. Adam decided to be fair and give him a couple of minutes to find the ball. He was surprised how little time it took for Kurt to find it; he was pretty sure he’d actually kept his eyes closed.

Kurt brought the ball back to him, and dropped it into his waiting hand.

“Very good.” Adam petted Kurt a moment, then scratched behind his ears. “Let’s try again.”

He decided to reward Kurt with affection every time he found the ball. He also called out helpful things like, “You’re getting cold…warm now, warmer, no, cold again,” to help him out.

When he’d finally had enough, he glanced at his watch, and was surprised to realize they’d been playing for maybe half an hour.

“Okay, I’m going to hide it one more time, then I’m going to go relax.”

Kurt’s ears drooped just slightly, then came back up again when Adam told him to close his eyes.

Adam reached up and tossed the ball into the highest bedroom, on the right-hand side. At least Kurt would get some exercise getting it.

He tapped the top of Kurt’s head. “Tag. You’re it.”

He watched for a minute or so while Kurt raced around, then quietly left the room. He had no idea why he was tired, when Kurt was the one actually expending all that energy.

Instead of writing, he sat at the piano and played for a bit. He realized it had been a while since he’d done this, just played for the fun of it. Probably before he adopted Kurt. He sang along to a couple of songs he hadn’t played in a long time. When he started to go through the sheet music for another song, he realized he had an audience. A small, furry audience of one, who was paying close attention.

“Hello there, Fuzzy Face. Sorry, I don’t want you up here on the bench with me. I need to be able to move my arms.”

Kurt settled down onto the floor, looking like he was content to stay for a while.

Adam found the song he was looking for, and occasionally glanced down to the cat as he sang. Kurt’s ears twitched and he tilted his head, listening carefully. He sang, slowly and passionately.

_“If I could save time in a bottle_   
_The first thing that I’d like to do_   
_Is to save every day till eternity passes away_   
_Just to spend them with you_

_If I could make days last forever_   
_If words could make wishes come true_   
_I’d save every day like a treasure and then_   
_Again, I would spend them with you_

_But there never seems to be enough time_   
_To do the things you want to do, once you find them_   
_I’ve looked around enough to know_   
_That you’re the one I want to go through time with"_ *

When he finished the song, he turned to look again at Kurt. He was sitting up, looking a bit distressed. Adam slid to the end of the piano bench and picked him up, settling him on his lap.

“There, there, Kurt, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Kurt snuggled as close as he could, burrowing his face into Adam’s shirt.

“It’s true, you know, every word of it,” Adam assured him. “I hope you remember this when you’re human again. But if not, I’ll sing it for you again.”

Kurt moved his head up and down slightly, which Adam took for a nod. 

“I’m going to keep singing it to you, every now and then, until you believe it,” he promised.

He hoisted Kurt a little higher in his arms, holding him against his chest, and moved to the dining room table. He’d left his laptop there, anticipating writing after he wrote the checks.

“You can sit on my lap, if you want, while I write. If that doesn’t work, if you want, you can sit here on this chair next to me.” He bent his head down and rubbed his chin against Kurt’s head, listening to him purr. He lifted his feet so he could rest them on the crossbar of the chair, creating a little cradle in his lap for Kurt. He’d be less likely to fall off his legs now that his knees were higher than his hips. “Mm, not bad,” he murmured to himself.

He opened the laptop and started writing. Kurt’s purrs soon turned to gentle snores. Rather than disturbing his concentration, it made it easier to focus, knowing exactly where Kurt was, and that he was happy.

 

 

  
Adam shut off the laptop and stretched his arms above his head. He hadn’t meant to disturb Kurt, but he lifted his head with a sleepy grumble.  


“Sorry, Fuzzy Face, but I’ve got to get up. I’ve been sitting here too long.”

He scooped Kurt up in his arms, holding him against his chest, and kissed the top of his head. The grumbling sounds changed to a purr.

“Down you go.” He bent to deposit Kurt as lightly as he could onto the floor. Kurt headed off towards the kitchen, probably in search of a snack.

“Just a second,” he called out, and got up to explore the kitchen as well. He wasn’t all that hungry, but Kurt obviously was. It was too early for dinner, for either of them.

He got a foil bag down from a high shelf. Kurt stood up on his hind legs, dancing around.

“Yes, yes, here, have some treats.” He tossed a few of the fish-shaped treats onto the floor in front of Kurt, and they were gone before he could turn to put the bag away. “Oink, oink,” he teased. Kurt just glared at him, tail twitching.

“I suppose you’re still hungry?” he asked.

Kurt’s tail started thumping against the floor, even as he increased the intensity of his glare. 

He supposed he deserved it. “I’m sorry, you’re not really a pig. You just eat sometimes like someone’s going to take it away from you if you don’t hurry up. Oh.” He’d suddenly recalled Kurt telling him how sometimes the other hybrids would take his food away or in some way ruin it…and he really didn’t want to think about what that meant. “Sorry,” he repeated. “I’m sure it’s habit, but really, you can eat slowly if you’d prefer. If I’m ever stupid enough to try to take your plate away before you’re done eating, just let me know.”

Kurt came closer and rubbed up against his legs, purring quietly.

“Thank you for forgiving me. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings. Sometimes I try to be funny before I realize I shouldn’t.”

He bent down to pet Kurt a few times along his back, then straightened up.

“Let’s get you some fresh water.”

There were still some crunchies left in the bowl if Kurt was really hungry. He remembered, though, that as a cat, Kurt had no way of telling the time.

“It won’t be time for dinner for a couple of hours yet, so it’s up to you whether you want something now, or want to wait.”

Kurt sat down and looked at the bowl. He walked over and had a few bites, maybe just to prove to himself that it was his choice, then came back to sit at Adam’s feet.

“Okay. I’ll fix dinner later. If you’re human, you can help me, and if not, you can watch, if you’d find that entertaining.”

Kurt sneezed. He wasn’t quite sure how to interpret that.

“God bless.”

He rubbed his neck, which was sore from looking down at the laptop so much. He thought it might be a good idea to loosen up his muscles.

“I’m going to stretch and exercise for a bit,” he told the cat. “Would you like to join me? If you don’t feel like exercising, you can always just observe and judge me.”

Kurt perked up, though he wasn’t sure which part of that he liked. Adam started to lead the way into his bedroom, where there seemed to be more open floor space, but naturally Kurt got there ahead of him.

Kurt couldn’t do all the same types of exercises Adam was trying, but he did do some impressive stretches, leaps, and perhaps yoga moves of his own. Adam was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to duplicate them.

After going through his own exercise routine, Adam cleaned up a bit. Kurt was annoyed when Adam shut the bathroom door, and scratched to come in.

“No! I need some privacy, Kurt! Go play for a while or something.”

When he looked for the cat later, he found him lounging in Buckingham Palace.

“Shall I brush or massage you now, or are you going to change again later?”

Kurt jumped down and ran to the bathroom. He couldn’t reach the drawer his cat-grooming things were in, so he jumped up on the counter, and tried getting a paw inside the handle of the drawer.

Adam watched him, wondering if he should help him or --  No, he’d gotten it open. He wondered if that was really a good idea, for kitty Kurt to learn to open drawers…well, too late now.

Kurt reached down and patted the little blue massager, so Adam slid his hand under the strap and used that. He tried to get the rubber bristles as deep into the fur as he could, without pressing too hard on his skin. Kurt rolled around a bit on the countertop, so Adam could reach him everywhere. Adam stood as close to the edge as he could get, to keep Kurt from falling off. Kurt purred the entire time, while Adam hummed and sang to him. When he was done, Adam set the aside and petted Kurt, from head to tail.

“Feeling better now?”

Kurt meowed in response, then went back to purring. He butted his head against Adam’s stomach.

“Alright, it’s been a few hours. It’s up to you, but if you want to change back –“ He didn’t get a chance to finish the sentence before Kurt ducked around his arm, to leap down from the open side of the counter, and changed.

Adam blinked, trying to adjust to the rapid change. “Well, then. What next?”

Kurt was combing his hair with his fingers. He glanced at his watch. “Do you want to go over the book for a while before we start dinner?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

 

_ *“Time In A Bottle” by Jim Croce _


	77. Chapter 77

Kurt was fussing with his hair as Adam walked out of the bathroom. All that time Adam had just spent brushing his fur, and how he was unhappy with his hair. Adam hoped he’d take the time to brush his teeth while he was in there. He didn’t mind kissing human Kurt if he had morning breath, for instance, but kitty Kurt just turned human was a different matter.

While he was waiting, Adam brought up the document for “Life With Kurt” on his laptop. He saved the current version with REV added to the title for Revision, and waited for Kurt. He already had it set for Markup, so he could easily highlight problem areas and add notes where necessary. He brought over a red pen and a notepad. Kurt could mark up the printout however he liked, but the notepad might be helpful as well.

Kurt joined him on the sofa. He kicked his shoes off, and put his socked feet up on the coffee table. Adam decided it looked comfortable, so he did the same. Kurt slid over closer to him.

“Just give me some room to type,” Adam murmured, kissing him on the temple. “There’s a pad and pen for you, and you can make whatever changes you want to on the printout. I’m going to make my corrections here, but this way, we can both have more input, I think.”

“Okay.” 

Kurt looked relaxed and happy, so Adam found himself relaxing a bit more.

“Do you want anything to eat or drink? You just changed, so I know you might want something…” he trailed off.

“No, thanks, I’m good. I had a little snack a while ago.” Kurt smiled at him and looked calm, so he didn’t think it was likely he was upset over being chastised about his eating habits.

“Alright. Shall we start at the beginning and just work our way through?”

“Sure.” Kurt snuggled in a bit closer, but was trying not to crowd him. Adam thought he could perhaps get used to this togetherness and affection thing.

“I came up with a preface to try to explain what I’m doing here. I didn’t print it out yet, but you can read it here.”

Kurt had brought his glasses, but was squinting at the laptop. It really wasn’t in a good position for him. “Could you read it to me?”

“Certainly.” He cleared his throat, and reminded Kurt it was just a rough draft, before reading it aloud.

Kurt nodded and didn’t have any suggestions for changes, so they moved on.

“I was thinking, perhaps we should have a prologue, from your point of view. Maybe if it’s written by both of us, it will be a more complete picture.”

“Okay. I don’t think I’ll be too good at writing, but maybe I can just tell you, and you can write it out however you want. Make it sound better. Still what I say, but nicer.”

Adam was pretty sure he understood what Kurt meant; smooth off the rough edges, maybe correct his grammar, for instance.

Kurt dictated, and Adam thought he was making an effort to go slow, but he still had to interrupt a number of times to be able to write it all out.

He was torn between stopping Kurt every other sentence to ask for more details, and letting him vent whatever he needed to say. He finally settled for waiting to ask him later.

When Kurt had gotten up to the point where Adam had wanted to talk to him privately in the interview room, he stopped.

“I think you’ve got the rest of this already, right?”

“Yes. I was thinking, I don’t know whether we want to put it in the book or not, but it might be helpful for you to talk about everything you remember…your childhood, your parents, all of that, up until you were brought to New Directions. I’m not sure, maybe that should be a separate book.” At Kurt’s look of alarm, he soothed him. “That’s okay, we don’t have to show anybody else. Though maybe it would help Dr. Hanover to have that information.”

Kurt nodded. “I don’t mind him seeing that stuff, but I’m not sure I’m ready for the whole world…or whoever reads the book, to see it.”

“Fair enough. We can work on that another time, if you’d like.”

“Please.” Kurt sighed. “I’d like to get through what you have already.”

They settled down to some serious editing. For the most part, Kurt agreed with Adam’s interpretation of events, but there were some places where they agreed they should show his perspective as well.

“How do we want to do this?” Adam mused. “It might be amusing if it looked like you were slipping in your perceptions in between each chapter.”

“What do you mean?” Kurt asked. “I’m not sure I’m following you.”

“Well, like, “Chapter 1, blah, blah, blah, clearly my perspective. Then after that chapter, a page or two of ‘Kurt Says’ or something like that. I don’t know, it’s going to be hard to convince people that you wrote those scenes, or that they’re actually your perspective. Unless…” Adam was quiet a moment as he thought it through. “How about this. If we could manage to get some publicity, like on some talk shows or something, you could come with me. The host can ask you questions, where it’s clear the answers weren’t rehearsed ahead of time. People can see your genuine response or answers to questions. Though that might be rather stressful for you,” he concluded, looking worriedly at Kurt. “What do you think?”

Kurt shook his head. “I think it’s too soon to worry about that, but I don’t like the idea. Let’s just get it written, then we can work on how you want to present it.”

Adam nodded sharply. “Good. That’s probably the best way to go for now. But I can’t stress enough how important it is, that people see both points of view, especially when it’s something that might be a common misperception. Like how me teasing you sometimes really hurts your feelings, because I’m not thinking enough about what you’re hearing, only what I’m saying. Sometimes you take things very literally, and I forget that. It’s something I need to be more aware of, but I wonder if that happens between other hybrids and their owners?”

“Probably,” Kurt sighed. “But I have a feeling most owners don’t ask their pet’s opinions on much, and they might not communicate as well as we do. It’s possible the owner doesn’t mean anything bad by it, but the pet might not understand it, and get upset, and not know how to explain it.”

“Precisely. I was thinking about how nervous, downright scared you were, at first, before you got to know me. You were so vulnerable…” He stopped and considered his words. “That’s just the problem, isn’t it? You, as a hybrid pet, are still very vulnerable to me. I choose to be considerate and try to think about your feelings, both because I love you and it seems like the right thing to do. But other hybrids in the same situation might not feel safe. Maybe their owners mean well, or maybe they don’t, but I suspect the average hybrid – if there is such a thing as an average hybrid – might not feel comfortable asking their owner to clarify things. So they might continue to be scared long past the time when they should have adapted.”

“Or,” Kurt countered, “they might just adapt to being scared all the time. The owner might think that’s their natural state, and not try to find out if something’s wrong, and just assume they’re supposed to be that way.”

Adam gritted his teeth, then made a conscious effort to relax. “Hm, it makes me think, maybe that’s where the idea came from that all hybrids are submissive, and should be subordinate to full humans. It could be a survival or coping mechanism becomes a part of the pet’s personality, and the owner doesn’t know that’s not the way the hybrid would behave in other circumstances.”

“Sounds like something we should talk to Dr. Hanover about,” Kurt said. “He’d probably find it interesting. But I don’t know, it might be too deep for what you’re trying to do here. I wonder if we could sort of hide the message, like present it as sort of a comedy, but try to sneak some serious stuff in there?”

“Or just let the story speak for itself,” Adam countered. He could tell this was going to be more complicated than he’d first thought. “Just tell the truth about how you came to live with me, and what life is like for both of us, how things have changed as a result. How we’ve changed each other. But whether it should be classified as a comedy, a biography, or slice of life, we can leave that to the publisher, if we want to try to get it published the traditional way.”

“I’m not sure this is the type of story most publishers would want.” Kurt ran a hand through his hair, which fell perfectly back into place. Adam envied him. Then he shook his head to remind himself to finish what they were doing.

“Then we either need to find the right publisher, or I can pay to publish it myself. It probably won’t sell nearly as many copies that way, but we’ll see.”

Kurt shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll figure out what’s best.” He bit his lip and stared down at his hands for a moment. “What if they don’t believe you?”

“What if who doesn’t believe me?” Adam asked. He picked up Kurt’s nearer hand and squeezed it.

“The publisher, or people who read it. What if they think you’re lying, or exaggerating, to try to sell more books?”

“I suppose it’s possible. But we’ll know the truth. And so will the people in the story. Which reminds me…I’d better get permission from everyone I mention in here who’s a real person. Everyone from Lily to April, and anyone in between. God, I really don’t want to ask Sebastian for his permission. I guess the people I can’t find again, like little Amy or her mother, I can just change their name. Maybe I should do that with most of them, but I think it’ll be more authentic if I can say “some of the names have been changed” instead of “all of them”, you know?”

“Mm-hm. I guess that’s true. That’s going to be a lot of work.” Kurt sighed, and sank deeper into the sofa.

“I suppose I should get it in writing, so I’d better draft an e-mail or letter or something.” He was beginning to have second thoughts. Not so much about the work involved in contacting people, but how they would feel about knowing he was writing about them, even if they were only peripheral characters in the story. On the other hand, it might be considered an advertisement of sorts for the Faster Fitness Center, for example…but, oh dear, there was the issue of Donna. Maybe he should leave that out.

“What are you thinking about? I can hear the gears grinding from here,” Kurt teased him, squeezing his hand in return.

He elaborated his concerns. 

“For sure talk to Jerry, and Daniel, too, ahead of time. And Nancy.” Kurt sighed. “I guess we could always leave that part out entirely.”

“But I wanted to leave it in there,” Adam explained, “so people can see how happy it can make a number of people, if a hybrid and their family want to be reunited. And I think we’ll definitely have to talk to April, and maybe leave out any mention of Shelby Corcoran. I could put something in some place else, about the difficulties, as well, if either the parent or child doesn’t want to be reunited, or the owner doesn’t want it.”

Kurt was frowning, and staring off into the middle distance. “You’ve got the story about me and my dad to let people know it can make a difference, so maybe you can leave Nancy and Donna and their family out of it, and not get Jerry in trouble. And Dad’s okay with you telling people, I guess.”

“I’ll be sure to make sure he knows I’m including his visit, for sure.” More and more complications all the time. But worth it, he was sure.

“And I’m sure you’re going to leave out any references to the gardening club,” Kurt reminded him.

“Definitely. That stays private, for now.”

“Maybe you’d better start making a list of everyone you need to contact. I can keep going through the book and taking notes.”

Adam was reminded again how dedicated and considerate Kurt was, about so many things.

“Thank you, yes, that would probably be best. Before I get too much further in the writing, I’d better make sure it’s going to be okay to write it at all. Which, I suppose, means consulting with my lawyer.”

“The one you were going to see about your will, or Julia?” Kurt asked.

Adam grinned. “I was thinking about Julia. She would be more the expert in this, perhaps, or could direct me to someone else. But you’re right, I still need to set up an appointment with Charles, or he and Julia together, to discuss my will.”

Kurt bit his lip, but didn’t say anything.

“What’s the matter, love?”

He turned his head to smile, but his eyes were shiny. “I was just thinking about the fact that I’d rather you didn’t need a will at all, or at least, didn’t need to provide for me in it.”

“What do you mean? Talk to me, please.” 

Kurt spoke slowly, for him. “I don’t want to think about anything happening to you. I want to die first, it’s the way things should be anyway, since hybrids don’t live as long as humans.”

“Sshhhh, don’t think about that.” Adam hugged him, but realized it wasn’t enough. “I’m not planning on dying any time soon. And I don’t want to think about you dying, either. I just want to be prepared in case anything unexpected happens. Or if I’m somehow incapacitated and can’t take care of you. Like, when your dad was sick and couldn’t take care of you? He got better, but if I were in a coma for a long time, I wouldn’t be able to make decisions for you. I’m not sure you would be allowed to stay here alone, waiting for me to recover. That’s why I need to get things straightened out, and find someone to take care of you.”

Kurt sniffled, and reached for a tissue. He blew his nose emphatically. “Excuse me. I need a few minutes alone.”

Adam let him go, though a part of him wanted to go after him and reassure him that everything would be fine. But Kurt probably did need some time alone to think. He saved the document and put aside all the papers. He opened a new document and started making a list.

When Kurt returned, Adam was pretty sure he was the only one who would have known he was crying. He was cleaned up, hair combed, and outwardly calm.

Adam walked over and hugged him, holding him tightly. “I don’t want you to worry about things you can’t control.”

Kurt lifted his chin and stared into his eyes as he said, “Can you promise me _you_ won’t worry about things you can’t control?”

Adam heaved a long sigh. “Alright, you’ve got me there. It’s not fair to ask you to do something I can’t do myself. But I think we could both do with some food, don’t you?”

Kurt nodded. “Instead of cooking, can we maybe order a pizza or something, and get started watching Downton Abbey?”

He was relieved Kurt was giving him such an easy out. Hopefully the show would be absorbing enough to be a good distraction.

“Good idea. You get the DVDs, and I’ll order the pizza. Anything special you want?”

Kurt shook his head. “Whatever you got last time, that was good.”

“Okay.” Adam squeezed Kurt’s shoulder and went to make the call.

 

 

  
Kurt was enjoying Downton Abbey. To make it even better, he was watching it with Adam, and could ask questions. Adam didn’t mind pausing the show and giving him some background, or occasionally telling him he’d just have to wait and see, if he wanted to know what a certain character was going to do, or why someone would do something that didn’t make sense to him. That happened quite a bit.  


They watched the first two episodes, and Kurt wanted to watch more, but was getting sleepy.

Adam paused before the next episode. “It’s no problem, we can watch more tomorrow. It’s more important that you get your rest,” he pointed out.

“Okay.” Kurt covered his mouth while he yawned, then shook his head to wake himself up. “Can we go to bed now? Not to sleep. I’m not that tired yet. But maybe we can do something fun?”

Adam grinned at him. “We can certainly try. Let’s see how things go.”

“Maybe we can do something else now, more like we’re used to, and wait till tomorrow morning, maybe, to try something new?”

“Whatever you’re comfortable with is fine with me. In this case, you’re calling the shots, at least for right now.” Adam was glad Kurt was comfortable enough to ask for what he wanted.

Kurt grinned in delight. “This is so different from what I expected.”

“Good.” They held hands as they walked through the apartment, making sure all the lights were off. The door was always locked.

When they got to the hallway, Adam paused. “Why don’t you get your pajamas, so you don’t have to get them later.”

Kurt bit his lip. “Can you maybe make some room in your pajama drawer?”

Adam smiled slowly. “Maybe we can spend some time over the next couple of days, moving most of your clothes in here, and your things from the bathroom, that you need every day. We can leave some stuff in there.”

“Great! And then you’ll have a guest room again.”

Kurt didn’t seem at all concerned at the thought of giving up his room.

“No,” Adam disagreed. “We’ll occasionally have a guest room. But it’s still your room. You’ve got Buckingham Palace and other toys in there, and the things your father brought in the closet, and you still need a place to go if you get in a mood and want to be alone.”

“What? I’m not moody!” Kurt glared at him, hands on hips.

“I’m sorry, you’re right, you’re calm and relaxed at all times,” Adam teased. “If you don’t mind, though, let’s leave the bed as is. Would you feel better about taking naps in here?” He tilted his head in the direction of his room.

Kurt nodded his head enthusiastically. “Yes, that would be better!”

Adam hesitated. “You do realize my bed is even bigger than yours, right?”

He shrugged. “It’s different. For one thing, you’ve got a couple of windows, so there’s a bit more light. And I’m not as nervous as I was when I first moved in.”

Adam hugged him tightly. “No, you’re not.” 

“I’ll get my pajamas and be right back.”

 

 

  
When Kurt came back, carrying his pajamas, Adam took them from him and set them on the chair near the bed.  


He stepped back to see Kurt’s face. “So, what do you want to do?”

“Can I just take my time with you? Just explore your body? Is that okay?” he asked hesitantly.

“Of course it is. You don’t have to be nervous about asking.”

“Great!” Kurt started undressing him slowly. It was a bit annoying that Adam liked to dress in layers, but he knew he was worse about that than Adam. He started kissing exposed skin. By the time he’d removed all of his boyfriend’s clothes, with a little bit of help, he was ready to see the results of his handiwork.

“Just stand there a minute, please, and let me look at you?” he requested.

“Certainly.” Adam was blushing a bit, but didn’t seem actually nervous, so Kurt felt comfortable looking at him.

He couldn’t believe that this beautiful man belonged to him. Well, he belonged to Adam, but still, he was the one who would get to see him like this. Hopefully the only one who would. He drank in the sight of the lean, toned body. He might tease Adam about being out of shape, but he really wasn’t. 

Kurt gestured for him to turn around, so he did, slowly. Kurt was amazed that Adam was allowing him this much control. It was so much better than he’d hoped for. He knew Adam was still the one in charge in their relationship, the one who would be making the major decisions. But the fact that he was being allowed to make decisions in this area made him feel so much better about the rest. A part of him, probably the hybrid part, he realized, wanted to do whatever Adam told him to, and would be happier if Adam was happy. But another part of him, perhaps the human part, resented the thought of always having to bend his will to someone else’s, and didn’t want to be told what to do by anybody. But in this case, it wasn’t just anybody, it was Adam, so for some reason it didn’t bother him.

Kurt focused all his attention on Adam, shoving aside any doubts and worries. It was just the two of them for now, and both he and Adam wanted this. If there was anything he did that Adam didn’t like, he’d tell him. 

He took Adam’s hand and led him over to the bed, gesturing for him to lay down on his back. Kurt started to take off his own clothes.

“Slower, please, love. I want to watch,” Adam encouraged.

Kurt smiled, and tried to strip as sensuously as possible. He felt a little silly, but Adam’s reaction reassured him.

He tried to do everything he thought he might like to have done to him, and Adam responded with sighs and encouragement. A few times he gave in to his instincts and rubbed his face over Adam’s chest and stomach.

“Kurt? What are you doing, darling?” Adam asked, sounding slightly alarmed.

“You’re mine. My owner, that is. I just want to make it clear to everyone.”

“Er, if you’re rubbing your scent on me, I don’t think humans, Jesse or anyone else, will be able to tell.”

“Guess I’ll have to try the human version, then,” Kurt said, and began sucking on Adam’s neck.

“Mm, hickeys are fine,” Adam murmured. He tilted his head back, and Kurt sighed in appreciation.

Adam started to stroke his back and shoulders, but Kurt pulled away slightly.

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to concentrate on you for now, on what I’m doing for you.”

“Alright.” Adam smiled and his eyes sparkled, so Kurt knew he wasn’t upset. “I just hope you’re going to give me a chance to do the same to you sometime.”

“Mm, that would be nice,” Kurt murmured, going back to his self-appointed task.

 

 

  
Adam wondered if he was doing the right thing, letting Kurt sleep with him, instead of insisting he get used to sleeping on his own, in his own room. But then, was it really necessary? He enjoyed having Kurt with him, as much as Kurt liked being there. If one of them was sick, had a cold or something that the other didn’t want to get, they could sleep in separate beds, but other than that, Kurt could stay in his room. Which was rapidly becoming their room. He still thought it was important that Kurt have his own space, in case he wanted time alone. But if he did, he’d get used to the bed. And if, for some reason he couldn’t think of at the moment, he was gone for the night, or a few days, without Kurt, he was welcome to sleep alone in Adam’s bed. That would no doubt be more comforting than being in the other room.  


He was glad they both felt free to be more intimate with one another, and it seemed to be doing wonders for Kurt’s confidence and spirit. He looked at the young man sleeping next to him, half-way draped over him, and sighed. He had to admit he really didn’t want Kurt to ever go back to his own bed, not even for a night. He closed his eyes and relaxed, listening to the sound of Kurt’s soft snoring, until it soothed him to sleep.

 

 

  
The next morning, when Adam woke, Kurt was gone from the bed. He was a little disappointed he seemed to have changed his mind about wanting sex that morning. After taking a shower and getting himself together for the day, Adam wandered into the kitchen, and found kitty Kurt finishing up the bowl of crunchies.  


“Ah, decided to get your cat time in early today, I see.”

Adam bent down to pet Kurt, who stopped eating long enough to enjoy the attention. “Do you want me to fix you something a little more substantial?”

Kurt meowed and ran over to the counter. Adam kept the cat food in a cupboard with a sliding lock on it. Easy enough for human Kurt to open, if he wanted to, but Kitty!Kurt didn’t have the strength to push it open. It hadn’t stopped him from trying.

Adam hummed to himself as he got out a can of Beef Bits for Hybrids. The can didn’t say exactly what bits of beef were in the can, and Adam thought it was probably best neither of them knew. He managed to get the can open without Kurt tripping him, and he gently shooed him away from the bowl while he cleaned it out and filled it with half a can of food. While Kurt started on that, he cleaned and re-filled the water bowl, then decided it was high time he fix himself some tea.

He added an extra scrambled egg to his breakfast, and fed small amounts of it to Kurt, who had finished his own breakfast and was seated at his feet. He’d sprinkled just the tiniest pieces of cheese in with the egg. Hopefully not enough to cause Kurt digestive distress, but enough to be considered a treat. He hoped Kurt would know how much he could handle. Kurt thanked him by thoroughly cleaning his whiskers, then rubbing his face against Adam’s leg. He sat and patiently waited for Adam to finish.

Actually, he wasn’t sure how he knew Kurt wasn’t waiting patiently for more food, but he seemed very relaxed and wasn’t outright begging.

Once the kitchen was cleaned up, Adam picked Kurt up and held him close. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I thought you might want to sit with me for a while. I’ve got things to do on the computer. Then, when you’re ready to change, we can watch more Downton Abbey.”

Kurt meeped his agreement to this plan. Adam held him on his lap for a while, petting him and singing silly lullabies and baby songs to him. His plan seemed to work, and as soon as Kurt’s purrs had turned to snores, he carefully lifted him from his lap, and set him down a few inches away. He now had room to move his arms without worrying about accidentally hitting Kurt. He hoped he’d already had some playtime, and wouldn’t need any more. He didn’t know if this was going to be it for the day, or if Kurt would change again, but he supposed it didn’t matter. All they had planned for certain, aside from their TV marathon, was for him to tell Kurt about Jesse. He supposed just telling him the truth would be the best thing, but he’d need some background as well.


	78. Chapter 78

Kurt woke up, and changed back to human form, but left to go to his room. He came back out about half an hour later, cleaned up and in comfortable clothes.

Adam smiled at him. “You look nice. Are you more relaxed now?”

“Thanks. Yeah, I am.” He looked more closely at Adam. It wasn’t a color combination he’d have chosen – red jeans and a navy blue button-up shirt. “I like you in those colors. They really suit you.”

“Thank you. I wasn’t sure they went together, but I figured you’d tell me if they didn’t.”

Kurt leaned over and kissed him quickly. “You look great.”

He bounced up and down on his heels. “Can we watch some more Downton Abbey now?”

“Sure,” Adam replied. “Let me finish this e-mail, and I have one more I should answer, then I’ll be ready. Do you have something you can do in the meantime?”

“I think so. I’ll find something.” He went back to his room and searched through his old clothes. He found a vest he really loved, but when he tried it on, it was definitely too small. He looked at the blue-and-green checked pattern and let his mind rearrange the shape of the material. Yes, that should work. He grabbed some paper and a pencil and got to work drawing at his desk.

Adam came in a while later. “I’m done now. Are you ready, or are you working on something?”

Kurt had a rough sketch, and thought he could figure out the rest later. “I can quit now.”

“What are you doing?”

“It’s a surprise.” 

He raised an eyebrow, daring Adam to ask what the surprise was. He was slightly disappointed when Adam just nodded.

“Whenever you’re ready, then.”

Kurt put the drawing in the desk drawer, along with the vest. He’d have to iron the material later anyway.

“We can talk about Jesse afterwards,” Adam suggested, once they were settled on the loveseat in the TV room.

Kurt sat up straight. “Let’s do that now. I don’t want you to maybe forget about it later. I don’t want to be – if he and whoever show up and you start talking about when you were together, I want to know – I’m afraid he’ll say something I’m not expecting, or –“

Adam put his arm around him, and turned to face him. “Hey, Kurt. It’s alright. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, or be blind-sided by a reference to something I should have told you about.

“I want to talk to you about why you don’t need to worry about Jesse. But first I think I need to tell you about Matt, my first serious boyfriend. You sort of need that background in order to understand my relationship with Jesse.”

Kurt nodded. “Sure. I’d like to know more about that part of your life. For one thing, I want to know what they did wrong, so I don’t do the same thing.”

“That’s another good reason,” Adam acknowledged. “I don’t think the same circumstances will come up, but it’s probably good for you to know about it.”

“I’m listening. So what happened?”

Adam knew that Kurt actually meant it. Someone else might say they were listening, but be thinking of something else. Most likely thinking what they were going to say at the earliest opportunity. But Kurt genuinely cared.

“Well, we met at NYADA, in my dance class, freshman year. Matt was a Junior, so about two years older than me. He had an incredible voice, and was quite confident, not only of his vocal abilities, but of his overall appeal. I considered myself lucky that he even noticed me, let alone cared about me. I thought things were going well. The sex wasn’t always great, because he was more concerned with his own pleasure than mine, but I thought that would eventually change.

“He’d had a bad breakup the previous year, with the guy he’d been going with since high school. They found a long-distance relationship too hard to deal with. But it was also that they’d developed new friends, new interests, and didn’t have a lot of time for each other. Matt’s boyfriend was incredibly jealous, and if Matt so much as talked about a classmate, or even a teacher, this jerk of a boyfriend would get upset, and accuse him of cheating. Well, Matt got pretty tired of this, so he finally broke it off. Because he didn’t want to cheat, but he did want to have the option of dating someone else if he found someone he liked. He was hoping to find someone who wouldn’t be as jealous as Matt, as well. For a while, that person was me. 

“He was my first boyfriend, and first lover, and I was so flattered by his attention. But he brought his ex up in conversation a lot, and it made me realize he wasn’t entirely over him. I really didn’t think our relationship was going to last forever, but I figured I’d enjoy it as long as I could. But I didn’t expect things to turn out the way they did. We’d been together about 6 months, and everyone knew we were a couple, and there weren’t too many people who were upset about it, unless they were jealous that I was with him.

“They got back together over the holidays when Matt went home to see his family. I guess sparks flew, and they spent every spare minute together, talking and having sex – well, maybe it was the other way around. Anyway, they decided their relationship wouldn’t work if they were so far apart. So Matt actually left NYADA, and moved to Los Angeles, and got accepted into the same theater school his ex went to, just so they could be together all the time.”

“He just left you?” Kurt asked, wide-eyed. 

“Mm-hm. We talked briefly on the phone, but he didn’t even come back to school, just handled everything by e-mail or phone. He had his roommate pack up all his things and send them to him, and that was that.”

Kurt moved closer to him. “It’s awful that he left you like that, but at least you know you didn’t do anything wrong. If he hadn’t gone home, maybe he wouldn’t have seen his ex and wanted to get back together.”

Adam shrugged. “Like I said, I didn’t think it would last, but it still hurt, that he could just drop me so easily to go back to someone who was so possessive and controlling. But not long after that, I decided I needed to take my mind off him, and focus on my classes, and my singing. I formed the Apples, with some of my fellow misfits, who weren’t as career-driven as some of our peers. We wanted to have a good time singing together, at least as long as we were in school. It’s not likely it’s going to land any of us jobs, but it was fun, and we still hang out. They’re still calling it Adam’s Apples, by the way, because we had another member called Adam. We call him Adam 2 to avoid confusion. But he sort of took over when I left. We get along fine, and it seemed easier than changing the name.”

“So something good came out of that relationship, even if it wasn’t great. You ended up with…well, a bunch of better relationships, right? Even though none of them were romantic?” Kurt asked.

Adam smiled and squeezed his hand. “Exactly. Believe me, I’d rather have the friendship of the Apples than still be involved with Matt. I was single for a while, maybe a year and a half. I dated a few guys casually, but just didn’t seem to click with anyone. And I was pretty busy, between classes and the Apples. 

“I had seen Jesse St. James around, though we didn’t have any classes together. He was also older than me. He’s very talented, and I always enjoyed hearing him sing. I’d tried to get him to join the Apples, but he never did. He was concerned what it might do to his reputation. Now when I first knew him, he was dating a girl who was very nice, and very ambitious. They had a lot of arguments, and they finally broke up.”

Adam thought back to that time in his life. It wasn’t so long ago, actually.

_ Jesse had invited him for coffee after class. He hadn’t changed his mind about joining the Apples, but was interested in getting to know him better anyway. _

_ They went out to movies, the theater, and dinner several times, just as friends, Adam assumed. Then one night Jesse had invited him in for some tea and conversation. And other things, as it turned out. _

_ “I’ve been thinking, I don’t seem to do so well with chicks,” Jesse explained. “They like me, I like them, but it never seems to work out. Their plans conflict with mine, or they want me to do something with a steady paycheck after I graduate, and I don’t want that kind of life. I’ve tried dating theater girls, but there are problems there, too. Like, we can’t both go out for roles and be in shows at the same time. Or, if one of us gets an out-of-town show, then there’s room for jealousy and all that. _

_ “So maybe the problem is more that they’re girls. And some are too delicate, and, I don’t know, it’s just hard to find someone who would be more an equal, where I don’t have to worry so much about being so careful and gentle.” _

_ “Why are you looking at me like that?” Adam asked suspiciously. “You’re straight.” _

_ “Maybe I’m not entirely straight,” Jesse suggested. “I really want to see what it’s like with a guy, if it can be better, if we’re more on the same page.” _

_ “But why me?” Adam was still baffled. _

_ “Well, I could have asked Sebastian Smythe, but I think I’d want more than 20 minutes of his time. That’s about all he’s good for, relationship-wise, I’ve heard.” _

_ Adam nearly choked on his tea. “So you don’t want just a one-night stand?” _

_ “No. I could go to a gay bar and pick up a stranger, but that doesn’t really appeal to me. And I don’t want just a buddy for sex. I want to try a relationship with a man. We get along pretty well, you’re a good-looking guy, and I really like spending time with you. Maybe things will work out.” _

_ “And maybe they won’t,” Adam worried. “Look, Jesse, you’re very attractive, and if you were gay, or you’d known you were bisexual for a while, I probably wouldn’t hesitate to see how things worked out. But I don’t have all that much experience myself, and what I’ve had…wasn’t terribly satisfying. For me, anyway.” _

_ Jesse raised an eyebrow. “Really? That’s a shame. But I’ve seen some videos, and I know what to expect, and I’ve got a lot of experience. With women, but it seems like a lot of it is the same, or really similar.” _

_ Adam had agreed that he was intrigued enough to try a relationship. The first time they’d had sex, it was rather painful, but he figured that was just because Jesse probably didn’t use enough lube. And Jesse may have had anal sex with a woman, but apparently not often. Adam expected they would eventually switch off, but Jesse didn’t really want to. He didn’t mind exchanging hand jobs or blow jobs, but he’d made up his mind that he didn’t want to receive anal sex. At least it did get less painful. _

_ Adam respected his decision, though he was somewhat disappointed. He and Matt had occasionally switched positions, which he enjoyed. _

_ They got along well in other areas, but Jesse didn’t really want any public displays of affection at all. After a while, it occurred to Adam that maybe he was ashamed to be seen dating another man. He asked him, and Jesse had denied it, and changed the subject very quickly. Again, he wanted to respect Jesse’s choices, even if they limited his own. _

_ After a few months, though, he realized he really wasn’t happy about the relationship. He wanted someone who wouldn’t mind if someone assumed they were boyfriends or lovers. And again, sex wasn’t as satisfying as he’d always heard it was supposed to be. Maybe it was his fault. Maybe he had unrealistic expectations. He didn’t think Jesse was really that happy, either, but it was hard to talk to him about it. He’d just change the subject.  _

_ Finally, Jesse called him one night and broke up with him. Adam thought maybe he knew why. There was a new transfer student Jesse had been ogling. She was gorgeous, and at first he thought it was just a harmless infatuation or something. But apparently Nicole was pretty impressed with Jesse, too. He asked outright if they were breaking up because Jesse wanted to date Nicole. At first he denied it, but said that he’d realized maybe he was more comfortable with women anyway. Adam didn’t try to argue, or compete with anyone else, he just let him go. And a few days later, he saw Jesse and Nicole in the hallway, laughing about something. Jesse’s arm was around her waist, and Nicole’s hand was in his back pocket. _

_ Adam ducked into an empty classroom before they could see him. It took a while to get over that. Most of the Apples were pretty perceptive, and they all took his side in things. But he had to ask them to please not give in to their impulses to do something to get back at Jesse on his behalf. They meant well, they cared about him, but he really wasn’t the vindictive type. _

Adam paused, and checked to see how Kurt was taking all this. He saw concern, and a bit of anger, on his face.

“So he just dumped you for some girl? Was he just using you?”

“Mm, not necessarily. But I felt like it was an experiment, one that had gone wrong. It made me feel even more like a failure. Like maybe the sex wasn’t any better for him than it was for me, and what if I had turned him off of gay sex altogether? It wasn’t great for my ego. I did go on some dates, but not that many guys interested me, or were interested in me. So I just got used to going without sex, and put all of my excess energy into the Apples. Writing new arrangements, fighting with the administration to get rehearsal space, trying to find occasions where we could sing. And I had to focus on my classes, and figure out what I wanted to do with my life once I graduated.

“Jesse and I hardly ever saw each other after he broke up with me. He found fewer reasons to be places he knew I would be. And I just kept my chin up and tried to act normal around him. We each went on with our lives. He’s dated several women since then, that I know of, then went back to Nicole, the last I knew. I kind of have the feeling he’s bringing Nicole here to tell me they’re getting married.”

Kurt held onto Adam’s hand, and asked, “Are you really okay with that?”

“I suppose. I don’t want him back, and it’s none of my business who he’s with now. It’s just awkward and embarrassing. But I could be wrong about who he’s bringing, I really have no idea.

“But it does remind me, what should we serve for lunch?”

Kurt had been giving it some thought. “How about another big salad, like I did for Dad? With a little of everything in it?”

“Let’s add a lot of grilled chicken, maybe. That’s fine. With both of us chopping things up, it shouldn’t take too long to do.”

 

 

  
While they watched Downton Abbey, Kurt sat on the loveseat, as close to Adam as he could, practically in his lap. Adam put one arm around him, and finally paused the DVD.  


“Well, come on, then.”

Kurt grinned and, with Adam’s help, sat on his lap, with Adam’s arms securely around his waist. Kurt settled back, resting against Adam’s chest, and sighed happily. 

“Okay, you can turn the show back on now,” he informed Adam.

“Oh, really? Are you sure you’re quite comfortable?” Adam teased.

Kurt wriggled around a bit, then settled again. “I think so. But you know what would be good right now?”

“No,” Adam sighed. “Why don’t you tell me?”

“Maybe some sandwiches or something. It’s almost lunchtime.”

Adam glanced at his watch. “So it is. Let’s get our food ready, then we can concentrate on the show.”

 

 

  
Adam had noticed Kurt was getting increasingly affectionate. As much as he enjoyed the show, Adam didn’t think it was Downton Abbey that was causing it.  


When the last episode ended, Adam turned to Kurt. It was a bit difficult, because Kurt was resting his head against his shoulder. “What’s going on, Kurt? You’re extremely cuddlesome today.”

“You don’t mind, do you?”

“Not at all.” Adam gave him a wide grin. “I just wondered if there was a reason for it.”

“Well, I changed this morning so I wouldn’t be as likely to be restless later today. I was thinking, maybe we can have sex now?”

“Of course, but –“

“I mean, real sex.”

Adam looked at him in confusion.

“Darling, we have been having real sex. But I think I grasp your meaning. Let’s go get more comfortable.”

“Okay. But I’ve got to brush my teeth. And take a shower.”

“I’ve no objection to you brushing your teeth, and I’ll do the same. But do you really think a shower is necessary?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, then you go shower in your bathroom, and I’ll shower in mine. Or we could shower together – “

“No!” Kurt insisted. “We might not be able to wait.”

Adam stared at him. “Darling, I’m not sure if you know this, though I would think you’d have noticed it, but men can certainly have more than one orgasm a day.” He paused. “Or is it different, for some reason, for hybrids?”

Kurt shrugged. “I never really thought about it much. I kind of tried to suppress my feelings as much as I could when I was in the store, and here, too, because there’s so much other stuff going on.”

“How do you just suppress your feelings like that?”

“It’s just something they tried to teach us to do. Because we’re supposed to be ready for sex when our owner is, not just whenever we want it.”

Adam gritted his teeth. “Well, I’m glad you’ve learned such self-discipline, but I’d prefer it if you could let me know when you want it, too. Like you just did.”

Kurt gasped. “I’m sorry! I didn’t think about that. I guess I’ve gotten used to you wanting me to think for myself.”

“Yes, I do want that,” Adam patiently explained. “I feel like so much of the training you’ve gotten has to be undone.” He looked at Kurt, to see how he was taking it and lifted an eyebrow. “That doesn’t bother you, does it?”

“I guess not. Unless…if I belong to somebody else someday, if something happens to you, they might expect me to be more like the way I was trained.”

“I don’t mean to be dismissive of your concerns, Kurt, but I’m not planning on leaving you to somebody who won’t respect your wishes in things.”

Kurt nodded. “So we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it? Or rather, I will, because you won’t be around?”

Adam sighed, but he pulled Kurt even closer to him and kissed him. “I’m sorry. I don’t want you to think about depressing things when they’re not happening yet. But I promise you, I will try to figure you the best person to leave you to, if something should happen.”

“Okay,” Kurt agreed. “I won’t think about it.” 

He sounded sincere, but Adam wasn’t so sure how he’d be able to do that.

“Now, do you want to shower separately, or together?”

“What do you want to do?” Kurt countered.

“No, none of that. What would make you more comfortable?”

“Right now? Separate showers.”

“Separate it is. See you soon. Just come on into the bedroom when you’re ready.”

Kurt nodded, and kissed him quickly, before heading in the direction of his own room.

Adam sighed. He supposed things would get easier once they’d gotten more used to each other. As he was showering, it occurred to him that, while he had a perfect opportunity to mold Kurt’s experience so he’d get used to the things Adam liked, he wanted Kurt to let him know what he wanted and liked. He wanted them to adjust to each other. Previously he’d allowed his partners to tell him what they wanted, and go along with it, but now, he had the chance to make sure Kurt’s first experience was better than his had been. He would be as considerate as he’d hoped his partners would be. Maybe he could try to erase some of his own previous conditioning, and hopefully it would be enjoyable for both of them.

 

 

  
Kurt debated about what to put on after his shower, and settled for just a bathrobe. He found Adam already under the covers, apparently naked.  


Adam smiled at him and patted the bed next to him in invitation.

Kurt untied the robe, and threw it in the general direction of the chair. He didn’t bother to look to see if it landed correctly.

Adam’s smile widened. “Come here.”

He tossed the covers back, and stretched out on the bed.

Kurt licked his lips, and joined him on the bed. The sheets were cool, and felt good against his suddenly overheated skin. He leaned over Adam and rubbed their noses together, then kissed him, slowly and sensuously. Adam wrapped his arms around Kurt’s waist and held him in place.

After a while, Kurt pulled slightly away. “I think we need to change places.”

“Whatever you like.” Adam held onto him and rolled them both over. Kurt giggled at the unexpected playfulness, then sighed as he looked up at Adam, hovering over him protectively. Adam had gotten onto his knees, so he didn’t have all his weight on Kurt. It definitely made things easier. Instead of feeling intimidated by the larger man hovering over him, it made him feel secure.

Kurt ran one hand through Adam’s blond curls, then pulled his head down so he could kiss him.

“Mm, how are you so good at that?” Adam asked.

“At what?”

“Kissing.”

“It’s because I love you.” Kurt resumed kissing Adam again. It may not have been the best answer, but it was true.

He felt safe, content…but definitely horny. He decided to focus on his feelings, rather than worrying if he was doing something wrong. Adam would surely tell him if he did something wrong, wouldn’t he? He tried to shove his worries into the “Later” box, because Adam didn’t want him worrying, he wanted him to pay attention.

Once he relaxed a bit, and stopped worrying about whether he could make things good for Adam, it got easier. He just concentrated on what he was doing, the feeling of Adam’s skin under his hand, the shape of his hands and arms, how reassuring it was to be surrounded by him.

“I’m going to make this as enjoyable for you as I can,” Adam murmured into his ear. “If there’s anything I do that you don’t like, tell me, and I’ll stop.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure.” Adam’s frown slid away. “Kurt, it’s important to me that we both like this, but it’s more important that you like it, especially this first time.” He hesitated. “I wonder if it would be better for you to top me first, or –“

“No.” Kurt shook his head decisively. He touched Adam’s face gently. “Let’s do what I’ve been expecting you to do. Then we can do it another way later. I think it will be easier that way?”

Adam nodded. “Whatever will ease your anxiety.” 

He leaned down and kissed him again, and Kurt forgot about whatever Adam might want him to do later.

“Kurt, you’re really tense. That’s not going to be helpful. I really don’t want to hurt you.”

“Oh? I thought I was relaxed?” He focused more on his own body, and realized he was pretty much tensing every muscle he owned.

“I’ve got an idea. Let me give you a massage first.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Let me get some things.” Adam rolled over and opened the drawer next to his side of the bed. “Why don’t you go get a towel, so we don’t get the oil all over the sheets, hm?”

Kurt had a little trouble getting untangled from Adam, which made them both laugh. By the time he came back with a clean towel, Adam had set a bottle of clear liquid on the nightstand, with the cap off.

“What’s that? Just massage oil?”

Adam nodded. “For massages, and it also works as a lubricant, I checked before I bought it.”

Kurt noticed the bottle was only about two-thirds full, but didn’t ask about it. He knew about Adam’s previous boyfriends. But from now on, Adam wouldn’t be using that oil on anyone else. 

Kurt spread the towel out. He’d brought one of the huge bath sheets, and Adam smiled in approval.

“Just make yourself comfortable, darling. Close your eyes if you want.”

Kurt wanted to watch Adam’s, but realized it would be easier to be calm and relaxed if he could just close his eyes. He lay on his back, and focused on his other senses. He could smell the oil, and could hear Adam rubbing it into his hands. It smelled like almonds and something else, but it was nice. It felt even better, and Adam’s hands were warm as they slowly rubbed the oil into his skin, gently kneading any muscles that seemed particularly tense.

Kurt did his best to relax, and soon he found he did feel better. Maybe it was the soothing touch of Adam’s hands, as much as the actual massage, and Adam’s low voice, talking nonsense about his body. How perfect it was… Did he really believe that? A moment later he forgot to worry about it. 

He leaned up and kissed Adam, and tried to put every bit of passion he was feeling into it, to let Adam know how he felt. Then it hit him, Adam felt the same way. He could feel his body almost melting into the bed as he let go of the tension he’d been feeling. It was going to be okay. This was something they both wanted.

Kurt wrapped his arms around Adam, and didn’t want to let go. He listened to his body, as well as Adam, and found it was all much easier than he’d thought. And much less painful than he’d been led to expect.

 

 

  
Afterwards, Kurt sighed in contentment. He stretched his limbs as far as they would go, then relaxed again. “Thank you, Adam. That was so much better than I expected.”  


“Was it?” Adam smiled lazily at him, tracing patterns on his skin with one finger.

“Mm-hm.” He hesitated, but finally asked, “You enjoyed it, too, didn’t you?”

Adam laughed, but it wasn’t mocking. “Yes, darling, I did. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you, you’re the best lover I’ve ever had.”

“Really?” Kurt blushed. “You’re not just saying that? Because I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Well, then, you have very good instincts.” Adam kissed him again and pulled him close. “I think in some cases, enthusiasm and love count more than experience.”

“That’s a relief! ‘Cause I’ve got a lot of both, for you.”

They rested for a while. Kurt tried to stay awake, but decided Adam would wake him if it were really necessary. And he was too comfortable to move.


	79. Chapter 79

On Friday morning, Kurt and Adam spent a long time in bed, but when they finally got up, Kurt was energized. They showered together to save time, but Adam thought it actually took much more time than it would have for two separate showers. He wasn’t about to complain, however.

After a quick and light breakfast, Adam made a list of the items Kurt found in the refrigerator and cupboards that he wanted to use in the salad. He hoped it would save time later, so they didn’t have as much to do at the last minute.

As he was looking through the refrigerator, calling out things for Adam to write down, Kurt started humming. Adam instantly recognized the melody.

“Kurt, how familiar are you with that song?”

“What song?”

“The one you were just humming.”

“I wasn’t – oh, guess I was. I’m not sure what it’s called.” He thought a moment. “Something about time, spending time with you, something like that.”

Adam asked him a question he’d been wondering for a while. “How much do you remember, of things that happen when you’re a cat?”

Kurt stopped what he was doing and shut the cupboard door. “It depends. I remember things like, I played in Buckingham Palace, I did exercises with you, I remember whether I ate or not, things like that.” 

“Do you remember me singing that song to you? Time In A Bottle?”

“Oh, is that the title?” He concentrated some more. “I vaguely remember sitting near the piano, listening to you play and sing, but I don’t remember what the songs were. Was this one of them?”

“It was. I’ll sing it for you again sometime when you’re human and can remember it.”

“Okay. The memory thing, it really depends. Like, if you tell me to do something, like, “Sit over there and don’t move,” I’ll know what you mean, but I won’t necessarily remember it later. So if there’s anything really important that goes on or you want me to remember, remind me after I change, okay?”

“Will do.”

Adam sighed quietly. There were so many complications to owning a hybrid pet. But Kurt was worth every single one of them.

Kurt wanted to listen to the radio while they prepared the salad. Adam sampled various stations until they found one that seemed to specialize in show tunes. They sang along and found their movements to avoid bumping into each other were turning into a sort of choreography.

“We should dance together later,” Adam suggested. “I’ll put on some Sinatra or Johnny Mathis, something like that.”

Kurt bit his lip. “I think I’ve heard a couple of things by Frank Sinatra, but who is Johnny Mathis?”

“An American singer, most popular in the 1950’s and 60’s, I believe, though he’s still recording now. He’s mostly known for romantic songs, though he covers quite a lot of styles. He’s got a very smooth, mellow voice. And a lot of his songs are perfect for slow, romantic dances.”

“I love the way you say ‘donces’,” Kurt admitted, mimicking him.

“You love everything about me,” Adam teased.

“Yeah, I do.” 

Kurt said it so easily, Adam stopped and looked at him. “I was joking,” he said.

“I know. I wasn’t.” The look on Kurt’s face was so open and guileless, Adam had to hug and kiss him briefly.

“Thank you.”

 

 

Kurt did the best he could with picking things up and cleaning. He knew Nancy would be there to do that later, but he wanted everything to look nice. He had very conflicting feelings about Jesse, but he wanted to make the best impression he could, and that included the state of the apartment. Adam tried to get him to stop, then attempted to help him, and finally sat down and made himself busy doing something else when Kurt snapped at him that he could take care of it himself. A few minutes later, Kurt came over and started to apologize.

“I’m sorry, Adam, I shouldn’t have talked to you like that. I’m really nervous, but that’s not a good reason to yell at you.”

Adam’s shoulders were stiff, but he slowly relaxed a bit. “I know you’re nervous, but I was trying to help you, so you could get it done faster, and wouldn’t be as anxious.”

“You’re always looking out for me,” Kurt pointed out. “I’m sorry I’m so much trouble.”

Adam didn’t deny the ‘trouble’ part, though he didn’t object all that much. “I don’t mind trying to help you. And you help me as well. But I don’t want you being unnecessarily worried and upset, when there’s no need to be. It’s going to be fine. We don’t have to see them again after today.”

“I know, I’m not that worried, just –“

The phone rang, and a minute later Adam told him he’d be right back. “I just have to let them upstairs. If you want to finish up the salad…”

“Can I do that after they get here? I need to wait at the door,” Kurt reminded him.

“I thought we were past that? I guess not,” Adam concluded, seeing the hurt look on Kurt’s face. “That’s fine, darling, do whatever you need to do. I want you to be calm and relaxed. Remember, this is your home, they’re just visiting.”

“Okay.”

“Do you want to go to the bathroom now?”

“Oh! Good idea.”

“Okay. I’ll be back in about five minutes or so.”

Kurt nodded. He raced to the bathroom, and came out again in time to get into position near the door. He didn’t know why he still did this, but it still felt necessary. At least, right now it did.

The food would be okay. He’d already put the salad and the other perishables in the refrigerator, and now he just needed to add the finishing touches.

He tried Miss Sue’s trick of deep breathing, and it helped. From what Adam had said the day before, there was no way he was going to try to get back together with Jesse. And hopefully, whoever Jesse was bringing over was someone he wanted to stay with.

Kurt had dressed carefully, in his tightest jeans, with the yellow shirt and yellow sneakers. They were still a bit too big, but not that bad. It wasn’t like they were going to fall off his feet. 

He did some stretching exercises while he waited, and started thinking about some new moves to incorporate into one of his song routines. It didn’t matter if no-one but Adam ever saw it, but it was always good to be prepared for unexpected performances.

 

 

He heard Adam and two others walking up to the door. Even through the door, he could smell Adam, and Jesse, and…well. Now that was interesting!

Adam opened the door and gestured for his guests to go inside. Kurt stood far enough away from the door that he was out of the way of anyone coming in.

He saw the stranger, and they locked eyes, both wary. Even though he was in human form, Kurt felt his hackles rise. If he’d been in cat form, his back would have been arched, his fur standing up, and his claws extended.

But the other wasn’t threatening. He was meek, cowed, and clinging to his owner like his life depended on it.

“Kurt, you remember Jesse, don’t you?”

“Hello, Mr. Jesse,” Kurt forced himself to say.

“Just Jesse is fine.”

Adam continued his introductions. “And this is Jesse’s hybrid pet, Chandler.”

“He’s a cat, too,” Jesse added unnecessarily. “He has my permission to answer either of you if you speak to him.”

Kurt thought Chandler was at least a couple of years younger than him. He didn’t really need to assert his alpha status, or his ownership of Adam. Or, well, perhaps he had that backwards, but nevertheless, he was suddenly more at ease. He relaxed, physically and emotionally.

“Hello, Chandler.”

“Hello, Kurt.”

The boy’s voice was soft, but pleasant. He looked down at his feet, and it made Kurt uncomfortable. Yes, this was his home, and he would be considered the alpha, of the two of them, but it seemed odd to have anyone act subservient to him. Misty was a cat; he expected her to respond differently to him. But Chandler was another hybrid, so why was he --

His thoughts were interrupted as Adam said, “You can leave Chandler’s leash here, if you’d like.”

Jesse hesitated.

“It’s up to you, of course,” Adam added, but Kurt detected a note of disappointment. “I thought he’d be more comfortable with it off.”

“If you don’t mind. I usually leave it on when we’re visiting people, because he gets a little nervous otherwise. You okay with the leash off, Chandler?”

The other hybrid nodded, not looking up. “Yes, sir. I think I’ll be okay.”

Jesse removed the leash, and hung it up in the closet, over the rod. The leash was braided leather, medium brown rather than black. It matched Chandler’s collar.

Adam strode further into the room. “Lunch is almost ready. If you gentlemen will take a seat at the table, please? Unless you’d like to freshen up first.”

“No, thanks, we’re fine,” Jesse answered for both of them.

Adam turned his attention back to him. “Kurt, would you please finish up lunch, and bring it out here. I’ll entertain our guests.”

Kurt was fine with that. Adam had already set the dining room table, with some of the fancier place settings. Since they were only having salad and bread, there weren’t a lot of confusing pieces of cutlery to memorize.

It took only a couple of minutes to finish the salad and bring it in. There was a bottle of sparkling cider on the table. Kurt took the empty seat, and one on Adam’s right. He was sitting across from Chandler, who still seemed very subdued. Kurt assumed he wore glasses all the time. Jesse helped himself to some salad and bread, then added some for Chandler. Adam moved the bowl so the serving tongs were in front of Kurt, and he served himself a smallish portion and a piece of bread. Jesse and Chandler looked curiously at this turn of events, but didn’t say anything. Adam served himself last, then opened the bottle of cider. He poured some in each of the wine glasses he’d put out.

Adam and Jesse were talking easily about mutual acquaintances from school, it sounded like. Chandler had his head down, focused on his food. Kurt noticed he was eating rapidly, and had his free hand wrapped around the bowl, as though to protect it from a predator. He understood the impulse, and assumed the other hybrid hadn’t had an easy time at his pet store, either.

Jesse turned to Chandler and spoke quietly, but Kurt could hear every word. He was encouraging him to slow down.

Adam was looking at them both curiously, then glanced at Kurt.

Adam cleared his throat.

“So, Jesse, how long ago did you adopt Chandler?”

“About a year and a half ago.”

Chandler looked up warily when he heard his name, then focused on his food again. He did slow down a little.

Jesse continued. “I thought about getting a pet at New Directions, because they train them to sing there. I assume that’s where you got Kurt?” he asked.

Adam nodded. “Yes. I saw the ad, and decided I’d rather have a pet that sang than one that didn’t. I really didn’t know much about hybrid ownership at the time.”

“I thought I knew a lot, but there’s a lot that you kind of have to figure out as you go along.”

Kurt noticed Chandler’s shoulders were tense. He wasn’t sure whether he should speak to the other hybrid or not. It seemed like he and Jesse had a very different relationship than he and Adam.

“I heard the pets at New Directions were more expensive than at most other stores,” Jesse further explained, “and I didn’t think, in this case, the singing was necessary.”

“Did you go to New Directions at all?” Adam asked. “I’m curious to know what you thought of the owners.”

Jesse rolled his eyes. “I did go there one time, but I didn’t like the owner’s attitude. He was the only one there right then, but he came across like a used car salesman. I looked at some of the pets, but I’d already made up my mind I didn’t want to give that guy any of my money.”

Adam nodded. “I might have felt the same, but luckily, I dealt mostly with Emma, his wife, who seemed a lot more concerned about the pets and finding them the right owner. And after I saw Kurt, well, I couldn’t just leave him there.”

He exchanged a fond look with Kurt. “I did think about it overnight, but it wasn’t a hard decision to make. I just hadn’t done nearly enough research ahead of time, or it might have been an easier transition for both of us.”

After a moment, Jesse raised his voice slightly. “I wanted to make an announcement. As I told Adam on the phone, this is a celebration.”

Adam tensed slightly, but Kurt rubbed his nearest ankle with his foot, and Adam’s shoulders lowered.

“What’s the occasion?” Adam asked.

“I think it’s time I start letting people know that Chandler and I are in an exclusive relationship.”

Adam raised an eyebrow, but didn’t interrupt.

“I’m not planning on dating anyone, or bringing anyone home or anything like that. I think I’m better off with Chandler as my boyfriend, than having a more conventional relationship. I figured you two might appreciate that more than most.” He glanced at them again. “Unless I’ve misinterpreted – you did introduce him as your pet and boyfriend.”

“That’s correct,” Adam agreed. “Kurt and I are exclusive. I see no reason to look elsewhere for companionship.”

“Exactly!” 

Kurt watched Chandler’s reaction. He seemed pleased, but wary.

Adam held up his glass. “A toast, to Jesse and Chandler! May they have many happy years together.”

Kurt watched what the others did, and tried to touch the rim of his glass to everyone else’s before taking a sip.

Jesse had a question for them.

“How long were you two together before you decided on being exclusive?”

“A few days, wasn’t it, Kurt?”

“I think so, yeah.”

Chandler glanced over at Jesse, then looked down at his food again.

“Oh. Um.” Jesse seemed thrown off as well.

“But our situation is a little different than yours,” Adam added smoothly. “I mean, anyone who owns a hybrid pet does it for all sorts of reasons, wants different things, it’s not the same for everyone.”

“True.” Jesse grabbed onto that like the lifeline it was.

“I was really surprised to see you ushering, rather than being up onstage,” Adam commented with some concern. Kurt was impressed with how smoothly he managed to change the subject.

Jesse shrugged it off. “You know how it goes. I have to do something in between roles. I’m still trying out for parts, but it helps to have something that will bring in a steadier income.”

Adam nodded.

Kurt wondered if Jesse envied Adam for the trust fund he had, but he didn’t sense any real animosity in the other man.

“I think I kind of got myself blacklisted,” he admitted. “Someone’s husband strongly objected to finding me in their bed. Later I realized she was kind of throwing me under the bus, wanting to make him jealous, for whatever reason. Unfortunately, he owns a couple of the bigger theaters, and I think he put the word around not to hire me.”

“So how did you get the ushering job?” Kurt asked, without thinking it through.

Jesse blinked at him a couple of times, as though he hadn’t expected him to speak.

“Uh, well, April Rhodes is a…friend of mine. She was able to pull some strings and get me the job.” 

From the slight flush of Jesse’s cheeks, Kurt thought he knew what kind of “friend” she might be, but was determined to not think badly of his idol for her questionable taste in men.

“Well, it’s nice to have friends in this town, isn’t it?” Adam asked.

Kurt was impressed with how calm and cool he appeared to be. He wondered if Adam was faking it, or really was calm and relaxed? He noticed Adam didn’t mention that April was coming to visit them the next day, so Kurt decided not to say anything, either.

Adam changed the subject to a couple of other Broadway shows he’d seen, and he and Jesse talked about them for a while. Kurt wanted to listen, but was torn between that and paying attention to Chandler. He wondered if Jesse was aware just how nervous and uncomfortable Chandler was? Kurt could smell his discomfort and borderline fear. It wasn’t pleasant, but he imagined he might react similarly if Adam was ignoring him in a strange situation with a couple of strangers.

He remembered Jesse had said Chandler was allowed to answer questions, so he decided to risk one, hoping it would put Chandler at ease.

“Hey Chandler,” he started. The other hybrid looked up and stared at him, his eyes wide and lips parted. Damn, he really was scared. His plate was empty, he noticed. “Um, that green shirt looks nice on you.”

“Thank you,” the other hybrid responded quietly. “I like your shoes,” he whispered.

“Thanks!” Kurt turned his attention to Jesse and Adam, who were both silent for the moment as they continued to eat. He’d finished his own meal, realizing it would be easier to finish a small portion. He cleared his throat. “Um, excuse me.”

Both Adam and Jesse looked at him. Adam raised an eyebrow encouragingly. “Yes, Kurt?”

“Ah, I was wondering, if neither of you mind, is it okay if Chandler and I change? I wanted to show him Buckingham Palace.”

Adam nodded in silent approval. “That sounds like a great idea.”

Kurt glanced at Chandler, who looked both hopeful and puzzled.

“Buckingham Palace?” Jesse asked.

Adam explained, “It’s one of those exercise gyms, tree houses, whatever you call them. I got it for Kurt to play on when he’s a cat.”

“Oh, yeah, I got one of those for Chandler, but it’s not one of the castle type things. It’s a little bit more like an actual tree.”

Jesse finally looked over at Chandler and smiled. “Sure, go ahead, if you want to. Just play nice together, okay? No fighting.”

Chandler shook his head quickly. “No, sir, of course not, no fighting.”

“I promise, we won’t fight,” Kurt agreed.

“Go ahead, then.”

Chandler removed his glasses, folded them, and held them out to Jesse. “Would you please –“ he started to ask.

“Sure, I’ll take care of ‘em for you.” Jesse slipped the glasses into his shirt pocket.

Chandler stood up, and in moments had changed into a sleek, short-haired, golden-orange cat. Kurt changed, too, and meowed at Chandler, who followed him to Kurt’s room.

 

 

“They should be fine,” Adam said. “I think Kurt gets a little lonely sometimes, even though I spend a lot of time with him. He sometimes plays with our friend’s cat next door – a full cat, but it’s not quite the same as a fellow hybrid, I guess.”

Jesse looked thoughtful. “I wonder if that’s part of the problem with Chandler? I hadn’t really thought of setting up any play dates or anything. At least, not the way people usually mean it. And it didn’t occur to me that he might want a friend.”

Adam nodded. “I know Kurt didn’t really like any of the other hybrids at New Directions. Well, there was one he got along fairly well with, but he doesn’t miss most of them. But he spent nearly six years surrounded by at least a dozen others of his own kind, so he had some trouble sleeping alone.”

“Alone?” Jesse echoed, raising an eyebrow in inquiry. “I have a pet bed for Chandler, but when he’s human he sleeps with me.”

Adam tried not to blush. “We, ah, took things a bit slower than I think a lot of people do. I wanted Kurt to have a room and bed of his own, thinking he’d prefer to be alone sometimes, but he hasn’t been comfortable – well, neither have I, to be honest. It works out better for both of us if we’re in the same bed, and know the other is alright.”

Jesse nodded thoughtfully. “Chandler is underfoot constantly, even as a human. He practically had an anxiety attack the first time I left him alone for a few minutes to go to the john. But once he realized I’m not going to abandon him, he calmed down. I try to remember to tell him before I leave the house, or leave him a note. It’s got to be pretty short and simple, but even if he can’t read that well, if he sees a note on the front door, he knows I had to go out. I try to give him an estimate of when I’ll be back, but he’s finally figured out that I can’t predict it down to the minute. He’s almost always waiting for me when I come back.”

“Kurt does the same thing, the waiting,” Adam mentioned. “I decided I should at least put a comfortable chair there for him.”

“Good idea. Chandler doesn’t mind sitting on the floor,” Jesse said. “He’s used to it. But it seems like you really trust Kurt a lot, even after just a short time.”

Adam nodded his confirmation. He wasn’t sure how much he wanted to tell Jesse, so he decided it would be smarter to be prudent. “Like I said, we all seem to have somewhat different relationships. Kurt’s gone from a scared, nervous young man, to one who is much more self-confident and calm.”

Jesse looked at him, an odd expression on his face. “Hm. Chandler seems to be calmest if I’m at least in the same room with him, but he’s pretty high-strung.”

Adam decided it was time to change the conversation again, so he told him about running into Sebastian. Jesse was more than willing to change subjects to their shared arch-enemy.

 

 

Kurt led Chandler into his room, and ran over to stand next to Buckingham Palace. His babies were sitting on the highest bridge, but he figured he could protect them if necessary.

Chandler slowly entered the room, pausing to sniff furniture, and took a bit too long sniffing Adam’s hoodie, which was hanging over the chair by the desk. Kurt growled low in his throat, and Chandler slunk away, his tail and ears lowered. Kurt hadn’t meant to scare him, just let him know the hoodie belonged to him. And so did Adam.

Kurt meowed and invited his visitor to come over and see the castle.

Chandler approached slowly, then lifted his head to try to see all the way to the top.

Kurt indicated that he was welcome to join him in playing on and in the castle. Chandler cheered up a bit, and was soon climbing and exploring along with Kurt.

Kurt introduced Chandler to his babies, but the visitor seemed a little confused. Kurt tried to explain that they were resting right now, which is why they weren’t friendlier or more talkative.

Kurt found the bright bouncy ball and knocked it onto the floor. Chandler watched it with delight. He and Kurt raced down towards the floor, and batted and threw the ball to each other. They were having so much fun, it took a while to realize they’d been joined by the humans.

Of course Adam had a camera in his hand, but it was the movie camera this time. He’d apparently moved on from still pictures to preferring moving ones.

“They are pretty cute,” Jesse said. “And this is Buckingham Palace? Man, the one we’ve got at home is more like a tiny little tree house compared to this one. I’ll have to see about maybe getting a bigger one, so Chandler can get more exercise.”

A few minutes later, Jesse called out to Chandler, who immediately ran over to him and sat down.

“Sorry, buddy, but it’s time to go. Adam and Kurt have things to do, so let’s get you home. Then I’ve got some errands to run.”

Chandler’s ears drooped a bit and Kurt heard a tiny whine, but he wasn’t sure human ears would be able to pick it up.

“Come on, let’s go.” Jesse scooped up Chandler and held him under one arm, while he shook Adam’s hand with the other.

“I’ll see you to your car,” Adam offered.

They stopped to pick up Chandler’s leash from the hall closet, and Jesse fastened it quickly.

Kurt jumped up on the chair by the door, and waited patiently for Adam to return. It really wasn’t all that long before he came back.

“Hey, Kurt.” Adam leaned down and scratched his neck under the collar. Kurt rumbled an appreciative purr. “Nancy will be here soon. You can stay like that as long as you like, but if you’d prefer, I’ll ask her to vacuum your room first, and get that out of the way. Then you can play in there, or rest, while she’s cleaning the rest of the apartment.”

Kurt licked his hand and looked up at him adoringly. 

“Tell you what. How about you and I spend some time together while your room is being cleaned?”

Kurt nodded.

“We can –“

The phone rang. Adam spoke to Nancy briefly, then reminded Kurt he would be right back.

Kurt sighed to himself and laid down, resting his head on his paws. He liked Nancy, and he wanted his room cleaned. He hoped she would remember to vacuum the castle, but not disturb his babies. But more than that, he wanted to have some time with his human.

He’d barely had time to fall asleep before Adam was letting Nancy in. He sat up and meowed a greeting to her.

“Hi, Kurt!” She smiled, and started to reach out, then pulled her hand back. “Is it – “ She turned to Adam. “Is it alright if I pet him? Will he mind? Or you?”

“It’s up to him.”

Kurt leaned closer to her, so she petted and scratched his head, and stroked her hand down his back. “He’s so soft,” she marveled.

“I was thinking,” Adam suggested, “if you’d please clean Kurt’s room first, then he can stay in there while you’re doing the rest.”

“Sure.”

Adam brought in the rest of her supplies.

“We had a couple of visitors today, and one was another hybrid. He and Kurt spent some time playing in his room, so if you’d please clean and vacuum extra thoroughly, I think Kurt would appreciate it.”

Kurt meeped his agreement.

“No problem.” Nancy reluctantly stopped petting Kurt. “I guess I’d better get started.”

Adam scooped Kurt up from the chair. “We’ll be out here for a bit until his room is ready.”

Adam settled them both onto a recliner chair, and held onto Kurt with one hand as he activated the recliner. It didn’t startle him too much. Once Kurt was cuddled up against Adam’s stomach and chest, being supported by both arms, he relaxed and commenced purring. Adam shifted him slightly so he had one hand free to pet him with.

“By the way, I hope you don’t feel you’re being sent off to your room as a punishment. I was thinking it would be easier on all of us to not have you underfoot while Nancy’s working.”

Kurt meeped, then rested his head on Adam’s chest.

“That’s a good boy. Don’t forget, April is coming over tomorrow, so –“

Kurt jumped in alarm, and Adam barely managed to hold onto him.

“Hey, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. The place will be nice and clean, and I’m sure you’ve already got something planned for a snack or something.”

Kurt whined. 

“What’s the matter, love? Don’t you want to see her?”

Kurt nodded, and moved restlessly in Adam’s arms.

“Ah, are you thinking you have a lot you want to do before she gets here?” he guessed.

Kurt nodded, and thumped his tail for emphasis.

“Well, how about this,” Adam suggested. “You play and run around and do whatever you need to do now to enjoy your cat time. When you’re ready to change, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help, or if there’s anything you want to talk about before she gets here.”

Kurt settled down again, and started purring. There wasn’t much he could do in his current state, but he knew his human side was just itching to take care of things. He yawned, deciding it wasn’t his problem at the moment. human Kurt could figure things out later, but for now, he was going to enjoy this time with Adam.

 

 

By the time Nancy left, Kurt had played in his newly-cleaned and vacuumed castle, and spent some time cuddling and playing with Harriet, Bernard, and Phoebe. They had been shy around Chandler, which was understandable, as they hadn’t expected a stranger to visit. Kurt explained that he hadn’t expected it either. However, Chandler had kept a respectable distance from them, so they weren’t too upset. Kurt ended up napping on the bed, surrounded by his babies.

When he woke, he stretched as far as he could, and ran out to find Adam. He was bored, which meant it was Adam’s job to entertain him. He wondered if he’d sufficiently explained that to him.

He found Adam in his bedroom, wearing his glasses and reading a book. He was in the comfortable recliner in the corner, by the bookshelves. Kurt nudged Adam’s legs, but received only a cursory pat on the head for his efforts. He realized he hadn’t spent a lot of time exploring the enticing bookshelves, so he started to climb them.

Adam started to protest, but after a minute decided to go back to his book. Kurt walked around, balancing easily in the narrow spaces between the books and the edge of the shelves. He found one smallish book, and reached a paw out to the top of it. He started to tilt it, wondering if he could work it free.

“If you drop a book on my head, you’re going to regret it, Fuzzy Face,” Adam announced. He didn’t, however, look up from his book, just turned a page.

What would Adam do if he did drop a book on him? It hadn’t been his intention, but now Adam had put the thought into his mind, he wondered about it. It was small, and a paperback at that. But he didn’t want to take a chance on the book hurting his precious human, so he nudged the book back where it belonged.

“Smart move,” Adam murmured.

How had he known? He hadn’t looked up or even turned his head. Hm, maybe humans had better hearing than he thought. He climbed to the top of the bookcase and turned around three times, then settled down for a brief nap. 

When he woke up and yawned, he saw Adam was still exactly where he’d been before. But he’d reclined the chair, so his legs were stretched out in front of him. They might make a decent landing pad. He crouched down, trying to figure out the best angle.

“I wouldn’t try that if I were you,” Adam warned. “Climb down the shelves, the same way you got up there. Then you can get on my lap, from a reasonable height. And keep your claws in, please.”

Kurt snorted, and Adam started to laugh, then coughed.

It wasn’t quite as much fun going down as it had been coming up, but it was a challenge, which he appreciated. He jumped to the top of the recliner, then stretched down so he could reach the chair arm. He debated about laying down on top of Adam’s arm, and keeping it in place under him to keep his belly warm, but he had a feeling Adam might not enjoy it that much. It was easy to get from the chair arm to his owner’s lap. The book was somewhat in the way, but it wasn’t too bad. He saw it was a paperback as well, but much thicker than the one he’d been trying to remove.

Kurt settled down for another nap. It was easier to nap as a cat than a human, and he thought he’d better take advantage now. When he was human, he liked to be doing things.

After a few minutes, Adam started petting him with his free hand, and Kurt purred in response. Eventually his hand stopped, and just stayed on Kurt’s back, keeping him warm and safe.


	80. Chapter 80

When Kurt was ready to change, he took some time to clean up and change his clothes, then helped Adam fix dinner. They talked about April’s impending visit the next afternoon. Adam didn’t want him to worry too much about it, but he understood that Kurt wanted to make a good impression.

“I was going to make some snacks, but I don’t even know if she’s a vegetarian or not!”

“What has that got to do with anything?” Adam asked.

Kurt shrugged. “I guess I can just make sure there’s nothing with meat in it, to be on the safe side.”

“You don’t even really have to provide snacks,” Adam pointed out. “We can offer her a drink of some kind, and maybe put out some chips and dip or something.”

Kurt scoffed. “For April Rhodes? We need something better than that!”

Adam held up his hands in a placating gesture. “It’s up to you. I’ll help in any way I can. Let me know if we need anything from the store, and I’ll pick it up tonight.”

“No thanks, I think we’re okay.”

“In that case, if you can take care of that tomorrow, I was thinking it might be nice to dance for a little while tonight. Unless you have another idea.”

Kurt smiled shyly. “I’m not used to dancing with anybody, just part of group choreography.”

“Well, then, let me teach you a few steps. There might be dancing at this upcoming event of Lily’s, or there might be other occasions.”

Kurt stiffened. “Lily’s dress! I need to get to work on that.”

“I think you’ve still got plenty of time, but if you’d rather do that tonight, that’s fine.” Adam tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

Kurt couldn’t bear disappointing him. Or Lily, for that matter, but Adam was right. “No,” Kurt decided. “I’ll work on it tomorrow, before April comes over.”

“Fantastic! Let me put some music on.” Adam’s smile was worth the little twinge of guilt he felt about Lily.

Kurt didn’t pay much attention to the words of the song, just followed Adam’s quiet instructions on a simple box step. They both had their shoes off, not wanting to step on each others’ toes.

Kurt thought he was beginning to get the hang of it. “Who’s singing?”

“Johnny Mathis, the singer I told you about yesterday.”

“I do like his voice,” he decided. “It’s really smooth, kind of relaxing to listen to.”

The next song came on. Kurt tried to pay more attention to the words.

Adam sang along on the chorus, and Kurt wondered if there was a reason.

 

_"Guess you feel you’ll always be_  
 _The one and only one for me_  
 _And if you think you could_  
 _Well chances are your chances are_  
 _Awfully good"_ * 

 

“I like your voice better,” Kurt told him as the song ended.

“Thank you! I’m not sure how many would say that, but I appreciate your vote of confidence,” Adam joked.

Adam showed him another simple step, and they worked on that through the next song.

On the next song, Adam again sang along with the chorus, so Kurt tried hard to listen to the words.

 

_"Hold me close, never let me go_  
 _Hold me close, melt my heart like April snow_  
 _I’ll love you till the bluebells forget to bloom_  
 _I’ll love you till the clover has lost its perfume_  
 _I’ll love you till the poets run out of rhyme_  
 _Until the 12th of Never, and that’s a long, long time"_ ** 

 

There seemed to be a theme to the songs Adam was singing to him, if only he could put his finger on it.

He recognized the last one, from “Romeo and Juliet”.

 

_"And with our love through tears and thorns_  
 _We will endure as we pass surely through every storm_  
 _A time for us someday there’ll be_  
 _A new world, a world of shining hope for you and me_  
 _A world of shining hope for you and me"_ *** 

 

“Hey, this sounds like us,” he commented when the song was over.

“Doesn’t it?” Adam grinned and turned off the CD. “Thank you for the dance, kind sir.”

“You’re very welcome…compassionate sir,” Kurt laughed. “I think we’re going to have to dance more often.”

Adam’s eyes shone with amusement. “I think that can be arranged. “I feel like playing the piano for a bit. Did you want to sing for a while, or maybe do a duet or two?”

“Sure,” Kurt answered. He started looking through the sheet music.

“Shall I get the camera out, and record us?”

“What is it with you and pictures, and videos? Why do you want to record everything?” Kurt asked.

Adam shrugged. “It’s nice to have hard evidence to back up the memories. We might want to watch these when we’re old and gray, and want to remember our youth, or something.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, but agreed to let Adam film them.

“What do you want to sing?”

“These, I think. “Rose’s Turn,” “As If We Never Said Goodbye”, and “Born This Way.”

“Good choices.” Adam stretched his fingers and sat down at the piano.

“Do you want to do a duet of this one?” Kurt asked, handing him the sheet music.

“Ah, I love this. A medley of “Happy Days Are Here Again” and “Get Happy.”

“And there’s one other I wanted to do, but you don’t have the sheet music,” Kurt said, sighing in disappointment.

“What is it? Maybe it’s one I know by heart.”

“It’s the one I was practicing when you first saw me. “Not the Boy Next Door,” from the Peter Allen bio-musical, “The Boy From Oz.”

Adam laughed. “Okay, I know that one. But, do me a favor…do those gold pants and black shirt still fit you?”

“Yes, I think so,” Kurt answered cautiously. “Do you want me to wear those?”

“Please. Only if you’re comfortable moving around like that. Those pants looked practically painted on.”

“I’ll try them in a while and see.”

 

 

Adam was amazed by Kurt’s performances of songs that obviously had personal meaning for him. It wasn’t just his gorgeous, three-octave voice, but the passion with which he sang. He recalled what Kurt had said, when they first met, about hybrids not having the same experiences as regular people, and thus not being able to sing with the same meaning. But he’d certainly heard all those songs sung with less understanding, even by very talented people. 

“Shall we try that duet?” Kurt suggested.

“Sure. Which part do you want, Judy Garland or Barbara Streisand?”

“Miss Judy. I’ll do ‘Get Happy’. That’s the only time Rachel was willing to duet with me, but of course she had to sing Miss Barbara.”

“Well, the good news is now, you can sing whichever part you want, or any singer you want.”

Kurt flashed him a brief smile, one that still covered his teeth. “Thanks. I know Miss Judy’s part better.”

Adam accompanied them on piano, and was thrilled to hear how well their voices blended together. That one was also being recorded for posterity.

“Okay, are you ready to see if that outfit still fits?” Adam asked.

“Of course! I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

While he waited for Kurt, Adam busied himself moving some of the furniture out of the way, to give Kurt more of a staging area to practice his routine. He moved the coffee table as close to the sofa as possible, and dragged the chairs into the hallway near the door. Now Kurt had several feet to move around in, but Adam wished he had a larger rehearsal space, for Kurt and himself, and the Apples, when they were there.

Adam heard Kurt’s bell before he saw him. He thought it was odd, because he’d gotten pretty used to the tiny sound it made whenever Kurt moved, as human or cat. Was he doing something deliberately to – oh.

Adam’s throat went dry when he beheld Kurt, who was sashaying his way into the room. He was wearing the same outfit he’d worn when they first met, but the pants seemed to be even tighter now. And so was the shirt. But they fit. They fit very, very nicely, in fact. He was relieved to see, however, that his boyfriend was wearing one of his newer pair of shoes, rather than the ones he’d said were too tight.

“Kurt, you look incredible!”

“You like it?”

“I do, very much. I was just thinking, we should probably try to get you a new pair of gold pants, that will let you move around a little better.”

Kurt looked down. “These are fairly stretchy, but if we could find some new ones a size bigger, that would be great!”

“Do you remember your routine?”

“Mm-hm. I’ve worked on it a little bit in my mind, too, so I think it’ll work.”

“Would you like to show me now, or practice for a while?”

Kurt bit his lip, then grinned hesitantly. “Would you mind watching it, to let me know what you think? I was thinking I might rehearse it a few times, before you film it. If you want to.”

“If I want to…” Adam trailed off, his mind filled with inconvenient images. “Yes, please,” he finally said.

“Okay!”

“Just try not to scratch up the piano, if you’re going to try any Hugh Jackman moves.” Please, dear God, tell me you’re going to try some Hugh Jackman moves!

Kurt grinned. “I’ll be careful. Do you think you can play for me? I’ll be careful not to kick you or anything.”

“Certainly, and yes, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t damage me, either,” Adam joked, fully confident that Kurt would never deliberately hurt him.

Kurt leaned close and whispered, “I have no intention of doing that.”

He pulled away before Adam could grab hold of him and kiss him, as he was tempted to do. But perhaps his motives were more transparent than he thought, and Kurt seemed to be in the mood to perform. Not that he minded in the slightest. The night was still young.

Adam sat at the piano, and tried to pay as much attention to what his hands were doing as to what Kurt was doing, but it wasn’t easy.

Kurt sang confidently, and danced his way around the living room. Adam tried not to blink, not wanting to miss a second of the remarkable performance. He’d never seen Kurt so self-assured, or so sensual. When the performance was over, Adam clapped and praised him.

“That was marvelous!”

Kurt’s face was almost comical in its distaste. “It’s not quite right. I need to practice it a little more.”

Adam thought it was fine, but he well understood the concept of ‘marvelous’ also qualifying as ‘not good enough’ for one’s own standards. “Of course. Are you ready?”

They went through the number twice more, before Kurt decided Adam could film it if he wanted to.

“If? Kurt, of course I want to film this! Besides my own enjoyment, I want you to be able to see yourself, as I see you, as others will see you, if you ever perform in front of them.”

“Well, maybe the Apples,” Kurt demurred, “but I don’t think anyone else will see me.”

“Then it’s a damn shame the world will be deprived of that performance,” Adam sighed, shaking his head in mock disapproval.

Kurt performed the song flawlessly, moving about the living room as though it were an actual stage, and Adam was mesmerized.

Kurt started yawning. “I’m so tired!”

Adam was a bit disappointed, but not really surprised. “Well, you did a lot today, and just put in quite a workout. And you didn’t get your nap in,” he pointed out.

“I napped as a cat,” Kurt protested.

“Maybe that’s not enough? Anyway, if you want to go to bed now, you should. It’s a bit early, but we’re going to have a busy day tomorrow.”

Kurt nodded. “Maybe I’ll change, and you can brush me?” he asked hopefully.

Adam grinned. “Be happy to do that. Are you going to change back before bed, or –“

“Let’s see how I feel,” Kurt suggested. “I probably will, but I might need a few hours.”

“You can always go to bed as a cat, and change whenever you feel like it, even if it’s early in the morning.”

“I don’t want to wake you up,” Kurt worried.

Adam shook his head. “Don’t worry too much about it. Though, um, maybe you should –“

“Take a shower and brush my teeth before I get back into bed when I’m human?” Kurt suggested. He didn’t sound like he was put out by the idea.

“If you want to. I was thinking more along the lines of changing to pajamas after you change back to human. Go ahead and do whatever you want now, though.”

Kurt nodded, and kissed him quickly, before jogging off to his room.

Adam gathered all the sheet music and put it back in order, then stored it inside the piano bench. He played back a bit of the footage he’d filmed, to make sure it came out. Perhaps April would be interested in watching some of it. He wished she’d been more forthcoming about her purpose in visiting them, but he supposed it was best to just try to be prepared for anything.

 

 

It had been a fairly busy day at work, but that hadn’t been the end of Gabriel’s responsibilities. He felt much better now that things were settled. He glanced over to Julia, sitting in the passenger seat of his car. “Did everything go as well as I think?” 

She smiled as she answered, “Very well. Artie seems like a nice young man. I’m glad you brought me along.”

“Yes, he is, and thank you for coming.” He hesitated, then went ahead with his thought. “I’m glad you see him that way.”

Julia sighed, and looked out the window at the passing scenery. “I do. I can’t help but see them all as people. Ones with a very unusual gift, but I really think it’s a gift, rather than the curse a lot of them are taught it is.”

“We can’t save all of them,” Gabriel sighed. “I have to keep reminding myself of that. But for each one we help, it makes the load a little lighter.”

She turned to see his face better. “The burden of caring about all of them, you mean?”

“Yes. And the obligation to help. At least, for me it feels that way. I can’t know about their situation and just walk away.”

“I agree.”

Gabriel cleared his throat. “When we get back to my place, did you just want to go home from there, or would you like to stay and talk a bit longer?”

“I’d really like to talk longer,” she admitted. “I get so frustrated, because there’s hardly anyone I’ve found who really feels the way I do. It’s hard to find anyone to talk to when I get upset, who’s going to sympathize, and not tell me I need a life. Or a boyfriend.” She glanced over at him. “I’m not the type to want my life to revolve around making someone else happy. I feel like there are already too many people depending on me for that. Not that I don’t get lonely, sometimes, but –“ she broke off with a sigh.

“I think I understand,” he agreed. “I hear the same types of things. Not just from my family, but friends, and even acquaintances. They think a girlfriend or wife will solve all my problems. But I can’t expect to find someone who is willing to take second place to my work.”

“I don’t think too many people really understand what we’re trying to do.”

“By the way, I haven’t had anything to eat since lunchtime. What about you?” He glanced over at her, then away again.

“Me either. I try to force myself to take the time for lunch, but sometimes I don’t get a chance to eat dinner until pretty late.”

“I can fix us something when we get home, if you’d like,” he suggested. “I like to think I’m pretty competent in the kitchen.”

She grinned at him. “That sounds great to me, but please let me help. I don’t want to just sit around and do nothing while you do all the work.” She grew more serious as she added, “I’ll need to call Mandy first, so she doesn’t get worried. She can fix herself something at home, but if I’m too late, she starts to worry.”

“Sure. If something comes up and you need to leave, I understand.”

A few minutes later they pulled up to Gabriel’s home, a ranch-style house in a nice neighborhood. The lawns were well-kept, there were numerous gardens, and some people had swings or playsets outside.

Julia liked Gabriel’s home. She knew he didn’t spend much time there, nor did she at her own home, but it was still comfortable, with three bedrooms and three baths.

“Do you have visitors often?” she asked, when the brief tour he gave her was almost done.

“No, but sometimes my parents come to visit, and it’s nice to have a comfortable place for them. I was thinking, at some point they may need to move in with me, and this way there will still be a spare bedroom.”

“I’m sure Artie will appreciate having his own bathroom,” she commented, when they ended up back in the kitchen.

“Considering the accommodations at the pet store, I think he’ll like it. Usually that’s one thing the hybrids are near ecstatic about, if they have their own bathroom, or only have to share with one other person. I hear that a lot in my practice.”

Gabriel started gathering what they would need for dinner.

“I’ll bet. It looks to me like your house is already pretty accessible for someone in a wheelchair. It’s not only all one floor, but the doorways are wide, and I noticed the electrical sockets are up higher than usual.”

“It’s called barrier-free design,” he explained. “It’s supposed to be accessible for people of all different ages and different conditions. And this is helpful, too.” He pulled gently on a lever, and the countertop, which was about knee height for him, rose a few inches above the cabinets below them. “It will raise up about a foot altogether. This way it can accommodate someone in a wheelchair, or someone very tall, like my father.”

“That’s great! I guess it’s worth the sacrifice in cabinet space.”

“I think so. I don’t have all that much to put in them.”

“What about the overhead cabinets?”

“Ah. Let me show you.” There was another lever, almost hidden against one of the cabinets. He pressed down on the lever, and the entire row of cabinets lowered about a foot and a half. Then he moved them back up, so they were out of the way.

Julia started clapping before she could stop herself. “That’s fantastic! I’ll bet this way Artie can use the kitchen on his own pretty well.” She went back to chopping vegetables for the salad.

“Right.” Gabriel poured some pasta into a large pot on the stove. “It will be harder to use the stove, but he can reach the oven and microwave. I’ll rearrange the contents of the refrigerator and freezer after he gets here, so the things he’ll use the most will be easy to get to. I know I’ll need to get some hybrid rabbit food, but mostly he’ll be eating vegetables when he’s a rabbit.”

“You seem to have thought of everything.”

“I’m trying,” he admitted. He retrieved some frozen spaghetti sauce he’d made earlier in the week. “But I wanted to have some grab bars added in the bathrooms, and an apparatus above Artie’s bed, so he can pull himself in and out of bed and transfer to his wheelchair more easily.”

“Are you going to take a few days off to help him get used to the house first, or would you even be able to do that?”

“I’ve rearranged my schedule so it will be fairly light the first two weeks,” he explained. “I’ll leave at 2:00 next Wednesday afternoon and adopt Artie, and we’ll have a long weekend to help him get adjusted here, then I’ll bring him to work with me on Monday. I haven’t decided yet if it would be better to leave him in my office, or in the recreation area where the patients usually wait for their owners.”

“But won’t some of the patients need it?”

“That’s what I’m going to have to figure out,” he admitted. “I may see about moving him back and forth a couple of times, but we’ll see what he’s comfortable with. I’ll make sure he’s got what he needs as a human or hybrid. I’m having one of my exam rooms altered to make it into a room where he can spend most of his time, and entertain himself. I’ll try to spend some time with him in between patients. Later we’ll discuss whether he wants to continue doing that, or stay at home. But because of his special needs, I’m not sure that will be possible.”

Julia bit her lip, and looked up. “I was just thinking how much harder his life must be than the average. He seems so limited by the wheelchair.”

“I’ve been thinking about that, and I’ll have to see what I can find that might help him.”

They talked a bit about Mandy, and Julia confessed how much she enjoyed her company.

“I love having someone to come home to at the end of the day. I was fine with being alone until I adopted her, and then I realized how much I’d missed having someone around.”

“You said she has some trouble adjusting to being alone?” Gabriel asked.

“Yes. Partly because I think as a dog hybrid, she seems more dependent on having company. Of course she understands I have to work and can’t spend as much time with her as I’d like, but I still wish for her sake that she could get more used to me not always being there.” She took a deep breath. “I was thinking, I’d really like to switch vets. I’ve been taking her to see Dr. Greenway, and he’s been good, but he doesn’t have a psychiatric practice. I was thinking it might be good to bring Mandy to you instead. If you have any openings.”

“I do. Therapy is different for hybrid pets. With a full human, it might take years until they feel they’ve reached their goals, and are ready to be independent of therapy. But with hybrids…for one thing, it’s rare to find an owner who would have that much patience, or want to spend that much money, on therapy for their pet. For another, their lives are usually much simpler, in some respects, than humans. It might take them a while to adapt from living in the pet store to a new home, but it usually doesn’t go much further than that. The owners usually don’t want their pet to become independent, for example, so they only need to make minor adjustments, perhaps, to the training they received prior to being adopted. There are exceptions, of course, when there’s been abuse or some other trauma, and then it usually takes longer.”

“We probably shouldn’t talk about specifics, since we both have confidential practices,” Julia began, “but there are occasional exceptions to that independence issue.”

Gabriel nodded. “True. Very rare exceptions. How independent would you like Mandy to be?”

“Honestly, I don’t think she really wants to go out anywhere without me, because of some issues in her past. So I probably won’t be sending her on errands or things like that. But I’d like her to feel comfortable enough in her own home that I don’t need to worry about her and check in on her every couple of hours. It would be nice if I could take her to see a movie or do something fun outside of the house. It’s hard enough to get her to go for a walk in the park with me. As a human or dog,” she added.

“That might take some time,” he commented, “but a lot of it depends on how cooperative she is in accepting help, and how well she can communicate her feelings.”

Julia nodded. “She’s not as articulate as some of the hybrids I’ve met, but more so than some. I do try to engage her in conversation whenever I can, but she’s more comfortable watching a movie or TV than talking about things. Of course, I have to be really careful to limit what she sees, so she doesn’t come across something that triggers traumatic memories. So we watch a lot of Disney movies, but none of the ones featuring hybrids. Those usually end up being too sad.”

Gabriel winced. “I think the problem is, they’re more meant for human children and their parents, and aren’t really intended for hybrids to watch.”

“True. There’s hardly anything that’s geared towards them in entertainment. But you’d think, because they often have so much time on their hands, they’re more in need of entertainment than the rest of us.” Julia was trying to not get angry. It was a hazard of talking about hybrids in general, because there were so many aspects of their lives that were unfair.

They transferred the food to plates and sat down at the table. Julia noticed the table was a bit lower than usual, and the chairs were well-padded and very comfortable. “Does this raise and lower as well?”

Gabriel nodded. “Yes. Most of the modifications were already in place when I moved in, and I requested that the family sell me the adjustable furniture, since they didn’t think they’d be needing it anymore.”

“I see. This is a great setup for Artie, and you as well, with your parents,” she commented. “Have you told them about adopting Artie?”

“I told them I was thinking about it. They have no problem with Artie being a hybrid. I think they’ll probably treat him as a grandson.”

“That’s good.”

“What about reading?” Gabriel inquired. “Does Mandy enjoy it?”

Julia bit her lip. “I think she’d really like to read more, but you know how limited their reading skills are, unless their parents spent more time on that. And I’ve tried to help her, but she gets frustrated really easily.”

He nodded. “Artie likes to read, but yes, I think it would be better if we could expand their reading skills. It would be easier for them to entertain themselves.”

She hesitated, then plunged ahead. “Kurt seems very articulate, and Adam got him from New Directions as well. Adam has been helping him with his reading.”

Gabriel paused with his fork half-way to his mouth, then set it down. “I wonder if we could work something out. Artie and Kurt were sort of friends, in the store, and maybe it would help them both out to spend some time together. I’ll have to talk to Adam about it, but I wonder if he would be willing to help Artie and Mandy as well, as far as learning to read?”

“You won’t know unless you ask him, but it sounds great to me. Maybe we can pay him for his time.”

“I’ll think about it some more, and figure out the best way to approach it, but yes, that might be a good idea. The only thing is, Adam really wants Kurt to be as independent as possible, and Kurt is taking to it very well. I’d like Artie to be as independent as possible, but I don’t know if he’ll want that. You said Mandy might not.”

“Well, I still think it would do them some good to maybe all get together. Mandy is very – cautious would be an understatement -- around males, even male hybrids, but she might not find Kurt and Artie as threatening as others. They both seem really sweet and considerate, I don’t think they’d make her afraid, at least not on purpose.”

“True. And, I’m sure you know, Kurt is gay, and Artie...well, because of his medical condition, he wouldn’t be seen as dangerous, I don’t think.”

“It’s none of my business, but I’m glad you decided to not have Artie fixed,” she commented.

“I didn’t see any point to it. In some circumstances, it might be best for the pet, but not in this case. He can’t get anyone, human or hybrid, pregnant, so what’s the point in having him altered? I don’t like the idea of any unnecessary medical procedures for anyone.”

“Me, either. Mandy begged me to please make sure she can’t reproduce. I understood her reasons, so I had her sterilized.” She sighed. “I told her it really wasn’t necessary, I would never try to breed her with anyone, but since she’d been told for years that’s all she was good for –“ She stopped and bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t be telling you confidential things.”

Gabriel changed the subject by asking about her home, and whether it was set up well for Mandy.

“I think so. I didn’t really have to make many changes. I just took any breakable knickknacks and moved them to a cabinet where she can’t accidentally knock them over in her dog form.”

“That’s smart.”

“It always amazes me how many people adopt hybrids, without stopping to think whether their home is appropriate. Then they get upset when the pet breaks something or has trouble with things they aren’t used to doing. I’ve heard about that a few times. It’s one excuse people use for beating their pets.”

"People want me to help their hybrid to become less clumsy, when it’s likely a regular dog or cat would do the exact same thing.”

“It’s such a relief to find more people who understand about hybrids,” Julia continued. “It’s bad enough that some men feel they have to compete with my work, but now with Mandy, they just don’t get it. They either come to the wrong conclusion, or they don’t understand at all, and don’t like me spending a lot of my free time with her.”

“Exactly.” Gabriel sounded relieved. “I think it’s only going to get worse, now that I have Artie. I don’t mind, and I’m looking forward to having him here.”

“I’m sure he’ll be much happier with you than with anyone else. He seemed to like you, and I don’t think it was just that he really wanted to get out of that store.” Julia didn’t want to think about the lack of care he would probably receive from most owners, who simply might not understand his needs.

“I think so.” Gabriel sighed. “I’ll try to spend a little time with him between patients, at least check in on him to make sure he’s okay. I already spoke to Sara, and she’s going to check on him as well. If he has a problem, there’s an intercom Artie can use to summon her.”

“Sounds like you’ve thought of everything.”

He shrugged. “I’ve tried, but I’m sure there will be unexpected things that come up. But I feel like I’ll be better able to deal with any problems than the average owner.”

Julia smiled warmly at him. “I’m sure you will. Do you think you can help Artie regain use of his legs?”

He sighed. “I really don’t know. I’ll need to read his medical chart thoroughly and do some tests. I’ll certainly do everything I can. If he needs surgery, and wants to go through it, I’ll find the best surgeon I can.”

“What was it that first interested you in working with hybrids?” Julia asked, hoping she wasn’t overstepping.

He told her about his family, what it was like to grow up with a hybrid companion, and the pain of feeling like he had let someone he loved down.

Julia felt a deep sympathy, but also realized she felt more relaxed and comfortable around Gabriel than she had with anyone in a very long time.

 

 

Kurt didn’t plan on staying in cat form all night. If necessary, he’d spend more time the next day, but he knew both he and Adam needed the human companionship that Adam couldn’t share with him. He knew his needs and human Kurt’s needs were different, but they both tried to be respectful of the other’s part of their shared life. He wouldn’t deliberately do something as a cat that would get his human self in trouble, and vice versa. But in this form, he loved being held, and combed and brushed and fussed over by Adam. He loved listening to his voice, whether he was talking, or singing. Sometimes he didn’t pay much attention to the words, once he’d determined they weren’t important, but would just let himself be soothed by the rhythm of Adam’s voice. He took a short nap afterwards, while Adam was reading, and changed back to human before Adam was ready to go to bed. He did take the time to shower and brush his teeth, for his own sake as well as Adam’s. 

“Feeling better?” Adam asked.

Kurt loved it when Adam wore his glasses. The silver wire frames set off his blond hair very nicely.

“I think so. But I’d probably better take a nap, as a human, and get some cat time in, before April gets here. I want to be relaxed and awake for her.”

Adam slipped a bookmark in to hold his place. “Did you want a snack before bed?”

Kurt considered it. “No, I don’t think so. I had some crunchies a little while ago. I’m fine.”

Adam cringed slightly, perhaps at the mention of crunchies. Kurt wasn’t too offended; he’d never had a desire to eat cat food while in his human form, either.

“I was thinking, have you considered whether you might want to, or be willing to, change for April, if she asks?”

Kurt shook his head. “I hadn’t really thought about it. What do you want me to do?”

“Oh, no, my friend, this is your decision,” Adam insisted. “I’ll stand by whatever you decide.”

He thought about it while Adam was taking his own shower. He liked April, and admired her, and it wasn’t as though he was ashamed of his cat form. If she wanted to see that side of him, he was pretty sure she’d be at least as respectful as the various Apples were.

When Adam was ready for bed, Kurt told him of his decision.

“Good. Either would have been fine with me, but it’s more important that you’re comfortable.”

Kurt sighed, and cuddled up against Adam. “I appreciate it. I noticed that Jesse treats Chandler very different than you treat me.”

“Yes. Probably more like you were expecting to be treated.”

“Jesse didn’t seem to realize how uncomfortable Chandler was. Sometimes, if I get overwhelmed with things in my people – my human form, it’s easier to change, because cats just don’t have the same problems people do. It’s an escape of sorts.”

“I figured it was something like that. I’ll admit, Jesse can be pretty oblivious at times. I think he gets too wrapped up in his own problems or thoughts or whatever, and doesn’t pay as much attention as he should. At least, that’s how he was in our relationship. I would imagine that’s one of the reasons he wanted a hybrid, to have someone who wouldn’t be competing with him for attention, or wouldn’t have any ambitions to get in his way.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about that,” Kurt said, biting his lip.

“Me either,” Adam confessed, “but it’s really not our problem. As far as I can tell, Jesse doesn’t abuse Chandler, he’s not necessarily harming him, though he’s not giving him the best attention. But I suspect it’s still far better than he might be treated by someone else.”

“I guess so. When Chandler and I played together…it’s hard to explain, we didn’t have a conversation, exactly, not the way you and I do. But he didn’t seem scared or upset, or like he was looking for help.”

“Exactly.” Adam brushed a lock of hair out of Kurt’s face. “If he were being harmed, we should step in and help him. But as it is, we really can’t do anything. On the other hand, it might have done some good for Jesse to see how I treat you, and maybe think some more about how he treats Chandler, and what he really wants from him. Maybe he’ll even stop to think about what Chandler wants.”

“Mm-hm. I hope so.”

They spend the next couple of hours focusing on each other, and showing by words and actions, just how much they loved each other.

 

* _Chances Are by Robert Allen_  
** _The Twelfth of Never by Jerry Livingston & Paul Francis Webster_  
*** _A Time For Us by Nino Rota, Lawrence Kusika, & Edward A. Snyder_


	81. Chapter 81

The next day, Kurt spent some time sewing. He worked on his project for Adam, simply telling him it was a surprise. Adam respected his wishes, and didn’t ask any questions, just left him to his own devices.

Kurt wasn’t entirely happy with the results of his former vest. He’d wanted to make something special for Adam, but it hadn’t come out right. He thought about ripping out the stitches and starting over again, but that wouldn’t really solve the problem. He tossed it into the trash can next to his desk, and went to get Lily’s dress.

After working on it for a couple of hours, it was almost finished. As much as he’d like to finish it and know it was done, except for Lily trying it on and any last-minute adjustments, he really didn’t want to rush. He was pretty sure they still had two weeks before she needed it.

Adam came over from wherever he’d been, looking good in gray jeans and a black henley. Kurt greeted his boyfriend with a kiss, and looked at his outfit more critically.

“Have you thought of wearing a scarf with that? Maybe something with a splash of color?” he suggested.

Adam tapped his chin with one finger while he thought about it. “Not really. I’m not that cold at the moment, so I don’t think a scarf is necessary.”

Kurt rolled his eyes in fond exasperation. “As a fashion statement,” he explained.

“And what statement would I be making?”

Kurt narrowed his eyes and tightened his lips. “That you are a man who knows what looks good on him.”

His boyfriend grinned and touched Kurt’s nose lightly with his fingertips. “No, I think it would say that I’m a man whose boyfriend knows what looks good on me.”

“True.” Kurt bent a bit awkwardly and kissed Adam’s palm. “Maybe my violet scarf will –“

Adam glanced down and interrupted him. “What’s this?” He bent his head in the direction of the trash can.

“Oh, nothing, just an experiment that didn’t work out.” Kurt shuffled his feet nervously, not wanting Adam to laugh at his piteous attempt to create something.

“May I see it?”

“Um…uh…” Kurt tried to think of a good excuse, but he couldn’t think of one that would make sense. “If you want,” he sighed, resigned to hearing laughter.

Adam bent down and retrieved the blue and green tartan material. He smoothed it out, and examined it from all angles. “At first I thought this was your vest that your dad brought, but – “ He inhaled lightly. “Kurt, is this -- did you turn your vest into a beanie for me?”

He didn’t sound like he was going to laugh. If anything, he sounded almost reverent.

“Yeah. But it didn’t come out right,” he apologized. “It’s not perfectly round.”

“Ah, but neither is my head,” Adam pointed out, “especially with this hair.” He tried it on, checking himself out in the mirror in the bathroom. He adjusted the angle slightly, and Kurt had to admit, once it was on him, it looked good. One would probably have to look carefully, and maybe even know it was flawed, to realize it was asymmetrical.

“I love it,” Adam declared. “You seem disappointed in it, but I really do want to keep it. May I?”

Kurt blinked, not sure he’d heard right. “What do you mean? Of course you can, if you want, everything here is yours –“

“Stop right there, please.” Adam’s expression turned serious. 

He took Kurt’s hands in both of his and looked directly into his eyes. “Kurt, your things are yours. Anything I’ve given you, or your father brought you, belong to you. Besides, what I meant was, if you really would be upset for me to wear this, if you really think it belongs in the trash, I’ll respect your wishes, even though I’d be disappointed. But if you can bear to let me wear something you’ve made, that might seem less than perfect to you, then I would be proud and delighted to wear it.”

“Oh, well, if you’re going to be like that,” Kurt sighed, but he let his lips turn up a bit. “I’m glad you like it. And it does look better on you than I thought it might.”

“Then it’s settled,” Adam agreed happily, gently squeezing his hands. “And this gives me enough color that I don’t need a scarf, right? Don’t you think I look good enough to pass muster for April?”

Kurt gasped. He’d almost forgotten his idol would be visiting that day. 

“Adam, you can’t wear that! The shirt and pants are fine, but you need to wear something else – put that beanie away, where April won’t see it. What if she sees it’s wrong?”

Adam sighed, not letting go of Kurt’s hands. “Darling, it’s not wrong. It’s right for me, and I want April to see what you can do. She knows you’re a marvelous singer, but I so much want to share with other people all the other things you can create, and improve. If it really upsets you, I won’t wear it, but I think it makes me look smashing.”

“It does,” Kurt conceded, tilting his face up just a bit to kiss Adam. “But I need to figure out what I’m going to wear.”

“What’s wrong with what you’ve got on?” Adam asked.

Kurt rolled his eyes. “This isn’t what I’m wearing when she comes over. But I can’t quite make up my mind.”

“Would you like some help? Or at least another opinion?” Adam offered.

“Yes, please!”

Kurt opened his closet door and they went through the clothes that were still there. Some had been moved into Adam’s closet. Kurt pulled out all the potential outfits, and he and Adam spent a good half-hour going through the various combinations, before he was satisfied.

“Thank you, Adam. I think you’re right, this will work best.”

“Good. Now that we’ve settled that important question, let’s fix lunch, and you can tell me if there’s anything I can help you with before April gets here.”

 

 

Kurt knew he shouldn’t be all that nervous. He’d met April already, and she’d been nothing but kind. He didn’t think she would judge him harshly if he wasn’t dressed nicely enough, or the apartment wasn’t clean enough. When he tried to talk to Adam about it, his boyfriend laughed, then hugged him reassuringly.

“Kurt, if she doesn’t like the place, it’s going to reflect on me, not you. I’ve lived here for years, and I don’t think she’ll expect you to have taken over to the extent of redecorating things. Though apparently you’d like to reorganize the kitchen.”

Kurt gasped. He hadn’t put that in his mental “later” box. He’d been annoyed by things not being right, but he’d forgotten that he’d intended to ask Adam to change it.

“I do want to talk about that some other time,” Adam continued. “Let’s see what we can do so we can both find what we’re looking for in the kitchen.”

He liked these kinds of compromises. Adam wasn’t saying, “No, it’s my kitchen, and I’ll do what I like with it,” he was just looking for a way they could both be satisfied.

Kurt looked at Adam when he realized he was still speaking.

“ – had a short nap, not a proper one, so do you want to take one now? Or have some cat time, before April gets here?”

Kurt blinked as he processed the words. “No, thank you. If I change now, I’ll need to get out of these clothes first, then shower and get dressed again…no, there’s not enough time. But thank you. I’ll either wait till April leaves, or if she wants me to change, that will work, too.”

“Good, because she should be here soon, so you’d better get dressed.”

Kurt continued talking to Adam while he changed clothes, and now Adam didn’t seem to feel as awkward being around him as he used to.

He knew he was ready for the visit, but…maybe Adam wasn’t?

“Is there anything I can do to help _you_?” he asked, feeling guilty he hadn’t thought of it before.

Adam smiled reassuringly. “No, thank you. I’ve got everything printed out, in case April wants to read through her part of the book, and I have the videos to show her. Are the appetizers ready?”

Kurt nodded. “I’ve got some that can be eaten right away, and more that just need to go in the oven for a little bit. I’ll put them in as soon as April gets here.”

“Good. Come here.” Adam held his arms open, and Kurt melted into them, feeling safe and loved. Adam held him tightly and just swayed for a couple of minutes, calming them both down.

“How did you know I needed that?” he whispered.

“Lucky guess.” Adam squeezed him again, then let him go. He looked at Kurt’s outfit, and obviously approved. “You look fantastic. And your hair is perfect.”

It’s not that Kurt didn’t believe him, but he still wanted to check for himself. He knew the variegated blue Alexander McQueen sweater, newish blue jeans, and black sneakers looked good, but he had to make sure they looked good on him, right now. And he suddenly needed to pee.

“Maybe I am still a little nervous,” he confessed. “I’ll be right back.”

Adam nodded, and Kurt ran towards his bathroom, before he remembered most of his things were in Adam’s – their shared bathroom. He veered off in the other direction, lamenting his slow human legs.

While he was in the bathroom, he heard the phone ring. A minute later, Adam stuck his head in the bedroom and told him April was just a couple of blocks away.

“I’m going to meet her downstairs and bring her up. You still have a few minutes.”

“I’ll be waiting by the door,” Kurt told him.

“Kurt, you don’t –“ He heard Adam sigh quietly. “Alright. See you soon.”

 

 

Adam got downstairs and outside the building just in time to see April pull up. She was directed to guest parking by the security guard. Adam walked over and told the guard she was his guest, and escorted her into the building. He was relieved to see she was wearing expensive-looking jeans and a pretty pink blouse, and bright pink sneakers with neon yellow laces. Maybe Kurt would feel more relaxed once he saw her.

“Wow, fancy place!” April commented, looking around the lobby. “I keep thinking I want a house, but I’m just not home all that often right now, so it makes more sense to keep renting.”

She was very impressed when Adam pressed the elevator button for the penthouse floor.

“My third ex-husband had a penthouse suite, but we were married such a short time, I really didn’t stay there long.”

Adam bit his lip to keep his questions at bay.

“So, where’s your sweetie-pie?” April continued. “Waiting for us, I hope?”

Adam smiled down at her. She really was tiny. “Yes, I’m sure he’s making a last-minute check of everything. He’s so nervous. I tried to tell him to relax, but –“

“Oh, dear, I hope he’s not too stressed. I didn’t mean for either of you to go to any trouble.”

“It’s not trouble, really. Kurt and I do like to serve nice meals or snacks to guests. Let me warn you, there are a LOT of snacks. Please don’t feel obligated to eat any of them, or try all of them. Kurt is an excellent cook, but he may have gone a bit overboard.”

April giggled. “Oh, shoot, I wouldn’t hurt his feelings by not eating anything. But I do have to watch my waist, so the costume department doesn’t have to make any last-minute changes to my costumes.”

“Ah, that’s a reason he’ll definitely understand.”

Adam wasn’t sure it was necessary to try to make extra noise so Kurt would know they were there, but thanks to April’s continued conversation, he was sure Kurt would know they’d arrived.

He unlocked the door, and ushered April inside. She was immediately greeted by Kurt. Adam had told him it would be okay to shake hands, but with a glance over her shoulder to get his approval, April hugged him instead.

Kurt squeaked in surprise, but returned the hug. April looked tiny next to him as well.

 

 

April hadn’t been mistaken; Kurt was every bit as adorable, and hot, as she remembered. But still gay, and taken. Definitely her loss. He looked so good in his black jeans, and a blue sweater that she was sure was Alexander McQueen.

“Kurt, I’m so happy to see you again! You look fantastic.”

“Me too! I mean, happy to see you again, too!” he added quickly, his cheeks pinkening in embarrassment. “You look lovely,” he added quietly.

“Oh, you’re so sweet!” She waved her hand in the air dismissively. “Now I’m thinking maybe I should have dressed up more.”

“No, no, you’re fine!” Kurt insisted.

Adam closed and locked the door. “April, would you like a brief tour, while Kurt is finishing up the appetizers?”

She had to admit, she was curious. What she could see of the place was charming, and she suspected Kurt could use a minute alone to compose himself.

“Sure thing, darlin’. I love the piano, and the bookshelves.”

Kurt took the opportunity to scoot out of sight, presumably to the kitchen. She followed Adam as he showed her the dining room, then the other side of the apartment, including a TV room and laundry room.

“The guest bath is in Kurt’s room,” Adam pointed out, “if you’d like to freshen up.”

“I should wash my hands,” she agreed.

Adam opened the door for her and stayed in the hall.

The first thing she noticed was that the bed had been moved against the wall, near the door. There was a night stand, a desk and chair, and a humongous structure that could only be some type of cat play jungle. 

“Adam, what is this?” She had to ask, and hope he would explain it to her.

He came into the room. “Ah, that’s Buckingham Palace.”

He told her a bit about his search for the perfect play area for kitty!Kurt.

“Well, this is the best one I’ve ever seen,” she admitted. She glanced at the stuffed animals sitting on various perches. “And these are –“

“Kurt’s babies. Friends. I’m not quite sure what to call them. Perhaps he’ll introduce you, later.” 

Adam’s voice was teasing, but fond. There was a hint of warning in there, but she wasn’t about to make fun of Kurt, in either form.

“They’re precious,” she declared.

“Well, I’d better let you wash your hands. I’ll be in the living room, if you can find your way back okay.”

“Sure thing, honey.”

April felt a tiny bit guilty for snooping as much as she had in Kurt’s room. She hadn’t intended to, but that Buckingham Palace thing was just impossible to ignore.

She hurriedly washed her hands, admiring the bathroom. It wasn’t absolutely clear to her if Kurt stayed in this room, or shared Adam’s. But then, it was none of her business, either. She just hadn’t often heard of people giving an entire room and bathroom over to their pet. A few did; she knew some who were incredibly indulgent with their pets, but it didn’t seem quite the same as Adam and Kurt. Of course, if she had a pet, she’d probably go crazy spoiling him. 

When she returned to the living room, Adam stood up. He had been sitting in a chair opposite the sofa.

“Where would you like me to sit?” she asked.

“Wherever you like. Kurt will be here in just a moment. By the way, would you like tea, or coffee?”

She shook her head. “Too late in the day for me, for coffee. Even decaf makes me jittery after about two o’clock, for some reason. But if you have some lemonade or diet soda, any kind, that would be fine.”

“I’ll fetch you a lemonade. Be back in a jiffy.”

She took a seat at one end of the sofa, nearest Adam’s chair. There was a tray of raw vegetables: carrots, celery, and radishes exquisitely carved into flowers. She saw small squares of cheese, and she longed to try each kind. There were several kinds of dipping sauces in bowls next to the veggies, as well as three plates, and tiny forks.

Adam returned with a glass of lemonade. “Kurt made this fresh this afternoon. Our next-door neighbor gave him the recipe.”

“This is all so lovely!”

“Please, help yourself.”

The carrots and celery were of a uniform size, each piece about the size of her little finger. She had no doubt who had prepared everything.

“I wanted to help him,” Adam confided quietly, “but he insisted he had everything under control. And there’s more coming in a moment.”

“Shouldn’t we wait for Kurt?” she asked, not wanting him to feel left out.

“No, he said to please go ahead.”

April hesitated to destroy one of the lovely radishes, but they were meant for eating. Even if they looked more like artwork. She took one of each veggie, and a couple of the most enticing-looking cheese squares. She dipped the radish in what she assumed was ranch dressing. Yep, that was ranch, but she was going to have to ask what brand it was, because it was the best she’d ever had. 

“Oh, this is fantastic! Adam, what brand is this ranch dressing?”

He shook his head as he helped himself to some appetizers. “You’ll have to ask Kurt.”

“Ask me what?”

April turned to see Kurt standing at the edge of the room with a serving tray in his hands. She couldn’t see what was on it, but it smelled divine. He looked nervous.

She asked him about the dressing, letting him know she loved it, and was amazed to learn he’d made it from scratch, from a recipe he found online. The new appetizers he brought in were baby quiches, but she could tell after one bite they weren’t frozen.

“Kurt, did you make these from scratch, too?”

He nodded shyly, looking at her hopefully.

She didn’t disappoint him. “These are delicious! I can’t believe you went to so much trouble for me! I love it, but you shouldn’t have.” She hoped she hadn’t confused him, remembering that most hybrids were very literal in their interpretations.

He looked upset for just a moment, and glanced at Adam, then his face cleared. “Oh, thank you! I wanted to fix something nice, and Adam said it would be alright.”

She looked up at her host and smiled. “Thank you both.”

“You’re welcome.”

As they ate some of the appetizers, Adam told her about some of Kurt’s other accomplishments, including his beanie. She glanced at Kurt, who seemed to be caught between preening, and trying to hide in embarrassment.

“Kurt, do you want to show April the dress you’re making for Lily?”

“You don’t think Lily will mind?”

“I don’t think so. But I’ll take responsibility, if she does get upset.”

While Kurt was getting the dress, Adam explained that Lily was their next-door neighbor, and told her a bit about the charity event.

She thought it sounded great, but wondered why she hadn’t heard about it before.

“I don’t know, maybe it hasn’t been advertised that well,” Adam sighed. “But I bought tickets for myself and Kurt, and an extra one. I was wondering if you’d like to attend?”

“Oh, honey, I’d love to, but I can buy my own ticket. You might want that for somebody else, who maybe can’t afford it as well as I can.”

Adam thought he could probably find someone who can use it.

“Besides, I think I’d like to go on my own, see if I can maybe meet my 5th ex-husband there…I mean, husband,” she giggled.

Kurt returned to the room, carefully holding Lily’s dress. He held it against his body, so April could see the full effect.

“Honey, that is beautiful! Did you design that, too, or is it from a pattern?”

Kurt’s cheeks turned pink, but he smiled as he answered, “I designed it.”

“I love it! You know, I have so much trouble finding dresses that fit me, ‘cause I’m so short. Would you be willing to design some dresses for me, if you have the time? I can pay you – or find something to trade,” she sighed. She glanced at Adam to see his reaction.

“I think Kurt has rather a lot on his plate right now with various things he’s doing for people, but it’s up to him,” he said.

Kurt cleared his throat. “I’d love to make some dresses for you, April. I’m just not quite sure when I can do it.”

“I can wait,” she insisted. “Can I see some of your designs?”

He brought in a sketch pad, and she went through it with him, more impressed with every sketch she saw.

“Kurt, this is really stunning work. I love it.”

He sounded hesitant as he said, “I’m not sure I should use the same designs for you as for Lily, but you probably would want something a little different anyway.”

She nodded vigorously. “I totally understand wanting to have a unique design, but if you can come up with some things for me – no hurry, but when you have a chance, I’d love to see them.”

She took a deep breath. “Okay, from what Adam’s told me, and I’ve seen for myself, you can sing, in a wide range. You can dance, do choreography, sew, design clothes, cook, bake, work on cars…honey, you are amazing! Are all hybrids so multi-talented?”

Kurt looked startled, then bit his lip. “Um, I don’t know. The other ones I really got to know could also sing, some could dance, some did choreography, but Mr. Will discouraged that. I didn’t see them outside the store, so I don’t know what other talents they might have.”

Adam added, “I think some of it had to do with the way Kurt was raised. He was on his own a lot, maybe more than he was supposed to be. He also helped his father a lot, because his mother died when he was young.”

April was afraid Kurt might be upset, but he was taking it pretty well, it seemed.

Adam changed the subject. “How is the show going, April?” 

“It’s fine. I love it, but I’m getting a little tired of playing the same character all the time. I was thinking I’d like to branch out a little.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hm. But I’ll tell you more about that a little later. I wanted to talk to Kurt a little bit. I have some friends who have hybrids, but I never got to talk to them much. They were always really shy, even in human form. That’s why I was so amazed you were willing to sing for me. You express yourself really well, and don’t seem as nervous as the others I’ve met.”

“Kurt is even more confident most of the time. He’s a bit nervous because you’re here.” He ignored Kurt’s glare and clarified. “He admires you so much, and he’s probably worried what you think of him.”

He winced as Kurt sent him a look of betrayal.

“Oh, honey,” April soothed, patting Kurt’s hand. “Don’t worry about that! I think you’re incredible!”

Kurt smiled, but April’s own smile faltered. “I’m sorry, Kurt, I shouldn’t have touched you without asking Adam’s permission.”

Adam rolled his eyes. “Oh, for God’s sake! I know you’re not going to hurt him, and you’re not making sexual advances to him, so as long as it’s okay with Kurt, you can touch him like that.”

Kurt cleared his throat. “It’s okay with me, Miss April.”

“It’s just April, honey, you don’t need to be formal with me.”

Adam shot him a worried look. It had been a while since Kurt called anyone Mr. or Miss.

Kurt nodded.

“April, before I forget,” Adam began, “I wanted to tell you about a project I’m working on. I’m writing a book about my life with Kurt, and I’m hoping to get it published, or publish it myself. I do have a chapter in there where I took Kurt to see _Wicked_ , and he met you. I wrote about everything. But I need to get your permission. Is it okay to include that in there, or if I do, should I edit it so you’re not mentioned?”

April blinked rapidly, then smiled at him. “Sugar, that’s so sweet of you to ask! I’d like to read it, in fact I’d like to read the whole thing. I think it would be fascinating. Go ahead.”

“That’s a relief!”

“Miss – I mean, April, why do you want to read it?” Kurt asked.

She looked him in the eyes and explained. “Let me tell you something. I’ve always loved animals, and when I was a kid, I was fascinated by hybrids. I wanted to be one when I grew up, and was so disappointed to find out it would never happen! I thought it would be the best thing in the world, to be able to change into a cat or dog. I didn’t realize at the time, all the things that come along with it. Being taken away from your parents, spending your teenage years in a store, being bought by a stranger, to live with them the rest of your life… I’m so happy you found Adam, and he found you, and I’m sure you know a lot of hybrids don’t get that lucky.”

Kurt wet his lips. “But it sounds like – do you have a hybrid pet?”

She shook her head. “No, honey. In some ways I’d like to, but I’m so busy, and sometimes I go on tour, with _Wicked_ or other productions. It wouldn’t be a very stable life for a pet, even a regular animal. I’ve thought about having a child, and if I don’t hurry up, my biological clock will stop ticking and it will be too late. But again, it’s no life for a baby. I’d have to take some time off work. But as far as hybrids go, I’d like to see you all treated better, and given more rights.”

Kurt and Adam exchanged a look, then listened to her again.

Adam told her about what he hoped the book would accomplish.

“Adam!” April’s eyes lit up. “I just had the best idea! What I came over to talk to you about was to see if Kurt might be interested in volunteering in a musical.”

Kurt gasped, and Adam leaned forward, listening intently. “Go on,” he encouraged.

“Well, I inherited a small theater from my late husband – my fourth – and I just recently finished renovating it. I’ve got some money to invest. I need to find the right play, but I wanted to start up a theater company of my own. It will give me something to do later on, if I retire from the stage.”

“You’re too young to retire!” Kurt burst out.

“Isn’t that sweet! Well, I can’t keep playing Glinda forever. There are still some good roles for women my age, of course, but I thought it would be good to have something as a backup career. I haven’t found the right project yet, but Adam, have you thought about adapting your book to the stage?”

“What?” Adam blinked, not sure he’d heard correctly.

“It might make a great play. May I read what you have of it? I think it sounds like a great story, but I really don’t know that much about it.”

“Well, um…Kurt?”

“It’s okay with me.”

Kurt looked really excited at the prospect, and Adam was only a little more reserved.

But first she really needed to make sure it would be adaptable. “Have you got a printout I can look at?”

“Now?” Adam asked.

She shrugged. “If you don’t mind. I can at least start it and get an idea. I can understand if you don’t want to let it out of your hands.”

“I just wasn’t sure if you had time to read it now. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like, but I was hoping to show you some videos I took of Kurt singing.” He glanced over at Kurt, his brow furrowed. “You don’t mind, do you, darling? I should have asked you before.”

Kurt’s eyes widened and he tightened his hands into fists, then he slowly relaxed them again. “Sure. I don’t – I just wouldn’t want you to get tired of my voice, or take up too much of your time.”

She waved her hand, as though the thought was insignificant. “I love your voice, honey, and I actually do have time today. I’m trying to stay out of my apartment while it’s being painted. It’ll just take them another day or so, but my hotel room is boring, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to sit here and read this a bit. Or maybe watch the videos first, whichever you want.”

Adam and Kurt exchanged another look.

Adam spoke up. “April, I don’t want to presume, but – if you can cancel your hotel room, we have a spare room here. We just had our cleaning lady over yesterday, so it’s ready. We’d love to have you here, right?” He was sure of Kurt’s answer, but wanted to ask anyway.

“Oh, definitely!” Kurt chimed in. “It’s got its own bathroom. It used to be my room. Well, it still is, I guess, but I don’t sleep there –“ he broke off and cleared his throat. “Some of my stuff is still in there, but there’s plenty of room in the closet, and Buckingham Palace is at the far end of the room, so it shouldn’t be in your way. And Nancy cleaned it, so there won’t be much cat hair on it – I can go in now and make sure –“

She held up her hand again to stop him, then patted his knee. “It’s alright, sugar, I’ve already seen it, and it looks fine. But are you both sure it’s okay? I’m having a great time, and would love to stay for a day or two, if you don’t mind. I was just going to order room service and stay in and maybe read.”

“You can do that here,” Adam suggested. He hurried on. “That is, it’s no trouble to cook for three instead of two tonight, and you can read whatever you like here. Just make yourself at home,” Adam babbled.

“You’re both so sweet for inviting me. I really didn’t mean to stay with you, but if it’s okay –“

Kurt nodded rapidly, his face still showing shock.

Adam grinned broadly. “Yes, it’s fine. You’re more than welcome.”

“Well, then, if you don’t mind, I’ll go over to the hotel now and check out, and get my suitcase. I’ll be back within an hour. But if you need more time to get things ready, let me know.”

“No, that’s fine. If necessary, I’ll help Kurt clean off Buckingham Palace, but I really think that’s most of what needs to be done.” He could see Kurt was shaking his head, so he no doubt had other things in mind.

“I’ll call you when I get close so you can let me in.”

Adam silently thanked her for giving them a little bit of warning as well.

 

 

As soon as April was gone, Kurt heaved a huge sigh of relief. “Adam, what are we going to do?”

“Do you not want her staying here, love?”

Adam looked concerned, so he hurried to reassure him.

“That’s not exactly what I meant. It’s just that there’s so much to do!”

“Like what?” Adam countered. “Nancy just cleaned yesterday. I refuse to believe you and I have gotten the place all that dirty in less than 24 hours.”

“No,” Kurt answered impatiently. “I mean, there’s dinner to plan…”

“I was going to fix steak, potatoes and a salad.”

“But April might be on a diet!”

“Then she can have a small steak. Really, Kurt, I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you.”

“Well, you’re not me, or you would be worrying!” Kurt snapped. 

Adam looked startled, then his face closed off, almost like he’d shut a door. Kurt felt terrible.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be yelling at you. I just don’t want to upset her so that she never comes back.”

Adam sat next to him and put his arm around Kurt’s shoulders. “I don’t think that’s likely to happen, darling. Look, why don’t you go do whatever you need to do in your room – the guest room and bathroom, to make them ready. If you need help, let me know. I’ll see what else we have as an alternative to steak for dinner. I think we have some tilapia in the freezer.”

“What’s that?” Kurt asked, wrinkling his nose.

“Fish. It has a rather light, delicate flavor, actually.”

“That might be okay. I like fish.”

“I know you do,” Adam grinned. “Hopefully April will, too. Look, there will be time after she gets here, to figure out what she wants for dinner. We’ll sort it out then.”

“Okay,” Kurt sighed. He hurried into his room, and quickly removed his various toys from Buckingham Palace, and put them in a dresser drawer. He checked on Harriet, Bernard and Phoebe. He told them about their guest, and that they didn’t need to be frightened of her, she wouldn’t hurt them. Phoebe was peeking out of a bedroom window, Harriet on the ledge next to her, and Bernard was sitting on the shelf below them. They were near enough they could talk to each other if they wanted to, but it shouldn’t be loud enough to disturb April. He would introduce her to them later on, so none of them would be nervous.


	82. Chapter 82

April didn’t mind canceling her room at the hotel; it wasn’t that expensive, and it was well worth it to be able to spend more time with Kurt and Adam. She really did enjoy being around them, and was intrigued by the concept of Adam’s book. Hopefully it would be good enough to turn into a screenplay, and launch her theater.

While she drove back to their apartment, she tried to think of the right questions to ask both Adam and Kurt. If they came to an agreement, they’d need to get her lawyer and agent involved, and Adam would need a lawyer for himself and Kurt. Not that she didn’t trust Adam, but it was more for his protection, so nobody stole his work.

She had a hunch she might be interrupting their plans for the night, and even though the bedrooms had a lengthy hallway between them, it might be prudent to mention she had her sound machine with her. She really couldn’t fall asleep without it, but it should help give them all a bit more privacy.

This time she waited until she’d been shown into the visitors’ lot before calling Adam. Hopefully she’d given them enough time to take care of whatever they needed to in her absence.

Adam met her downstairs again, and introduced her to the evening staff at the desk. She supposed it might be a good idea, in case she spent more time there in the future. She wasn’t planning on spending the night again, but they might have a lot of business to conduct. Some of that depended on how far along Adam was in his book. There was no guarantee he was a good writer, but she thought she’d know if he was lousy within a few pages.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Adam observed, as the elevator doors closed, giving them some privacy.

“I’m sorry, just thinking about a lot of things.” She sighed. No point in beating around the bush. “Mainly your book and my project, hoping they’ll be compatible.”

“I’m so incredibly flattered by the idea. I hope the book lives up to your expectations.”

He sounded hesitant, and she wasn’t sure if that meant he wasn’t that confident of his own work, or if it was just modesty.

She smiled, but didn’t want to give him false encouragement.

Adam asked about her preferences for dinner, steak or tilapia, or something else.

She liked both, but didn’t want to complicate things. “Whatever’s easiest for you, sugar.”

He shook his head. “We’d really prefer you choose. Kurt doesn’t want to serve anything you don’t like.”

She rolled her eyes. “That boy is so sweet. I wish he wouldn’t worry about me.” She grinned mischievously. “I think I’ll go for the fish. I have a feeling Kurt likes that more.”

“I don’t know if he’s had this kind before, but he does like other kinds. Except anchovies. He does like steak, but he was worried you might not, or might be vegetarian. He didn’t want to offend you.”

She shrugged. “I’ve tried being a vegetarian, but it just didn’t suit me. I’m a carnivore at heart, I guess. I suppose the fish would be healthier. But it’s not like I’m going to stop being his friend if I don’t like something he says or does.”

Adam hesitated, took a deep breath, then continued. “It might be good if you could find a way to work that into the conversation. He’s gotten a lot more self-confident in the month or so since I adopted him, but sometimes he has these little setbacks. I don’t always know how to get him out of them, or what sets him off. But I do think it helps that you accept him so easily.”

“Awww, that’s not a problem. I would think almost anyone would accept him once they get to know him.” He was so sweet, she didn’t know how anyone could object to him.

Adam sighed heavily. “I’d like to think so, too, but I’ve seen otherwise. He’s had a month of mostly acceptance, after nearly six years of being insulted and devalued at the pet store. I swear, if I see Will Schuester again –“

“Will Schuester runs that pet store? What’s it called?” April demanded.

Adam blinked, but as he led her off the elevator, he agreed. “Yes, that’s him. It’s called New Directions.”

“Where is it?”

He gave her the approximate location, though he didn’t remember the exact address. “It will be in Kurt’s file. I’ll look it up if you like.”

“Please. Will is an old – friend of mine.” She set her jaw. “If he didn’t appreciate Kurt, or let anyone bully him, I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind.”

“I’d love to be there to see that, but it’s probably not wise,” Adam sighed in frustration.

“Oh, I’ll tell you all about it. And Kurt, if you think he might want to hear it. Will tends to be really focused on his own goals, and he’s not as much of a team player as he thinks he is.”

Adam let them into the apartment, and once again Kurt was waiting right next to the door. She hugged him again, and he acted as though he hadn’t seen her in weeks, bouncing up on his toes and grinning.

Adam was carrying her suitcase. She thought she’d done really well in just packing one suitcase for just a few days.

“I’ll put this in your room,” he offered.

“Thank you, Adam.” She took Kurt’s hand, and led him over to the couch. “Hey, sweetie, I wanted to have a little chat with you. I hope you know I really like you, and I enjoy your company. I’m looking forward to spending another day or two with you, but I’d sure appreciate it if –“

His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. She could hear his breathing change, so she hurried on.

“If you’d relax a little, darlin’. I’m so flattered that you want to make sure everything is okay for me, but it really is. I love the apartment, and your designs, your voice, the delicious appetizers.” He seemed to be hanging on her every word. She squeezed his hands for emphasis. ”It makes me feel real special that you two are goin’ to so much trouble for me, but I really don’t want to be causing either of you any extra bother. So how about we just both treat each other like friends, instead of guest and host, if you don’t mind.”

Kurt nodded, but was keeping his lips tightly closed.

“I think that’s a marvelous idea,” Adam agreed, walking into the living room. “I’ve got the manuscript there on the table, but it’s completely up to you if you want to start reading it, or watch some of the videos of Kurt, or anything else.”

“If you don’t mind me putting my feet up, I’d like to watch the videos.”

“Make yourself at home, please. I’ve got an idea, to make you both more comfortable. I’ll be right back.” Adam disappeared briefly, but came back soon with a square ottoman she’d seen in the TV room. He moved the table away from the couch, and put the ottoman right in front of it, between the two of them. Now she and Kurt could both stretch their legs out and have somewhere to rest their feet. They’d be able to watch the film without craning their necks.

Adam set everything up to project the videos onto a screen. “I can’t believe I forgot I had this, too,” he said apologetically to Kurt. “I found it in the corner of the closet when I was looking for something else.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything. He settled into the corner of the couch opposite from April.

“Do you need anything? More lemonade or water?” Adam asked her.

“No, honey, I’m just fine. You can start whenever you’re ready.”

Her legs were so short her feet were barely reaching the ottoman, but she didn’t want to complain. Kurt noticed and got up to move it closer to her. His legs were long enough he could still reach it.

“Thank you, sweetie, you’re so thoughtful.”

He smiled shyly. “You’re welcome.”

Adam turned on a small lamp near the bookcases, but turned off the overhead light. April settled in to watch Kurt perform. Adam did a commentary in between each number. Apparently the first few had been songs Kurt had sung for his father. April paid close attention. For an untrained singer, Kurt was marvelous. She could see a few little things he might need to work on, but she thought almost all the problems were due to nerves. Hopefully with time, and practice, he’d get more used to singing in front of an audience, whether it was one person or hundreds.

She gave Kurt her honest reaction and opinion of each number. He listened to each word with such concentration, she was a bit concerned about how he’d take her minor criticisms. She was pleased to see they didn’t bother him that much.

“Okay, yes, I can work on that, definitely.”

“Honey, if I understand right, you’ve hardly had much chance to sing any songs you wanted to for years, right?”

“Yes, but I sang them in my head hundreds of times. Well, when I was in human form. It’s not the same, it’s not using the vocal chords, but I could sort of see each performance in my mind, and hear it the way I wanted to sing it. Maybe that helped.”

She looked over at Adam, who looked thoughtful, but kept his opinion to himself. “Could be, sweetie. I’m sure it helped a lot more than if you hadn’t done anything to sing for yourself in all that time.”

She’d decided to not mention yet about her connection to Will Schuester. She didn’t want to cause him any extra anxiety. She’d let Adam bring it up, if he wanted to.

By the time she’d seen all the videos, she felt like she’d been to a mini concert.

“Kurt, you are a fabulous singer, and a natural performer. The choreography for ‘Not the Boy Next Door’, did you do that?” She waited patiently for his answer, because it would be very important in determining how he might fit in with her vision.

“Well, I adapted it from Hugh Jackman’s performance at the Tony’s. I saw it and just fell in love, you know? Not just with the song, but him – sorry, Adam.”

Adam shrugged. “Understood.”

“But it made me want to be on stage, even more. I knew I couldn’t, but it was about a gay man and his life as a performer, and nothing being quite what he expected. I just sort of related to it, I guess. But I started doing my own version right then.”

“Wait, you saw the performance about 10 years ago, and remembered it? Or did you see it since then?”

“I’d asked Dad to record the show for me, the Tony broadcast, and I watched it a lot over the next few years, before they took me away.”

“You knew at what, 8 or 9 that you were gay?”

He nodded. “I don’t think I understood all the implications, but the idea of wanting to be with men instead of women, wanting to marry a man, yeah, I wanted that. But I didn’t tell my dad. I guess he kind of knew before I really realized it. But that’s where I got the choreography from, was watching that broadcast.”

April took a deep breath. “And you adapted it to suit yourself, your personality?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay.” She grinned. “If you’re not careful, honey, I might ask you to do the choreography the costumes, and some of the acting and singing in our theatre group.”

“What? Are you serious?” He glanced at Adam, and spoke only a little more quietly. “Adam, is she serious?”

Adam held up a hand. “April, I know you’re probably joking, but Kurt doesn’t always understand teasing.”

She wasn’t about to let that misunderstanding go.

“No, I wasn’t joking. Well, maybe a little bit. That’s too much responsibility to put on one person, who’s not even used to doing those things. But Kurt, what I meant is, if you were fully human, I have no doubt you could do any number of things, and be paid for them, and support yourself. As a hybrid, I know you can’t make money, and you’re not supposed to work. But I do want you to be involved in this group, if you want to be, and if it’s okay with Adam. We’ll need to see how things go. I wanted to get a better idea of your singing range, and your acting capabilities, but it looks like you can help in other areas, too, if you want to.”

“April, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Adam warned. “You haven’t even read the book yet. It might not be good enough, or it might not be what you have in mind for a possible production.”

She shrugged. “Guess there’s only one way to find out, huh?”

Adam grinned. “I think that’s our cue, Kurt, to get out of here and let April start reading. We’re going to start fixing dinner now. If you need or want anything, just let us know.”

She waved him away. “I’ll be just fine here. Are you sure you don’t mind fixing dinner while I just sit here and read?”

Adam grinned reassuringly. “No, not at all. Come on, Kurt.”

Kurt gave her a quick smile, then scrambled off the couch and followed Adam.

April picked up the manuscript and started thumbing through it, pausing here and there. She found herself reading a couple of pages, then shook her head. She’d read enough to intrigue her, but it was time to start from the beginning.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been reading when Adam came out to let her know dinner was almost ready. She was so engrossed she almost didn’t want to put it down. But she also had a lot of questions to ask these two fascinating men she was learning so much about. In fact, she almost resented the time it took to wash her hands.

 

 

Kurt had agreed Adam should cook the fish, since he was more familiar with that type. Adam used the indoor grill, and Kurt had to admit, it smelled very appetizing. But it also made him aware of a small problem. 

“Adam, I’m getting kind of restless.”

“Cat restless?” Adam inquired.

He nodded, then went back to preparing the vegetables. “I can wait, but maybe after dinner, or sometime before we go to bed. I kind of want to run around and tire myself out, so I’m not up and ready to play at 2:00 a.m., you know?”

“Mm-hm. I appreciate it, and I’m sure April will, too. Are you going to spend the night as a cat?” Adam briefly wondered how his life had gotten to that point, where that was a normal question to ask.

“I think so, yeah. Then I’ll be able to spend more time, comfortably, as a person tomorrow.”

“Okay. But I was wondering. From what Emma said, you were spending a lot of time as a cat when you were at New Directions. How did you cope with that?”

Kurt shrugged, but didn’t turn around to face Adam. “Sometimes being a cat feels more natural to me, like when I was in the store. Maybe it’s because we kept constantly hearing the word ‘pet’. But now that I’m with you, being human seems more natural. I’m not sure if it’s because you like me more when I’m human, or if I like being around you more when I’m human, or if it’s something else.”

Adam protested, “I like you as a cat as well!”

“I know you do,” Kurt soothed, “but I think you prefer to talk to me when I’m human, so I can talk back. That’s why you wanted a hybrid, right?”

“Of course, I remember,” Adam muttered. “Sometimes I forget that you’re not entirely human. I know you need to change, and I don’t mind, but sometimes I forget. But then, when I see you that way, all tiny and fluffy…”

“I beg your pardon! I’m not tiny!”

“Well, I’ve seen much bigger cats than you,” Adam teased. “You’re not kitten-sized, I just meant, compared to human you, you’re tiny. And fuzzy. I like that part of you as well as your human side.”

“That’s good,” Kurt sighed. “Sometimes I wish you were a hybrid, so you’d understand what it’s like.” He realized right away it didn’t come out right. He stopped what he was doing and turned to Adam again. “What I mean is, as a human, you’re trying really hard to understand. And you do a pretty good job, most of the time. But it’s one of those things I wish we had in common. It’s something I can’t entirely share with you, and I want to. Want you to see what it’s like, I mean. I know it’s not going to happen, and if you were a hybrid, they wouldn’t let us stay together. But sometimes I think it would do you good to relax, stretch yourself out, take a good long nap in a weird but comfortable position, and have somebody to scratch your belly and your ears.” He hated the fact that his face was giving away his embarrassment. “That’s not right either.” He stopped when he realized Adam was trying, unsuccessfully, to hold back his laughter.

“I’m sorry, Kurt,” Adam finally wheezed. He cleared his throat. “It actually does sound like fun, it’s just not really something I’d given a lot of thought to before. And since it’s not going to happen, it probably won’t do either of us much good to think about it. But I think I have an idea what you mean. I see the difference in you, in your body language. It’s not just your physiology that’s changed, and I’m not sure how much is pure cat, and how much is human you translated into cat. But you are more relaxed, more confident, and it’s like you enjoy life a little bit more, in some ways. I guess it’s because you’re more in touch with your instincts, and your emotions, without your intellect getting in the way. Or something.”

He busied himself with the fish again, turning the fillets over. Kurt saw that Adam’s cheeks were as pink as his own had no doubt been a little while before.

“It’s something like that,” he agreed. “And I think if I couldn’t change, if I had to stay in either form permanently, I don’t think I’d be able to handle it. I’d feel trapped. It wasn’t too bad at the pet store, because I knew I was safer in my cat form. But I couldn’t sing, I couldn’t even really go over the words to songs in my mind. I didn’t exactly forget them; I remembered them later. But while I was a cat, I couldn’t bring the words to mind, and I don’t think I thought it was important. But I did change back, usually for at least a couple of hours. But I’d try to do it when I woke up in the middle of the night, then I’d change again before anybody else could object.”

He returned his attention to the vegetables, and set them in a pan with butter, to sauté. “Anyway, I’m glad I’ve got the opportunity now to choose when to change.”

“I was thinking, do you maybe need to change more often? Like a couple of times a day?”

Kurt shook his head. “It seems more practical to just maybe do it once a day, unless there’s a specific reason to do it again. I haven’t exactly been keeping track, but I’m pretty sure I’m human more often than cat.”

“I’d say that’s right,” Adam agreed. “And you’re okay with that?”

“Yeah. I was thinking, if we do get involved with this theater company, I’ll probably have to spend even more time as a human, at least when we’re around other people.”

“Depending on what the play calls for,” Adam said thoughtfully. “I’m assuming April will want you to play yourself. I’ll have to try to write it in such a way that you don’t end up changing back and forth every act, for instance. I don’t think we can get away with doing half of the play with you as a human, and half as a cat, but maybe we can talk to Dr. Hanover about it, and see what he thinks would be healthiest.”

Kurt shook his head. “I don’t know how you’re going to condense it into a two-hour or three-hour production, but maybe April can help you with adapting it.”

“Maybe. Let’s wait until she’s finished reading it, to see what she thinks about it, first, before we get our hopes up.”

Adam had set the dining room table earlier, with his nicest china, flatware, and glasses. He’d explained to Kurt what each fork and spoon were for, so Kurt was pretty sure he could handle dinner and dessert without embarrassing himself.

April came in and exclaimed over the table, trying to tell them they didn’t have to go to all that trouble.

“Adam likes to have an excuse to use the nice table settings,” Kurt explained softly. “So I think you’re doing him a favor.”

“Oh, well, in that case… Everything is lovely, Adam, really.”

Kurt sensed April wanted to talk, but they all tried to keep the conversation light. He realized he did like the fish, and told Adam so, in hopes of having it again some time.

For dessert, Kurt brought out small bowls of peach-mango sorbet, and reluctantly admitted it was store-bought. “I haven’t learned how to make it yet. I think we might need a special kind of machine, or maybe just an ice-cream maker,” he explained.

“I’ll look into it,” Adam promised.

Kurt was glad the whole meal had been light, his stomach felt full of butterflies as it was. It didn’t take long to convince April to go back to reading Adam’s book, while the two of them cleaned up the dining room and kitchen.

“Well, I’d say that was successful, wouldn’t you?” Adam asked. “You both liked the fish, everything came out perfectly, you used all the right utensils –“

“Because I watched you to make sure,” Kurt interrupted.

“Okay, but it still worked.”

Adam washed and Kurt dried. He paid close attention to what he was doing, not wanting to break or chip any of Adam’s special things.

By the time they were done, and came out to the living room, April had made good progress through the book.

“Hey, Adam, I wanted to ask you. Seems like there are some scenes or chapters missing, here.”

He winced, as he took a seat opposite her perch on the sofa.

“It’s not finished yet, but I’m mostly writing things in the order they occur to me, rather than chronologically. I know I need to go back and fill in some gaps. I tried to at least arrange the chapters in chronological order.”

She nodded, and set the papers down. “Listen, I want to read more of this, maybe after I go to bed tonight. But I wanted to ask you about some things first.”

Kurt was fighting the urge to change. He wanted to be human around April as much as possible, because his cat side had never had a crush on her.

“Certainly, April,” Adam said smoothly, with a glance at Kurt. He was sitting at the edge of the sofa, trying to stay still.

“Kurt would like to change into cat form, if you don’t mind. He gets restless if he doesn’t change, and he hasn’t done it yet today.”

“Goodness, Kurt, don’t hold back because of me. I’d love to see the cat side of you.”

“Is there anything –“ He took a deep breath. “I might not remember things you say when I’m a cat, so is there anything you wanted me to hear, or wanted to ask me, while I’m still human?”

April took a minute to think. “No, honey. I enjoy your company so much, and your singing, but there are some things I should maybe talk to Adam about first, before getting your hopes up too much about anything.”

Kurt sighed, but tried not to let his disappointment show. Maybe he’d have time to spend with her the next day, before she left. But there was something very important –

“Oh, I know! April, I need to introduce you to my friends. My babies. Well, they’re not my real babies, but – “ He sighed. “They’re in your room.”

“Lead on, MacDuff,” she answered with a wide grin.

“Huh? Who’s MacDuff?”

April’s grin faltered slightly. “He’s a character in a Shakespeare play, honey. I forgot you might not have read them or seen any performances.”

He shrugged. “I’ve heard of Shakespeare, and I’ve seen “Romeo and Juliet”, but that’s it. Dad wasn’t even sure I should see that one, but I’d heard it was this great love story. He watched it with me so he could explain if things got too upsetting.”

“Good idea,” April declared. “Even some of Shakespeare’s comedies can have their upsetting moments.”

He walked to his room, telling her about his babies along the way. “The first one is Phoebe. Dad’s parents sent her to him and Mom when I was born. I never met them, and I sometimes heard him yelling at them on the phone, or he’d be really upset after they called. I never met them, so I don’t think they liked hybrids. But it doesn’t matter why they sent her, she’s always been a good friend and always protected me.” He glanced back at April, and was concerned to see her eyes were very shiny.

“April, what’s wrong? Am I upsetting you? Am I talking too much?”

“No, sweetie, I’m fine.” She blinked a few times and smiled, but it was a little bit faded from the smiles he’d seen earlier. “Just had something in my eye. It’s gone now.”

He walked over to Buckingham Palace and extracted Phoebe from the room she’d been hiding in. “Hi, baby.” He hugged her briefly. “I want you to meet my friend, April. She’s going to be sleeping in here tonight, okay?”

He turned back to April. “April, this is Phoebe.” He held her in his arms protectively, but one of Phoebe’s paws was hanging over his wrist.

April very gently picked up the paw and shook it. “I’m so happy to meet you, Phoebe. Thank you for taking such good care of Kurt.”

He introduced her to Harriet, and told her that she was a gift from Adam. “I know she’s supposed to be a toy I’m supposed to bite and chase as a cat, but I don’t want to hurt her. She’s more comforting to hold and cuddle.”

April nodded. “May I hold her a moment?”

He handed her over willingly.

April cuddled the mouse and stroked her soft fur. “It’s so nice to meet you, Harriet. I’m glad you and Kurt are taking good care of each other.” After a moment she handed the mouse back.

“And this is Bernard. He’s also from Adam. He stuffed him himself.”

“He’s a Build-A-Bear,” Adam commented, having followed them into the room.

Kurt held the bear out to her, and she hugged him, petting his soft, curly fur. “You’re so soft, and sweet! I bet you’re just the perfect size for a cat to hug. You’re great for a human to hug, too.”

Kurt was relieved April was being so nice to his friends. He took the bear back.

“Where are they going to sleep tonigh?” April asked.

“Oh, here,” he said, indicating Buckingham Palace. “Adam’s bed gets too crowded with all of us.”

She bit her lip and her eyes crinkled. “Well, I’ll tell you what. If you want to play in here, with your friends, while Adam and I are talking, that would be just fine with me.”

She looked over at Adam, and even though she didn’t say anything, he nodded. Kurt wondered what they had said to each other that he didn’t understand. But he trusted them both enough to know it wasn’t anything bad.

“Do you –“ He took a deep breath. “Do you want to see me change? Some people do.”

“If you don’t mind, honey, sure. But if you really don’t want to, that’s okay, too. It’s up to you.”

He heard Adam exhale so quietly, he doubted April had heard it.

“Do you mind if I watch you play a little bit, as a cat? Is it okay if I hold you for a minute?” She looked back and forth between Kurt and Adam.

“Fine with me,” Adam said, “but that’s also up to Kurt.”

He nodded eagerly. “Please. If you don’t mind. I kind of like having an audience when I’m playing, for some reason,” he admitted. He could feel the tips of his ears getting warm, but he didn’t think his cheeks were betraying him.

“Sure thing, sweetie.”

He stretched, and at the same time curled in on himself, until he had all furry feet on the floor. He stretched all his limbs as far as he could, while April exclaimed and cooed at him. He could tell she was just itching to pet him, so he moved closer and butted his head against her leg. She picked him up, and soon he was blissfully purring while his human friend held him, swaying back and forth and cooing nonsense at him. He didn’t care that he couldn’t understand the words, he just loved the sound of her voice. She leaned her head down, and he reached up, and brushed his face against hers. She giggled, maybe because his whiskers were tickling her and held him tighter, but not tight enough to hurt. He looked up at Adam, but his owner just smiled and nodded his head.

After a few blissful minutes of her long nails scratching through all the fur to get to his skin, she said something he understood.

“I’m going to set you down now, baby, so you can play.”

He meeped at her and blinked slowly.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” She carefully set him down on the floor. He stretched again, and ran over to his castle. He looked around, but couldn’t see the kicky thing or the bouncy ball. He quietly called for them, but they didn’t answer. He looked at Adam, jumped down, and tried to tell him.

“What are you looking for, Kurt?”

He remembered he’d put them in the desk. He ran over to it and started pawing at the drawers he could reach.

“Ah, maybe he put his toys in there.” Adam searched the drawers until he located the bright ball and the kickaroo. He threw the ball, and Kurt went skidding after it. He set the kickaroo on one of the lower levels of Buckingham Palace.

He was able to get both Adam and April to throw the ball for him, for a few minutes, then he heard Adam tell April they needed to talk. He was disappointed, but knew the humans had things to discuss. He meeped and waved his tail, then reached up onto the shelf to get his kicky thing. Roo.

“I think that’s our cue to go. That one’s got catnip in it, and he gets a little over-excited about it. I figure it’s best to let him have his nipgasm in private.”

Kurt thought it would probably be a good thing if Adam never realized how right he was.


	83. Chapter 83

Adam and April relaxed in the living room, both sitting on the sofa this time, allowing kitty Kurt some time to play alone.

Adam leaned forward. “Now, to get back to what we were going to talk about.”

“Yes.” April sat up a little bit straighter. “So far, your novel looks really good. I think we can do something with it, for sure. Now, we’d obviously have to have Kurt playing himself, if you think he can handle that.”

Adam loved the idea, but wasn’t sure how practical it was.

“I know he’d love to do it, but he’s not supposed to work, or earn any money.”

“Well, if he’s a volunteer, it’s not really considered a job, is it?” she pointed out. “I was thinking, I might do the first show as a benefit for some charity. Maybe something like Save the Hybrids, if there is such a thing.”

Adam sighed heavily as he informed her, “No. People are willing to raise money to save whales, and all sorts of endangered species, but not hybrids. I’ve checked.”

“Well, maybe someone needs to start something like that.”

He wondered if they could use the group they’d already started to put together, but he wanted to be cautious about advertising it.

“That’s an idea. I’ll look into it.” He changed the subject back to the original topic. “How many hours a day do you think he’d need to rehearse?”

“I’m not sure. He might have the easiest part, since he’s playing himself, but he’s also going to be on stage probably 90% of the time. It all depends on how you adapt it. The other thing is, do you want to play yourself?”

Adam bit back his automatic response of, “of course” and thought about it carefully. “I would, but won’t it seem like more of a vanity piece, then?”

She shrugged delicately. “That probably depends on how good an actor you are. Again, you’re playing yourself, but it might be a big audience, there might be press there. Think you and Kurt can handle the pressure?”

Adam nodded. “I’m sure it will be much easier for Kurt if he’s working with me than a stranger. On the other hand, if I wasn’t actually in the production, I could still be backstage and be nearby for him.”

“Why wouldn’t you want to take the part, honey?” she asked in concern.

“It’s not that I don’t want it, it just seems like it’s making it all about me, and it should be all about Kurt.”

“No, the story is about both of you, at least the way I’m interpreting it,” April scolded him. “But we do need to get as many actors as we can, who will be willing to work for free, or maybe just money for gas or something.”

Adam’s face lit up. “It just so happens, I know an aspiring group of actors. Well, some are planning on going into a singing career, but they might be interested.”

“Your Apples?” she guessed.

“Yes. I’m not sure if they’d all want to do it, but surely some will. But some of them have parts in the novel, some don’t.”

“We can use the others to play other characters. What about the other hybrids in the story? I was thinking, that sweet little baby you and Kurt helped find at Costco, she should definitely be in there.”

Adam disagreed. “I’m not sure. She’s still very young, and I’m not sure she’d understand what we want her to do, or if her parents would agree. It might be difficult to find a hybrid that age whose parents would approve of their baby being on stage like that.”

“Hm. Okay, we’ll think about that one. Let’s discuss some of the scenes I’ve already read, and see which ones should definitely go into the production, and which ones can be condensed or left out.”

Kurt came running into the room, meowing and with his bell ringing.

Adam assumed there was a problem. “What is it, Kurt? Is something wrong?”

He shook his head, but made a beeline for April. He rubbed against her legs, and she patted her lap. He jumped onto the sofa first, then carefully crawled into her lap. After circling it three times, he settled down. April held him close, so he wouldn’t fall off. He responded by wrapping his tail around her wrist. In moments he was purring, then soon he was snoring, while April petted him awkwardly with one hand.

They talked about it for quite a while, as Kurt slept on April’s lap. Adam was glad to see that at least one part of him was comfortable and relaxed around April. Though he would definitely offer her the sticky roller to remove the cat hair from her clothes.

“I have something I’d like to ask you about,” Adam said, glancing from April to Kurt. “I’ve been trying to figure out who I can leave Kurt with if something happens to me. Or who can take care of him temporarily if I’m incapacitated, for instance in a coma like his father was. I need someone to look after him until I can do it myself again.”

“And you haven’t found anyone yet?” April sounded very surprised. “Out of all the people mentioned in your book?”

“No, I’m afraid I haven’t. Lily would be willing, but I don’t know…she’s several decades older than me, and I’m not sure…she makes the most sense, in that she’s right next door, and of course she has a key to this apartment. But I’d like to have a backup, in case she’s incapacitated herself, or just doesn’t want the added responsibility.”

“Well, you can always make changes to your will if her circumstances change, or she doesn’t want to do it,” she pointed out. She took a deep breath, then continued.

“Look, I know we don’t really know each other all that well, but I feel like I’ve gotten to know a lot about you through the book. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d be honored to be considered as a back-up caretaker for Kurt.”

“Oh, April, I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Adam protested. “You’re so busy. You said your career isn’t really the life for a hybrid, or a baby.”

“Well, I was thinking in terms of one that’s brand new, a hybrid that’s not used to living with anyone. I think Kurt is mature enough that I could take him to work with me if necessary, and he wouldn’t get in trouble. Or I could leave him alone for a day or evening while I work, and he could manage just fine on his own. If I have to travel, I’ll take him with me. But that’s if it’s okay with him, as well. He might not want to live with me.”

Adam grinned broadly, and looked fondly at the cat sleeping in April’s lap. “Somehow, I don’t think it’s going to be a huge problem for him. He really likes you, April, and really admires you. I think he’d obey you, even though he can be rather contrary.”

She waved away the thought of Kurt being perhaps less than cooperative all of the time. “Another thing to consider is, I can afford to take care of him. My apartment is big enough he’d have his own room, and bathroom. There’s room for his – Buckingham Palace, and all his toys. And I’ve got a piano, and lots of music, and all sorts of DVDs of musicals. He could entertain himself pretty well while I’m gone, and he’s obviously capable of feeding himself.”

“Yes, but so far he’s wanted to spend most of his time with me. Occasionally he’ll get busy with a sewing project or something, and ignore me until he’s ready to acknowledge my existence again.” Adam smiled wryly, but he wasn’t actually upset. “I’ve tried to get him to sleep on his own, just to prove to me, and himself, that he’s capable of doing that, but so far he hasn’t been able to. And I haven’t been that happy to have him so far away, either. I tend to worry about him.”

“I can understand that.”

“I’m not sure he’d be able to sleep on his own in a new environment, either.”

She looked at the zonked-out kitty on her lap. “Well, he could sleep on my bed, if he was willing to stay as a cat at night, Or as a human, to be frank, but I think that would get weird for both of us. But if something’s happened to you, he’s probably going to be even more emotionally dependent on me or whoever is looking after him, don’t you think?”

Adam nodded, though his thoughts were far away. He shook himself out of the doldrums.

“But what about – April, you said you were looking for husband number 5. What if you get married, or live with someone, and they don’t want a hybrid around? Or they object to Kurt specifically?”

She seemed ready for that question. “Honey, I’m not going to get serious about anybody who would be cruel to animals or hybrids. And I guess it would be sort of like having a child. I’d want to take his feelings into consideration before just moving some guy into our lives. If Kurt really didn’t like him, or he didn’t like Kurt, I’d probably want to know why, and I’d most likely kick his ass to the curb. The asshole guy, not Kurt,” she clarified.

“I figured that.” Adam’s eyes were twinkling. He looked again at Kurt, sleeping peacefully in April’s arms. “Thank you, April. I’ll talk to my lawyer, and have her – him – maybe both of them, contact you. I have one who handles most of my affairs, including estate matters. And then there’s a partner of his who deals with, among other things, hybrid rights. I’ve mentioned to them before I’d like to have them work together when I decide who to leave Kurt to. If it’s necessary.”

April lightly covered Kurt’s ears with her hands, probably thinking he wouldn’t be able to hear. Adam could see Kurt’s ears twitching before they settled down, and he fought back a grin.

April spoke in a low voice, though Adam could still hear her just fine. “I know they don’t live as long as we do, but I’m sure you’ll take excellent care of him, and who knows what might happen in the meantime.”

“I’m going to discuss all this with him. So far, it’s really distressed him when I’ve tried to bring the subject up.”

“I’m sure most owners just go ahead and make up their mind what to do, who to leave their pet with, and that’s that,” she sighed. “The pet probably finds out when their owner dies, who they’ll be staying with.”

April didn’t look happy about the situation, but Adam was pretty sure she was correct.

“Well, as you’ve seen, Kurt isn’t like most pets. I’d rather he know in advance, so he doesn’t worry about it. I’ll discuss it with him before I see the attorneys.”

April nodded. She looked down at Kurt, and lightly stroked his mostly-chestnut fur. “He’s so sweet,” she whispered. “I just can’t bear the thought of anything bad happening to him.”

“Me, either. Which is why I’m trying to figure out every way I can protect him, and his interests. There are so many things he could do, if he were allowed. I don’t want anything to hold him back, with what the law allows.”

“I’d like to see him do everything he can. I’ll be happy to help.”

April looked calm and happy, like she wasn’t trapped there for the next few hours, or however long until Kurt woke from his nap.

“You can move him if you want to get more comfortable or want to get up,” Adam suggested, nodding towards the cat. “He might be a little cranky about it, but he’ll go right back to sleep,” he advised.

April shook her head, blond curls bouncing around her face. “No way. I want to hold him like this as long as he’ll let me.”

They talked for a little while longer, but Adam didn’t want to overwhelm April. She started yawning.

“I’m sorry! I guess it’s just been kind of a stressful day. Not all bad stress, I mean,” she added, “but the body doesn’t know the difference between good and bad stress.”

“True. Here, why don’t you let me take Kurt from you, and you can go on to bed, if you’d like.”

“Okay. I’ll take the book with me and probably finish it. If I fall asleep first, I’ll finish it tomorrow.”

“Good night, April.”

“Good night. And thank you both for letting me stay here.” She granted him a huge smile and lifted Kurt up carefully to deposit him in Adam’s arms. Kurt only partially woke up, it seemed. He grumped at them both with some odd little sounds, then rested his head on Adam’s arm and went back to sleep.

Adam sighed, but carried Kurt around with him while he turned off the lights. He set him gently on the bed, while he started changing his clothes. He had to admit, life with Kurt wasn’t exactly dull.

 

 

In the morning, Adam woke Kurt up to help him fix breakfast. 

He changed back to human and they took a brief shower together, only allowing themselves to get slightly sidetracked by sex.

Adam was about to go knock on April’s door to see if she was awake, when she came in. She was still in her pajamas and a robe, but seemed wide awake.

She greeted Kurt and Adam cheerfully, and took her place at the table. They focused on the meal and spoke little. Adam wouldn’t let April do the dishes, so she took the opportunity to shower and change clothes.

They gathered in the living room, and Adam waited to hear what, if anything, April had to say about the book.

“I finished your manuscript, what there is of it,” she told him. “Overall, I really liked it, but there are definitely some things to fill in. I think it will work pretty well as a book, though you might need to tighten up some scenes or chapters. In some places, I can see why something meant a lot to you and Kurt, but you might be able to get it across to the audience without quite as much detail.”

Adam nodded. “That makes sense. This is just a rough draft, but I wanted to capture some of the things that have been going on while they were fresh in my mind.”

“That’s what I thought,” she told him. “It’s going to be a lot of work to turn this into a play. For one thing, you’ve got so many characters, and so many little scenes, you’ll need to figure out which ones are most important to convey your message. For instance, maybe a brief scene of one shopping trip, where you’d just be dealing with one salesperson, might be best. I think one scene at the gym would suffice, and maybe a brief conversation later between Nancy and you about her sister, would let the audience know they were reunited.

“There’s a lot of stuff here about Kurt’s dad, and while it’s important, again, try to figure out the most important things that happened on his trip here, the things that meant the most to Kurt, or to Burt. The hybrid vet-slash-psychiatrist is great, but you’ve got several chapters on his first visit with Kurt. You not only need to get his permission to use his name, but also to use this confidential information.”

Adam winced. “Yeah, I was thinking I maybe should have taken those chapters out before I showed them to you. A lot of that is just so that I’ll remember all the things we discussed, so I don’t forget something important.”

“That’s fine,” she encouraged, “and it might even be okay for the book. I don’t know, that’s between you, Kurt, and the doctor. But for the play, remember, we’re trying to boil this down to about an hour and a half or two hours, so there’s a lot of ground to cover. I’ve been making some notes for you. For instance, when you first go to adopt Kurt, let’s shorten that to just one scene, okay? You can have a little monologue about not being sure it’s the right decision, but we need to see you make the decision pretty quickly. Got it?”

Adam nodded sharply. “Got it.”

Kurt seemed uncomfortable, but hadn’t said anything yet.

“Kurt? What’s the matter?” Adam asked. “Or have you got something to say?”

He exhaled loudly. “Yes, I wanted to say something. This is going to be kind of like the movie adaptation, right?”

April gasped, and her eyes widened. “I hadn’t even thought about that, but sure, that might be the next step to take.”

Kurt shook his head. “No, I meant, just in terms of it being visual instead of words on a page. There won’t have to be a lot of description, because the audience will see the sets, the characters, all of that. That will save some time. But I think you’re saying we need to move the action along a little faster than we might in a book, right? So the audience doesn’t get bored?”

“Exactly!” April confirmed. “I wouldn’t say bored, but they’re going to have a lot to take in. We don’t want to slow things down so much that they get lost in thought about what just happened, and don’t pay attention to the next scene.”

“That makes sense. Kurt, last night April mentioned another thing. We can’t have you changing back and forth every couple of scenes. We might need to restructure things a bit so you do change a couple of times, but not back and forth so often. And we also don’t want the audience to get so distracted by you as a cat, that they spend a lot of time thinking about how you change, for instance.”

“If I can interrupt here,” April suggested, “I was thinking, Kurt. I’m sure you’ll be able to take direction well as a human, but when you’re a cat, will you be able to remember when you need to change back, or pay attention to any stage directions or dialogue?”

He frowned and bit his lip as he thought. “I don’t know. That’s probably something we should try out ahead of time. I think I could, if I didn’t let myself get too distracted.”

“Okay, maybe that’s something you and Adam can work on, on your own, before we take things too far,” she recommended. “Adam, you’re going to have to get permission from a lot of people to use their names, or even if you change them, most of them are people you’re going to see again. They’ll recognize themselves, and others might, too. We need to be sure we have permission to use these people as characters, before we go much further. And you should probably talk to your lawyer, or lawyers, about some of this, too. And I need to talk to mine.”

“That makes sense. This is all getting much more complicated than I intended,” Adam admitted, “but it’s exciting to think it might reach a much wider audience, in different platforms. There will be a different impact with a book, than with a play in front of a live audience, or a movie that people can eventually watch as much as they want.”

“True, but don’t start counting your chickens before they’re hatched,” April warned. “You both have a lot to think about – well, we all do. But let’s make sure it’s going to be practical to do this. If you’ve got some important player who doesn’t want their name used, or objects to even having the name changed to protect them, we might have to handle their scenes another way. Or scrap them altogether, and tell that part of the story through someone else.”

Adam bit his lip. “I see your point. But we don’t want to get too far from the truth, either. I want this to be as accurate as possible.”

April shook her head. “Honey, I don’t think there’s a way to make a play, or a movie, that will be entertaining and educational, and 100 percent true to your and Kurt’s experiences. But let me give you the specific notes I had, and you can maybe look through those, while I make a call. I want to see if I can go back to my place today, or at least tonight. But even if they’re finished with the painting, the fumes still need to air out.”

Kurt’s nose wrinkled. “Ugh, wet paint is gross. You can stay here another night, though, if you need to.” His fair skin paled further. “Oh, I’m sorry. Adam, I shouldn’t –“

“It’s alright, Kurt. April, we’d love to have you stay another night if you’d like to. If you’re ready and able to go back, that’s fine, it’s been lovely having you here, but we don’t mind if you do need to stay longer.”

“Thank you both. Let me check on that.” She went to the spare bedroom and returned a minute later with her hand-written notes. “Here you go, honey. I’ll just make my call in the kitchen.”

Adam glanced at the pages. “Kurt, would you mind getting my glasses for me? I left them on the nightstand, I think. You might want to get yours, as well, if you want to read along with me.”

Kurt hesitated a moment. “Since I don’t know April’s handwriting that well, it might be better for you to read it to me. But I’ll get your glasses.”

 

 

Adam was almost through the list of notes, and agreed with almost all of them. Kurt was being pretty quiet, but he didn’t seem upset about any of the proposed changes. 

The phone rang, and Adam wondered who would be calling on a Sunday morning.

“Hello, Adam, it’s Gabriel. Dr. Hanover.”

“Oh, yes! How are you?”

“I’m fine. I wanted to talk to you about something, if you have a few minutes.”

“Yes, I think so.”

He listened carefully as Gabriel told him about the planned adoption of Artie.

“That’s wonderful news! I’m so glad he’s getting a good home.”

“Well, I’ll certainly do my best. But that’s one thing I wanted to ask you. I know you and Kurt are scheduled for a psychiatric appointment on Tuesday. I was thinking, perhaps at your next appointment after that, Kurt could maybe spend some time with Artie while you and I talk.”

“That’s a great idea! Do you want me to tell him ahead of time?” Adam was sure Kurt would be pleased.

“Yes, I think that would be best. If he doesn’t want to spend time with Artie, I’d rather find out about it sooner than later. I don’t want to get his hopes up about having a friend to spend time with, if Kurt isn’t interested. I was hoping they could get together before that, actually. I’m going to be bringing him home on Wednesday, and we’ll have a few days together to get used to each other and this new situation. But I’m really concerned how Artie will cope on his own, when he can’t move around much as a rabbit. I don’t know if it would make him feel any better to have Kurt come over to spend some hybrid time with him.”

“That’s an idea. I’ll ask him. When were you thinking?”

They discussed the details, and Adam hung up, hoping this would be good for both Artie and Kurt.

Kurt was curled up at one end of the sofa, with his knees up to his chin. His eyes were closed, but he wasn’t snoring, so Adam didn’t think he was asleep. Adam gave into temptation and cupped Kurt’s cheek in his palm.

Kurt blinked up at him, and smiled drowsily. “Is it time to go to bed?”

“No, darling, it’s not even lunchtime yet. April should be coming back in soon, but if you’d like to take a nap, go ahead. But you’d probably be more comfortable on the bed.”

Kurt yawned and sat up slightly. “I’ll think about it. Depends on April.”

“What depends on me, sweetie?” she asked, coming back into the room.

Kurt grinned at her. “Whether I take a nap now or later. I wanted to know what your plans are.”

“Well, they finished painting, but they need to air the place out. It will take a little while for the smell of the new paint to fade away.”

“Will you be spending another night with us?” Adam asked. “You’re certainly welcome to.”

“Can I make up my mind on that later? I think I’d like to go to my place late this afternoon and see if it’s bearable. If not, I’ll probably spend another night here.”

“That’s fine.” Adam glanced at Kurt, who nodded.

“I think I’ll wait and take my nap when April’s out,” Kurt decided.

“That’s fine. Are you coming back for dinner, April? We’d love to have you here again.”

April looked from one to the other. “Tell you what. I’ve got an errand to run as well. I’m going to go out for an hour or two. If it looks like I’ll be able to spend the night at home, I’ll come back here anyway and take the two of you to a nice restaurant for dinner.”

“You don’t need to do that, April,” Adam protested.

“I know, but I want to. Is that going to be okay?”

“Sure.”

“Good. Why don’t you think of somewhere you’d like to go. I’m good with anything…surf’n’turf, Italian, French, Chinese…whatever you want.”

“What’s surf’n’turf?” Kurt asked. “I’ve never heard of that.”

“Me either,” Adam admitted.

“Seafood and steak, pretty much,” she answered with a laugh.

“Sounds good to me. Kurt?”

“Yeah!”

“Glad that’s settled. Now, I was thinking, if you two wouldn’t mind, I’d sure love to sing a little bit,” April suggested. “Maybe Kurt and I can do some duets.”

“Really? You want to sing with me?”

“Of course I do!”

Adam shrugged. “That’s fine with me.”

“And I don’t mind if you record it,” she casually added. “Just in case, I don’t know, someone doesn’t believe you or something.”

Kurt’s smile lit up the room. “Adam, can you?”

“I can and will,” he confirmed. He wasn’t about to pass up this kind of opportunity.

“Is that the kind of camera you can play it back and watch what you just recorded?” she wanted to know.

“Yes, it will do that.”

“That’s good.” April looked through the sheet music, and set aside the ones she wanted. “You know these, sugar?”

Kurt glanced at them. “Not this one,” he admitted, tapping his finger on the title, “Crazy”, by Willie Nelson. But there was a woman named Patsy Cline on the cover of the sheet music. “But I can learn it pretty quick, if I hear you sing it, or you and Adam.”

“Is that how you learned at the pet store?” April asked.

“Yes. It was the easiest way for us to learn. A lot of us don’t read that well, so Mr. Will thought reading music would be even harder to learn.”

“He may have been right,” she sighed, “in that way, at least. But now I’m curious as to how well you all learned. Are all hybrids good at mimicry?”

“Good at what?” he asked.

“Mimicing what someone says, or sings in the case. Imitating it.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know about the rest, but it seemed to work pretty well with the hybrids at the store.”

“Well, let’s try these three, then,” she suggested.

Adam sat at the piano and arranged the sheet music, while Kurt did some quick vocal warm-ups. April smiled, then joined him.

When he was done, he mentioned, “These aren’t usually duets, I don’t think.”

“Not traditionally, no. But I thought it might be fun for us to both sing in the same range.”

His eyes widened, and she added, “Not any kind of competition, just to see how well our voices match.”

That seemed to mollify him. Adam wasn’t going to interfere unless Kurt really seemed to be in distress.

The first song was “Over The Rainbow,” which Adam had always loved. They sang in the same key, but Adam had no problem distinguishing their voices.

Second, and it had been a surprise to Adam, was “Ave Maria.” He had to keep blinking to see the sheet music, and when it was over, he got up to get a tissue. “That was beautiful Kurt. And April, you were magnificent,” he added, almost as an afterthought.

She didn’t seem upset about it, just thanked him and curtsied slightly.

“Kurt, honey, why don’t you sing this next one yourself? I really want to hear what you can do with it.” It was a classic Streisand song, “As If We Never Said Goodbye.”

Kurt nodded, and looked down at the floor for a moment, either trying to remember the words, or perhaps get in the right frame of mind. He sang beautifully, from the heart, though she wasn’t sure there was anyone in his life he missed, other than his parents.

When they were finished, April nodded, obviously satisfied with the performances.

Adam turned the video camera off, and April told Kurt what she thought.

“Honey, you sounded heavenly on those. It’s a damn shame you can’t put out a record, because people should be allowed to hear your voice.”

“Really?” His face lit up for a moment, then he sighed. “I appreciate the compliment, but I don’t think most people want to hear hybrids sing, even if they can sing well.”

“We’ll just see about that.” She patted him on the shoulder.

Adam insisted on fixing lunch on his own, and April requested he just make sandwiches or something simple.

“As you wish. Do you have any food allergies, or anything you really don’t like?” he inquired.

“Honey, I like just about everything, and I’ve never discovered an allergy yet. You just fix whatever you want, whatever you’d fix for the two of you, and I’ll be fine.”

He wasn’t concerned about leaving her alone with Kurt. Maybe it would do him some good to just have her in the room, and not have to concentrate on him as well.

 

 

“So, sweetie, tell me some more about the things you like to do,” April encouraged. “Adam said you’re pretty busy doing different projects for people.” 

Kurt nodded. She already knew about Lily’s dress, so he told her about the design for the gym, that he had yet to complete, and the work he was hoping to do on Jerry’s motorcycle.

“That sounds like fun! Do you ride?” She immediately chided herself and rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry, honey, that was a stupid question.”

He hurried to assure her, “No, it wasn’t! It was kind of nice. You were talking to me as though you thought I was a real person. It’s kind of a nice mistake.”

She leaned forward and took his hand, wondering why he was suddenly smiling so broadly. His moods were very changeable. She noted that his hand was very soft, probably softer than her own, and larger than she’d expected.

“Sweetie, listen to me. You are a real person. You might be a hybrid, but I’ll bet people forget that all the time. And if they don’t, they should.”

He shook his head, but spoke hesitantly, as though he didn’t want to contradict her. “Not really. I mean, the collar usually reminds them.”

She was getting frustrated and had some idea how Adam must feel. “Okay, yes, but what I’m trying to say is you’re every bit as talented and skilled and creative as anyone else. You shouldn’t let anyone try to take that away from you.”

“You mean that?”

“Of course. Doesn’t Adam compliment you?”

“Oh, yes, he does. But I figure some of that is just him being nice, or not wanting to hurt my feelings.”

He looked calm, not at all troubled by the thought of white lies from his boyfriend. His owner, fine. It still bothered her.

“From what I’ve seen, Kurt, I don’t think Adam is going to lie to you about anything. He wants you to feel good about yourself, and so do I. But I’m not going to tell you you’re a fantastic singer if you’re just average, and you, my friend, are fantastic!”

He blinked. “Friend? I’m your friend?”

He seemed to have focused on the wrong part of the sentence, but hopefully he’d remember it later. “Yes, Kurt, I’d like to think we both feel the same way, that we’re friends. I’m proud to know you, and honored to call you my friend.”

He looked down at their hands, and she realized she was still clasping his hand with hers. She squeezed, lightly. “I am so glad I met you both.”

“Me, too.” His voice was still soft, and he still came across as a bit shy, but it was much better than the day before, so she considered it progress.

“So, what else have you got going on that you’re helping other people with?”

He looked up and to the left, and frowned in concentration.

“Oh! I know. Hugo, he has this men’s fashion store. Adam bought me some suits from there. Oh, you saw one of them, and the suit Adam was wearing, when we saw you backstage.”

“Yes, I remember. They were gorgeous suits, and you both looked so handsome.”

He grinned, but ducked his head shyly.

“Well, Hugo was saying he’d like to do some kind of ad campaign, with me as a model. He wants to let people know they can buy suits for their hybrids, they can take them out to nice places. He said it’s a combination of an ad for the store, and making people think a little differently about us, too. And he said something about my face, that people might find it appealing or something.”

“I think he’s right about that, honey. If you hadn’t had the collar and leash on, I wouldn’t have known you were a hybrid. That’s true of every hybrid I’ve met in human form. It’s more the attitude or personality, that maybe gives it away,” she explained.

“Adam says it’s up to me to decide, and my dad said the same thing. But they don’t want me to be exploded – oops, that’s not right,” he laughed, the sound absolutely musical to her ears. “I can’t think of the word.”

“Exploited, honey,” she informed him.

“That’s it. They don’t want him to take advantage of me, or maybe upset people who might try to cause trouble for me.”

She wondered if the play might do something similar; another thing to consider another time, when she could think without distraction.

“Well, it’s true, some people might not like it. And modeling is very…” She tried to think of the best way to phrase it. “You’d be getting dressed and undressed in front of other people, and not all photographers are – they can’t all be trusted. I’m sure this Hugo would hire good, professional people,” she added, “and come to think of it, you’ll probably be doing the same with the play.”

He shrugged. “That doesn’t bother me too much. It did at first, but none of us had much privacy at the store, so it might not be much different.”

“Well, like Adam and your dad said, the decision is up to you.”

“But what do you think I should do?”

She bit her lip, wondering if she was out of her depth. But if she was even going to consider taking care of Kurt if anything happened to Adam, she’d better learn to handle whatever came up.

“I think you should write a list of pros and cons,” she suggested.

“You mean the reasons I should or shouldn’t?”

“Exactly. Sometimes it helps to put things down on paper, so you can compare the two lists. Not just to see which is longer, but see what kind of arguments you come up with. You might have more reasons to do something, but maybe a shorter list of stronger reasons to not do it. Or vice versa. I don’t want to confuse you.”

He shrugged. “I’m okay. I do write a lot of things down, and so does Adam. We’re good at making lists.”

“Okay. Just think of everything you can imagine that might happen, both good and bad. Write ‘em out, then compare them and see if it makes it any easier.”

“I can do that.”

Adam came in to announce lunch was served. She wondered how long he might have been standing there, and how much he’d heard, but there wasn’t anything he shouldn’t hear, after all.

She reluctantly let go of Kurt’s hand. “I’m gonna go freshen up real quick.”

“Me, too. I’ll use the bathroom in Adam’s room. Our room,” he added, with a delighted grin.

“I’ll set the table while you two wash your hands,” Adam suggested.

After a very pleasant lunch, while Kurt was doing the dishes, she took Adam aside to the other room, and spoke quietly.

“Adam, do you mind if I borrow your video camera? I promise I’ll take real good care of it.”

“Why would you – not that I mind, but – Oh, wait. I think I know what your errand might be.”

“Could be,” she winked. “So, do I have your permission to borrow it?”

“Go ahead,” he offered. “But please, tell me every detail later. Better yet, tell us.”

“I will.”

She walked into the kitchen to let Kurt know she was leaving for a couple of hours. He seemed calm and happy, and wished her good luck on her errands.

Adam gave her the video camera and walked her down to her car. She headed home first, wanting to get that out of the way, before getting to the fun stuff.


	84. Chapter 84

April surveyed the outside of the New Directions Pet Store, and wasn’t impressed. She saw several hybrid pets in the window, and moved closer to look at them. She read the nametags and descriptions displayed with them. Hm… Two dogs, two cats. She looked more closely at Rachel, and was startled at the resemblance. She’d be willing to bet her left boob that was Shelby’s daughter, alright. But she wasn’t going to be the one to tell Shelby. Why stir up trouble when all it would make was a stew of heartache? She shifted her bag on her shoulder. The camera inside made the bag heavier than she realized.

A bell tinkled above her head as she walked into the store. She saw rows of shelves of supplies and toys. The cages with the hybrids were in the back. The ones in the window were kept in place by a fence, of sorts, behind the display area. There was a door in the fence that was padlocked shut from the inside of the store. She hoped someone could get to the key quickly in case of a fire or other emergency. 

She wandered through the toy aisle, hoping Kurt (or Adam) wouldn’t mind if she bought him a gift. She saw something a friend’s cat had loved. That cat could entertain himself for hours with it, so she thought Kurt might appreciate it. She’d come back and get it when she was done looking around the store. Or possibly get one somewhere else. 

A lovely redhead approached her, with a friendly smile.

“Hello, and welcome to New Directions! May I help you find something?”

April turned up the charm. She wasn’t an award-winning actress for nothing.

“Yes, I believe you can. I saw in your ad that all your hybrids sing. Is that true?”

Several of them immediately demonstrated.

The redhead laughed, a trifle nervously. “As you can hear, yes, they do. Did you have a specific type of pet in mind?”

“I think I’d prefer a cat, though I’m not entirely ruling out a dog. I just think I’d get along better with a slightly more independent pet.”

“Of course. Let me show you our cats first.” She unlocked the padlock and called for Rachel and Mike to come out. “Did you have a preference for male or female?”

April’s eyes gleamed mischievously. “It really depends on the individual.”

“Okay. Shall we go in the back, to the interview room? You can talk to them separately or together.”

“I think I’ll talk to them together.”

“Okay. Mike has only been with us about a week, so he’s not quite as well trained as Rachel, but he’s very obedient. They can take their cat forms when they’ve answered all your questions to your satisfaction.”

Emma showed her the hose, and how it could only be operated from the outside of the room, and the cameras that would help ensure everyone’s safety.

April sat down, and glanced around the room. Toys, fake castle climbing tree, and boring carpet, check. She asked Rachel and Mike a few easy questions, about their talents and interests, then asked a bit about their daily routine, “’Cause if you live with me, your routine is probably gonna be pretty different. I want to know if you can adapt.”

Mike proved to be a much better dancer than singer. Rachel was an excellent singer, and had some of Shelby’s talent, but wasn’t as good as Kurt. April wondered why she’d gotten all the solos, where Kurt clearly had more talent. She asked Rachel to sing “Defying Gravity” and politely thanked her when it was over. It was obvious Rachel knew who she was, and she was a huge fan of _Wicked_. She kept repeating how much she admired April, and wanted to play Elphaba someday onstage opposite her, even though she knew it was unlikely. April didn’t ask them to change to their cat form, just knocked on the door to let Emma know she was through. Emma led the two of them back to the front, while April wandered around the back, looking at the various hybrids in cages. In the back they were separated out by species, rather than by sex. She saw one male by the cats, though, who clearly wasn’t a cat. She read the name on the card attached to the cage. It indicated he was reserved for a particular buyer.

“Artie, right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he responded. He looked at her warily. He was sitting on the ground, next to a simple manual wheelchair.

“You’re a rabbit hybrid? I’ve never seen one before.”

“Yes, ma’am. There aren’t many of us.” She thought she heard some pride in his voice, as well as a challenge.

She clucked her tongue over his condition. “Have you been able to get treatment for your legs? Do they think surgery will help?”

He shook his head, his bangs falling over his glasses. “Nope. They say they’ve done all they can. I was in an accident, and it’s my spine, actually, rather than my legs that are injured. I, uh –“ he hesitated, and closed his eyes before opening them again. He smiled shyly. “I’m being adopted. Next week.”

“That’s great! I hope they treat you well.” April smiled and moved on.

April told Emma she wanted to talk to some of the dogs.

She brought back the two dogs from the window, Blaine and Puck. 

She interviewed them briefly, but again, didn’t want them to waste their energy changing forms when she knew damn well she wasn’t going to adopt any of them. But she was certainly getting an education in how the pet stores treated their hybrid pets.

Blaine desperately wanted to be adopted, and tried to show her how cute and clever he was. She was tempted to tell him, “Never con an actor,” but thought maybe it would be better for him if he continued on his course. He didn’t seem to know how to calm down and relax and just be himself. She wondered if he even knew who he was if there was no-one else around.

Puck was too sleazy in his manner for her to consider. If she’d met him when she were younger, she wouldn’t have minded having a little one-off with him, but that was about it.

She eventually saw Sam, Tina, Joe, Sugar, and Dave. She asked how old they were, and was surprised to learn Dave was 20, older than the usual age. Emma reluctantly explained that Dave had been adopted a year or so before, but his owner had very recently returned him, for unspecified reasons. Once they’d determined Dave was healthy and hadn’t been abused, they returned half the money the owner had paid. April knew this meant they not only lost their own profit, but had to pay out money they’d already paid to the government. It was very expensive, and humiliating for the store and the pet, when they were returned. It was considered an indication that the pet store wasn’t doing a very good job in training its pets.

April saw Santana and Brittany together, and was amazed how very different they were, yet how protective Santana was of Brittany. Her guess was that they would only be happy if someone had enough money, and the inclination, to adopt both of them together. It wasn’t common, but sometimes pets bonded in a store, and that bond often contained a fair amount of sexual attraction. She hoped they’d find an owner who wanted both of them.

She had now seen every hybrid in the store, and could honestly say, none of them seemed suitable for her purposes. She thought again about what Adam had said, about leaving Kurt to her. She supposed it wouldn’t be right to adopt a pet now, and then possibly have the responsibility of Kurt as well, at some future date. Hopefully Adam would live a long time, and likely outlive Kurt, but she understood the need to know he’d be cared for if something did happen.

Just as she was thanking Emma and telling her she hadn’t found what she was looking for, a man came out of the back room with some papers in his hand. He was looking at them rather than looking at her. Still, she recognized him instantly. She’d thought perhaps he had a day off.

“Will Schuester! I can’t believe it! How are you?” She hugged him, but stepped back before Emma had reason to be upset.

Will was almost adorably flustered. “April? April Rhodes, is that you? What are you doing here?”

She shrugged. “Oh, a friend has the most gorgeous hybrid cat I’ve ever seen, and he has this fantastic voice. I was hoping to find one like him, but none of the pets here measures up.”

“Really?” His face registered disappointment, shock, and anger. He finally seemed to register that Emma was just staring at them with curiosity.

“Oh, honey, this is April Rhodes. An old…friend. We were in high school together, in the same Glee club.”

“I see,” Emma answered, in a tone that clearly indicated she didn’t.

April wasn’t about to clue her in as to how intimately she and Will knew one another.

Will shook his head and resumed his questions.

“Where did your friend get the hybrid? I didn’t know there were any others that sang, from other stores. I thought we snagged – recruited them all.”

“He got him here, which is why I stopped in here first, before checking out another store.”

Will’s face fell, and he looked puzzled. “How long ago did he buy him? We haven’t sold any really talented male cats from here in a long time.”

April put her hands on her hips, and her sternest expression on her face.

“William Schuester, either you’re the worst liar in the world, or you’re a tone-deaf idiot. Which one is it?”

“What? I – April, what do you mean?”

Emma seemed to be a bit quicker on the uptake. She was glaring at Will.

“My friend Adam bought Kurt here just about a month ago. I was hoping you had more hybrids with amazing voices here, but he was clearly the best of this bunch.”

Emma was hiding her face in her hands.

The other hybrids were all protesting. It was amazing how many of them loudly claimed to be better singers than Kurt, and better-looking, with better personalities.

“Nope and nope, sorry, no offense,” she argued. “I swear, if he weren’t gay, I’d try to buy him from Adam. Not that Adam would sell him for any price, he’s stupidly in love with him. It’s easy to see why, though. Kurt is stunning, and so sweet, and utterly hilarious. But as much as he adores me, I don’t think he’d be nearly as happy with me as he is with Adam. He’s crazy about him.”

“But when did you hear him sing?” Will asked, still confused.

April winked at him. “Adam brought him along to see me in _Wicked_. He’d been to see it a few times before, but this time he brought Kurt, and they came backstage. I talked to them for a bit, and when Adam mentioned Kurt sang, and Kurt said he had the same vocal range as me –“

“He does not! I know his range, and it’s very limited, and not that unusual.”

“Really?” April raised an eyebrow. “I was visiting recently and saw a little video Adam recorded of Kurt singing and playing the piano. I asked him to sing a couple of specific songs, and determined his range is over three octaves.”

“That’s impossible!”

“Are you calling me a liar, Will Schuester?” she demanded, hands on hips. She had to look up about a foot to look into his eyes, but didn’t care. He didn’t intimidate her in the slightest.

“Not at all! It’s just…when he was here, he kept wanting to sing solos or leads, and we couldn’t let him. His voice was too high, and he wanted to sing songs that were meant for girls’ voices.”

“Will, have you ever heard of a countertenor?” she asked sweetly. “I think if you’d properly tested his voice, and trained him, you’d have easily seen how remarkable his voice is. I imagine it changed somewhat during the time he was here, but now he can sing from female soprano to countertenor to tenor. He’s also incredibly expressive. He really feels what he sings. That’s the key, you know, to being a great singer, as opposed to a good one – you have to truly connect with the song, and feel the emotions as though they were your own. Otherwise you might as well just be reading out loud from the phone book.” She wasn’t going to name names, but the description fit several of the pets in the store. “When was the last time you actually listened to him? I mean, really paid attention and focused on his voice?”

Will looked confused.

“That’s what I thought.” She shrugged and shook her head. “Oh well, your loss. And mine. But if there’s any way I can do it, I’m going to make that boy a star.”

“Well, good luck with that! What roles could he get? There aren’t many roles written for gay men who look like him, and none for hybrids.”

April stared at him as though he were something she’d scraped off her shoe.

“Will Schuester, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. And some day, you’re going to be very sorry you weren’t the one who discovered him.”

“What? I gave him a chance! When I heard he could sing I had him brought here.”

“Well, good for you. Too bad you didn’t actually give him a _fair_ chance to show you what all he can do,” she argued. She could understand how he could be so stubborn. “In fact, let me just show you.” She brought out the video camera.

“I want to see this. Will, let’s close the store for an hour,” Emma suggested.

“What? Are you crazy?”

She didn’t dignify it with a response, just stood with her hands on her hips and glared at him.

“It’s up to you, Will, but I don’t see any other customers here,” April pointed out.

“Fine. We can use one of the walls in the interview room to project it onto.”

Rachel’s voice called out, “Mr. Will, I’d like to see the video. I want to hear Kurt’s voice for myself.”

“Yeah, ‘cause you always drowned him out before you could really listen to him,” Artie added. “Can I see it, too?”

Will sighed heavily. “Alright. Emma, put the sign on the door, please, that we’ll be closed for an hour. Okay, guys, let’s all go in the interview room and get comfortable.”

The ones who were in animal form changed to human, and they all trooped into the room. It was a bit crowded, but almost all of the pets sat on the floor. The exception was Artie, who was wheeled in.

“Hey, can we have popcorn?” Sam asked.

Emma shushed him.

Will dimmed the lights from outside, and joined the others in the room. He made sure the door was unlocked. He sat near the door so he would know if anybody tried to escape.

 

 

  
Will watched, and listened, with increasing unease. How had Kurt gotten so good? He’d only been adopted for a month. He must have been singing constantly to reach that level of skill. Will realized he hadn’t Kurt sing, in full voice, uninterrupted, in maybe a couple of years. His vocal performance didn’t quite reach April’s level of professionalism, but she was right. He sounded so much better than any of the pets currently in his store. Even Rachel.  


As he thought that, her head swiveled in his direction and she glared at him. He winced, even though he was pretty sure she couldn’t actually read his mind.

Every now and then he’d hear someone start to comment, then they’d be shushed by others around them. Everyone was paying attention, as far as he could see. Maybe they were all just staring at April, but Will found his eyes glued on Kurt. Had he grown in the last few weeks, or was he just standing up straighter, now that there was nobody making threats whenever he tried to get some attention? 

He certainly looked like he was being treated well. He even looked happy, in between songs.

Will paid closer attention to Kurt’s expressions as he sang, and didn’t realize his own emotions were mirroring the ones on Kurt’s face until he felt a tear on his cheek. He glanced over at Emma, and she was freely crying. Naturally, she had a tissue in her hand to wipe the tears away.

When the performance was over, April turned off the video camera.

Will reluctantly stood up and turned on the lights.

“What do you have to say for yourself now?” April asked, hands on hips.

He couldn’t stand to look at any of the pets in the room. “You sounded wonderful, April,” he answered, focusing on her instead. Damn, she looked good for her age!

She waved his words away. “I don’t mean me. I know how I sounded. I want to know what you think of Kurt’s voice, now that you’ve actually heard it.”

Will gulped. “I wish I’d let him sing more when he was here.”

“How come his voice sounds so much better now?” Rachel interrupted. “Has he been practicing non-stop since he was adopted, or what?”

“I don’t think he’s sung all that much,” April explained. “But I hope you’ve all learned something from this.”

Artie nodded. “I have.”

“What’s that, sugar?” she asked.

“Don’t judge someone’s singing voice by their speaking voice,” Puck suggested.

“That’s a good lesson. But I wanted to hear what Artie was going to say.”

He shrugged. “Pretty much the same thing. I think everyone underestimated Kurt, and maybe didn’t want to hear how good he really is.”

“Why on earth not?” Emma demanded.

Rachel spoke up. Her voice was subdued, for a change. “Because I always thought he was the most talented singer, aside from myself, of course. But I didn’t want people to hear him and start making comparisons, because he was my only real competition. I didn’t want him to get adopted before me.”

“Well, it looks like he got adopted first without competing,” April observed, feeling just a twinge of regret for twisting the knife a bit deeper in the young hybrid’s heart.

That started an argument, about who should be adopted next, and April decided it was time to go. Mission accomplished.

“I hope you don’t make the same mistake again with anyone else, Will,” she scolded him. With that, she tipped her nose up in the air and walked out of the store.

 

 

  
It took a while, but they eventually had everyone sorted back into their proper places, and Emma changed the sign to ‘Open’ again.  


Since there were no other customers in the store, she arched an eyebrow at Will. “Well? Do you have something to say?”

“I – I –“ he stammered.

“Let’s go in the office to talk, shall we?” She glanced around at the pets, but most of them had the grace to pretend to not be listening.

“Sure.”

Will followed her in. She could tell by the sound of his footsteps that he was uneasy. She settled herself comfortably in her chair, but didn’t even wait for Will to sit.

“This April Rhodes – tell me about her.”

Will took the visitor’s seat, and reluctantly met Emma’s eyes.

“Well, um, like I said, we went to school together, and were both in Glee Club. She was part of the team when we won Nationals!”

Emma tapped the fingers of her right hand on the desktop. “Will, I’ve heard a lot about your Glee Club, and the year you all won Nationals, but I don’t believe I’ve ever heard you mention the name April Rhodes before.”

“I haven’t? Gee, that’s funny, are you sure?”

“Positive. It’s an unusual name. If I’d heard you say it, I’d have asked if you meant the Broadway star, April Rhodes.”

Will winced, and rubbed the back of his neck. He studied the top of the table, as though he might find a script with helpful words for him to say. “I guess I forgot to mention her.”

“She said you were friends. I thought I knew at least the names of all your high school friends.”

“Friends – yeah, we were, um, uh, friends.”

“I see.” Emma knew her tone was sharp, but did nothing to soften it. “And did you ever, er, date this particular friend?”

“Date… Yeah,” Will said, as though unsure what the word meant. “Sure, we, um, dated for a little while, a few weeks.”

“So you had sex with her?” she asked, tapping her fingers more rapidly. “I know I was an exception, that you were willing to wait till we got married.”

“Oh, yeah, um, sure we did. But it wasn’t serious! I mean, I wasn’t serious about her, and I don’t think she was, either. Look, we both wanted to be on Broadway, we had a lot in common, she was really pretty…”

“You say that like she isn’t now.” Emma narrowed her eyes. He knew this was a test.

“Well…she is…she doesn’t look the same as she did 20 years ago, but who does?” He wasn’t a complete fool, so he hurried on to say, “Except you, honey.”

“You didn’t know me in high school. You didn’t meet me until seven years ago, remember?”

“Of course I do! I just meant, um, April can’t compare to you.”

“It’s sweet of you to try to lie, except I think you’re doing it to save your own skin,” she commented, waiting for his objection.

“That’s not true!”

“Will, April is seen by God knows how many people, almost every day. I couldn’t tell whether she’s had any work done, but I’ll bet she has a personal trainer and who knows who all else to help her look her best. I’m not saying I’m jealous –“ She took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m jealous, but only a little bit. She actually seems like a nice woman.  But what she said about Kurt –“

“She doesn’t know what she’s talking about!” Will interrupted.

“Oh, right, you’re the expert. She just spends her days and evenings surrounded by some of the best singers in the country, the world, sometimes, and is a professional singer herself. But you, running this shop, you know musical talent better than she does, is that what you’re saying?”

Will rather looked like he was floundering in quicksand, but she didn’t feel like pulling him out. “Well? I’m waiting.”

“I think she’s exaggerating about Kurt. I did listen to him, and I think he must have been practicing a lot since he was adopted. I heard him way too often, and he simply wasn’t that good when he was here.”

“Will. Be fair,” she admonished. She sighed, and took a deep breath before continuing. I know you didn’t like his voice, but I thought it was actually very good. It was usually high, but he was always on key. Which is more than you can say about some of your favorites.”

“What do you mean?” he blustered. “I don’t have any favorites.”

“Really? You’ve been moping around like your best friend moved away, since Finn was adopted. You give Blaine more solos than Rachel nowadays, even though she gets almost all the rest. You’re always asking Sam to do his impressions. But you pretty much ignore the others as much as you can.”

Will sighed deeply. “Emma, I don’t know what to tell you. Kurt had attitude problems, you know that. He made himself extremely unlikeable, wanting solos, wanting new clothes all the time…”

“Honey, he went through several growth spurts while he was here. I think he went from 5 foot 4 to 5 foot 9, in about 2 years. He needed new clothes and shoes.”

“The shoes! How many pair did we have to buy him? And then the old ones wouldn’t fit anybody else?”

“His feet grew, too. Will, every pet in this store has needed new clothes now and then when they grow, and you don’t begrudge any of them.”

“Well, most of them were satisfied with jeans and t-shirts.”

“Tina likes those goth clothes, and you don’t mind having me buy those for her.”

“That’s different. She likes to express herself that way.”

“And Kurt likes to express himself through his clothes, too. Just because his fashion choices wouldn’t be yours –“

“Emma, he wanted to wear women’s sweaters! And that skirt-type thing!”

Emma sighed. “He said fashion knows no gender. He looked better in those sweaters than Rachel, Santana or Brittany did, anyway. And that skirt-type thing was a skort, kind of like shorts, they weren’t that bad.” She didn’t mention they would have been found in the women’s aisle.

Will wasn’t ready to concede anything. “But he was so stubborn! He didn’t like the food –“

“Hardly any of them do,” she pointed out.

“He complained there was too much of it.”

“You give some of them too much and others not enough. They should have portions depending on their size.”

“That takes too long to figure out,” he complained. “You think either of us has time to sit there and measure out different amounts for each one? But I did get him to eat everything, finally, remember?”

“Oh, yes. You kept bullying him into it, and shaming him, until he felt guilty if he didn’t eat every bite. And then he’d sometimes get sick because it was too much food…”

“Emma! That’s what I mean, the others never got sick from too much food.”

“What about Rachel? And Artie? They get sick a lot.”

“No they don’t.”

Emma remembered too late that he wasn’t supposed to know about that. “Well, it happens sometimes when you’re not here. You can’t give them a huge plate of food and tell them they have 20 minutes to finish it or else they’ll be punished, without most of them eating too fast.”

“We can’t have them dawdling over their food. We’ve got a schedule to keep up.”

Emma barely refrained from rolling her eyes. Occasionally she wondered why she’d every found Will so charming and sweet and fun, before they got married.

Will continued arguing. “You know some of them would have taken at least an hour, just to be contrary.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. But we’re getting off track. I think April is right, and maybe we misjudged Kurt’s singing voice. Every now and then I’d hear a really deep voice, and assume it was Puck or Finn, but I’d look around and it was Kurt. I thought you heard him, too.”

“I assumed it was one of the others,” Will shrugged. “Anyway, what does it matter? Kurt somehow managed to find someone to adopt him, and April says he’s happy, so why are we arguing?”

Emma took a deep breath. “Because Kurt was here for almost six years, and I think you didn’t pay him nearly the attention you pay any of the others. And now I’m wondering how many other pets we might be unintentionally mistreating, or misclassifying, or just not paying enough attention to help them get the best home?”

“Honey, what are you talking about? We don’t mistreat any of our pets.”

“I said unintentionally,” she repeated. “And if you somehow didn’t notice Kurt’s three-octave range –“

“His range wasn’t that wide when he was here,” he insisted, though the tips of his ears were getting red.

“Oh, Will.” Sometimes he made her so frustrated she wanted to just scream. “I just wonder if maybe there are things we’re not noticing about some of the others? Things we should pay attention to, help them with, or maybe emphasize. We need to get them adopted. We have a lower adoption rate than most of the other stores –“

“Because we take the time to train them to sing,” he interrupted, sounding very certain of himself.

“You really think that’s all it is?”

“Of course. Aside from the singing, and dancing for most of them, they’re not that different from pets in other stores. Maybe some of them talk a lot more –“

“Rachel,” Emma mentioned under her breath, “and Blaine. You’d think with the amount of singing they do, they’d have quite enough time to express themselves.”

“Huh, that’s true, they do talk more than the others. Well, Sam talks a fair amount, too, and his impressions are so funny! And Artie – didn’t he used to talk more?” He frowned in concentration.

“Sometimes he and Kurt would talk, if the others didn’t try to shut them up,” she pointed out. “But Artie is another one who sometimes starts to say something, then changes his mind, like he’s not sure it’s a good idea.”

“See, he’s a smart one.”

“Will, I don’t know what –“ She stopped, realizing it was pointless to argue with him when he was like this, so convinced he was right.

“And besides,” Will continued, “that nonsense April was talking, about Kurt being a star someday, and me regretting not discovering him first. For one thing, I did discover him first, and for another, he’ll never be a star! He’s a hybrid, for Pete’s sake, not a regular kid who could try out for Broadway or movies or TV or something. I know he thought he was a pretty good actor, but believe me, he doesn’t have the talent to make it in that business, even if he were fully human.”

“Oh, I’m sure you know best, Will,” Emma gritted out. “Excuse me, I have some work I need to do.” She got up to pull some random folders from the file drawers behind her.

“Okay. Well, I’d better get back out there, in case any customers come in.”

“You do that,” she said as sweetly as she could, though inside she was saying something quite different.


	85. Chapter 85

Now that April was gone for a little while, Kurt looked really tired. He was curled up in the corner of the sofa, just resting, when Adam returned.

“Oh, Kurt, Gabriel called,” Adam told him, as he sat next to him. He moved Kurt’s socked feet onto his lap and started massaging them. “I wanted to tell you about that while April is out.”

“That feels really good,” Kurt murmured. “Did he have to change our appointment?”

“No, no, it’s more of a personal nature. He’s adopting Artie.” He watched Kurt’s face carefully for his reaction.

Kurt sat up and tried to stay awake. His eyes widened, and so did his smile. “Really? That’s fantastic!”

“It really is, for both of them, I think. But since the two of you got along fairly well at the store, Gabriel was hoping maybe you could socialize a bit, have play dates or something. I mean, like the kind you have with Misty,” he clarified.

Kurt nodded. “I figured. Yeah, that would be great! I’m sure Gabriel will have his house set up for him.”

Adam nodded. “Yes, that’s why he needs to wait a little bit longer, for some last-minute modifications. He’ll be adopting him on Wednesday afternoon, and will take a little time off work so Artie will have time to get used to things. He’ll probably bring him to work with him the following Monday.”

Kurt was grinning broadly. “I’ll bet he can’t wait to get out of there!” A moment later he looked worried. “But how’s he going to get around, as a rabbit, when Gabriel isn’t there? When he’s with a patient or something?”

Adam stopped massaging Kurt’s feet while he thought. Kurt made a little whining noise deep in his throat. It reminded him a lot of kitty Kurt. He glanced down at him and sighed. “Fine.” He continued the massage, and Kurt started humming, as close to a purr as he could get in his current state. He gave Adam a huge smile.

“That’s another piece of the puzzle Gabriel is trying to work out,” Adam continued. “There are some little carts for paralyzed rabbits, that would allow Artie to use his front legs to pull himself along. But it may take a while to find the right one for him. I had an idea. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, because I know you’re doing things to help other people.”

Kurt shook his head. “I’ll find time. I like Artie, and I want to help him.”

Adam continued with his thoughts. “I don’t know if the work you’ve done on cars would translate to this, but do you think you could try to design something that might work, that Gabriel could have specially built? We can look at the ones that are commercially available, but you’ve seen Artie when he was a rabbit a lot more often than Gabriel has, so you might have a better idea of what type of cart might work best.”

Kurt was nodding, his gaze focused upwards as he concentrated. “Yeah, I think that might work. Kind of a combination of cart and wheelchair, maybe.”

“We can see what’s online, later on. But I don’t want you over-committing yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re working on Lily’s dress, and you said you’d do more for her. You promised to design a logo for the gym, as well as help Jerry with his motorcycle. You haven’t told Hugo whether you want to model for him, and now you’ve told April you’ll do some outfits for her.”

“I also want to do some outfits for you, and maybe me,” Kurt added.

“See what I mean?” Adam groaned. “Plus going to the gym for workouts, and getting your sai sword lessons, and going to see Dr. Hanover once a week.”

“It does sound like a lot,” Kurt agreed.

“And now spending time with Artie, maybe modifying a cart for him, and being heavily involved in this play. I think it’s too much.”

“You’re right. I’ll tell Hugo I won’t do the modeling.”

“Oh, you’ve already decided?”

“I haven’t given it a lot of thought, but it’s the easiest one for me to drop, because I haven’t really committed to it,” Kurt explained. “And I really don’t think I want that much exposure, anyway, between that, the play, and the book.”

Adam patted his knee, then went back to massaging with both hands. “Good idea.”

“But it might take a while before Gabriel decides on something, whether it’s my design or something he can just buy,” Kurt sighed. “What’s Artie going to do in the meantime, when he’s in rabbit form? He does pretty well on his own when he’s human.”

“Sara can probably help Artie, until they find a way to make him more mobile,” Adam pointed out.

‘Yeah, I’ll see what I can do to come up with a design. But maybe the doctor would be better at that.” Kurt looked uncertain again. He yawned. “Excuse me!”

“Maybe you can work on it together. If you can come up with a design, he might be able to modify it, once he knows more about Artie’s specific needs.” Adam looked at him carefully. “I don’t want you to neglect taking care of yourself. You need a nap, and we need to make sure you get enough food, sleep, and don’t over-exert yourself.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. He appreciated Adam’s concern, but he felt fine. He was just a little tired at the moment.

“Okay, I’ll go take a nap in a minute. Would you wake me up when April gets here?”

“Of course.”

Kurt blinked a few times, trying to keep his eyes open. “Can you maybe bring me some goldfish crackers? I’m a little hungry.”

Instead of telling him to get them himself, which he would have done if Kurt weren’t so obviously tired, Adam said, “Coming right up.”

He found a bag of the crackers, and brought them in. He found Kurt sound asleep. His face was buried in the cushion in the corner, and his knees were under his chest, with his butt sticking up in the air. Adam had seen him in a similar position as a cat. He wasn’t sure how he could breathe like that, but it didn’t seem to be a problem. Not wanting to take a chance that his human muscles wouldn’t protest, Adam scooped Kurt up into his arms, to carry him to their bedroom. It would have been much easier if Kurt were in his kitty form, and not over a hundred pounds heavier, but he could manage. It was awkward carrying him in that position, so Adam rearranged him a bit, so Kurt’s feet weren’t accidentally kicking him.

He laid Kurt on the bed on his back, but Kurt almost immediately turned onto his side and curled up. Adam took the afghan from the bottom of the bed, and covered him up with it. He had quite a few things to think about, now that he temporarily had no distractions. He really needed time to figure out what he wanted to do with is book. Should he really try to convert it into a play? How would that go over with people? He decided one of the first people he’d need to call about it would be Julia, to make sure he and Kurt wouldn’t get in trouble for letting him volunteer to perform.

 

 

April called him when she was a few minutes away. He reluctantly woke Kurt, knowing he’d probably want to brush his hair, or his teeth, or freshen up in some way before April arrived. 

“I’m awake,” Kurt said when Adam walked into the room. “I heard the phone.” He sat up and yawned hugely, and stretched his arms and legs as much as possible. “I wonder if there’s time to change before we go to dinner with April?”

Adam looked at his watch and shook his head. “You could, but you’d probably need to change back in an hour or so. Can you wait till we get back from dinner?”

“Sure,” Kurt agreed.

“I’ll go collect April, and we’ll be up in a few minutes.”

Kurt reached up to gingerly touch his hair, and gasped. He scrambled off the bed to repair the slight damage his nap had done.

Adam shook his head in fond exasperation, and went to greet their guest.

He didn’t have long to wait until April was getting out of her car with a huge grin on her face. If he hadn’t been pretty sure about the source of that grin, he might have been concerned about the trace of malevolence it contained.

“Hey, sugar!” she greeted him, reaching up to hug him.

Adam returned the hug and walked her into the building.

“Did you have a productive afternoon?” he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

“I certainly did! First of all, my place should be aired out enough to sleep there tonight. It’s not that bad now.” She opened her huge tote bag, which looked half her size, and handed him the video camera.

“That came in handy! I’ll tell you and Kurt all about it.”

They chatted about minor things for a few minutes until they’d reached the privacy of Adam’s apartment. Adam was surprised to see Kurt sitting by the door, waiting for them.

“You’re back!” Kurt cried out.

Sensing that he could barely contain himself from leaping on April, as he would no doubt have done if he were a cat, Adam reached out and stroked his hair, careful not to mess it up.

“We’re back,” Adam confirmed, “and I think April has some interesting news for us. Give her a moment, though.”

He took April’s jacket and bag, and put them in the closet for her.

“Are you staying again tonight, April?” Kurt asked eagerly.

“No, sugar. I think my place will be livable by tonight. I don’t want to impose on you two any more. But I do have something to tell you. Come on, sit by me. I want to see your face when I tell you.”

“Is it something good?” Kurt asked, his voice softening a bit.

Adam wished he didn’t look so nervous.

“It sure is.”

Adam sat in the recliner nearby, while Kurt and April took up the sofa.

“Remember I said I had to run some errands?” she asked.

“Uh-huh. I figured you meant shopping or something.”

“Oh, that’s right! Before I forget…I did stop to pick up something for you. Adam, I’m sorry, would you mind bringing me my tote bag? I should have taken it out earlier.”

Adam brought it over, wondering how she managed to carry such a heavy bag.

“It’s in here somewhere…here we go!”

April pulled out a large bag labeled “Eloise’s Hybrid Pet Emporium” and started to hand it to Kurt.

“Oh, wait a second. Sorry. Adam, you might want to check it out first.”

Kurt looked disappointed, but Adam looked inside the bag and smiled. “I’ve seen these before. Thank you, April. I think Kurt will enjoy it more later. It might spoil things to show it to him now.”

April pouted. “I kind of wanted to see him play with it.”

“Well, Kurt hasn’t had any cat time today, so if you don’t mind coming back here after dinner… Kurt, do you want to change then?”

He nodded. “Sure.”

“Okay. Maybe we can just take one car to the restaurant, then.”

“That’s fine.”

Adam put the bag aside. He was pretty sure Kurt could set aside his natural curiosity and wait to be surprised by the toy. If he was in his cat form already, he might not have quite as much self-discipline.

“Okay.” April clapped her hands together. “Listen up, guys, I think you’ll like this.”

She told them about her visit to New Directions, starting with visiting a bit with the different pets there.

“Dave is back?” Kurt looked alarmed.

“They had a bit of a history,” Adam explained in an aside to April. “Dave was quite a bully to Kurt.” He turned his gaze on Kurt and soothed, “You don’t need to worry about him. I doubt you’ll see him again one way or another.”

“He didn’t seem that mean when I saw him,” April mused. “Emma did say he’d been returned by his owner, but he looked kind of skittish to me. I wonder if his owner bullied him?”

Kurt sighed. “A tiny part of me is hoping that’s the case, but the rest of me feels sorry for him if that’s what happened. But maybe the owner just changed their mind, or a relative or friend convinced him to bring him back. Though he’s been gone at least a year, I’m pretty sure.”

“I’m sure someone will adopt him,” April said. “But a few of them really have kind of a bad attitude. They’re either too eager to please, too arrogant, or too sleazy.”

“Blaine, Rachel, and Puck,” Kurt automatically identified.

“I think those are the ones I was thinking of,” April confirmed. “But still, I hope they all go to good homes. But I think in some cases, Will’s attempt to make them more valuable may have backfired,” she sighed. “Not in your case, honey,” she added, with a light pat to Kurt’s knee. “I’m just not sure that many people are looking to adopt pets who can sing.”

Kurt sat forward and said earnestly, “April, I was just thinking. If you do put on the play, aren’t we going to need some hybrids to play the ones at New Directions? Or were you thinking of hiring actors and real animals, if some of them would be in animal form? ‘Cause maybe the ones there – whoever’s there at the time – can play themselves?”

April took a deep breath, and looked up at the ceiling as she thought. “I’m not sure, honey. It’s probably going to be tough enough to find a way to let you play yourself. I don’t know how much more complicated it might be to get Will and Emma’s permission to use the pets there, or if all of them would be as capable as you, of controlling themselves onstage. Plus, I’m not sure how cooperative Will might be. Let me tell you the rest.”

She explained about the video camera. “I wish I could have taped their reactions at the same time I showed them the video. But honey, as mean as some of those other hybrids may have been to you, I think they were all in awe of your voice, once they could actually hear it over their own. Rachel admitted she thought you were her only real competition, and she didn’t want you to outshine her.”

Kurt nodded. “I thought she might be jealous, but I wasn’t positive.”

“I also told Will what I thought of him for the way he treated you, and for not recognizing how special your voice is. He didn’t believe me at first, until he heard it for himself. I swear, that man is so pig-headed and egotistical…he’s worse than he was in high school.”

“You knew him in high school?” Kurt asked, leaning forward.

“I sure did. We were in show choir together. We were, uh, friends, for a while. Like, friends with benefits, if you know what I mean.”

Kurt frowned. “I’m not sure I do know.”

“Um, like –“ She sighed, and plunged ahead. “Sex buddies. No strings attached, just workin’ off steam together.”

Kurt’s face scrunched up like he’d just bitten into a lemon, after expecting an orange. “Ewwwww!”

April giggled, and he apologized.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean you, I meant – Mr. Will? That’s gross! I mean, he’s –“

He seemed to realize he was maligning April as well. “Oh, I don’t mean – maybe he wasn’t that bad then – I mean –“

“It’s okay, sugar,” she soothed. “I’m not offended. He wasn’t my first or only friend like that. He was a lot cuter in high school than he is now,” she sighed. She shook her head. “But the important thing is, I told him off, because I knew you’d probably never be able to do it, and I wasn’t sure Adam could, either.”

“Thank you,” Adam interrupted. “I appreciate it. I do rather wish I’d been there, or at least a fly on the wall to hear exactly what was said.”

She shrugged. “Well, I figured telling you about it was the next best thing. Will was kind of floundering all over the place, trying to excuse himself for not paying enough attention to you, or really listening to you. But I’ll tell you what, from the looks his wife was giving him, I’ll bet he caught hell after I left. She wasn’t too pleased, about any of it. His arrogance, or our…friendship. She seemed nice enough, and I didn’t mean to upset her. I figured he was probably the one calling most of the shots.”

Kurt smiled and gazed at the piano. “In some ways he did, but Miss Emma made a lot of the decisions. She knows how to let him think he’s making all the decisions, but whenever she could, she’d do things behind his back to help us. Or she’d send him on some errand to get him out of the way, so she could deal with the customers. He’s very controlling, but she’s sneaky.” He said it in an admiring tone.

“It’s called passive-aggression, sweetie, and it’s something a lot of women, especially, excel in. I should know,” she added modestly.

Kurt giggled, then he turned more serious. “Hey, did you see Artie? How’s he doing? He’s going to be adopted next week.”

“I know.” She smiled widely. “I talked to him for a couple of minutes. He seems like a sweet kid. He’s pretty happy about getting adopted, I think.”

“We know the man who’s adopting him,” Adam told her. “He’s a very nice guy. He’s Kurt’s vet, Dr. Hanover.”

“Oh, that’s right, you’ve read about him in the book,” Kurt recalled.

“Yes, I definitely remember him. Say, is he single? I might like to meet him some time,” April mused.

“I believe he is,” Adam started to say, but Kurt interrupted him.

“He’s single, but he’s interested in Julia. And she likes him.”

“How on earth do you know that?” Adam asked.

“It’s obvious,” Kurt shrugged.

“Well, then, I’m not about to take a walk in someone else’s garden, when they’re trying to encourage the plants to grow,” April sighed. “I stay away from married men, or anyone who already has someone else. I hate being cheated on, so I’m not gonna do that to anybody else, even if they aren’t exclusive.”

“I’m not even sure they’re dating, yet,” Adam mused. “I did get that impression, Kurt, that they might be interested, but I talked to them both a bit more than you did.”

Kurt shrugged. “It’s a gift,” he sighed.

“Well, I’ll be happy to tell you two more about my visit, if you have any questions, on the way to the restaurant. But I’m starving!” April announced.

“Certainly, madame, your chariot awaits. I assume we’re taking my car?” Adam asked.

“Might be easier, since you know where we’re going,” she agreed. “But let me freshen up a bit first.”

“Me too!” Kurt echoed.

“Me three,” Adam sighed.

Once they were all ready, Adam drove them to the restaurant, which was one of a popular chain. It featured an all-you-can-eat buffet and salad bar. Kurt’s delighted grin lit up the room.

“Adam! They have shrimp! And lobster! And all kinds of fish, and steak…”

“Yes, love, I know. That’s why I chose this place,” Adam told him. He kept his own voice low, hoping Kurt would do the same.

Kurt gave him a big, fake wink, and April put her hand up to her mouth. She paid for the buffet for the three of them, and they set about filling their plates. Until some patrons started glaring at Kurt. He pulled his hand back. He’d been using the tongs and serving utensils, and hadn’t touched anything with his fingers, but that didn’t seem to stop people from being annoyed.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” April muttered.

“It’s alright,” Adam said quietly, though he wasn’t happy about it either. He dished up the items Kurt wanted, just glancing at him occasionally to make sure he was guessing correctly.

They found a table easily enough, and sat and chatted quietly while they ate. They were interrupted several times by people coming up to their booth.

Each time Kurt tensed up. Adam made sure Kurt was sitting on the inside of the booth, against the wall, while he sat on the outside. April sat opposite them, in the center of her side, so she could easily talk to them both.

None of the people coming over were there to object to Kurt’s presence. Each time, it turned out to be a fan of April’s who recognized her, and wanted an autograph or a picture with her. She politely declined the pictures, but was gracious about signing autographs. She subtly hurried people along as soon as they had what they wanted, making it clear she was there with friends to have dinner.

Kurt finally started to relax about the time they were finishing up their dinner. Adam insisted on leaving a tip at the table, and they got up to leave. Before they could get out the door, they were accosted by a couple more fans, who wanted autographs.

She refused as politely as she could, but they didn’t want to take no for an answer.

“Why not?” the taller man asked. “You gave autographs to those other people.”

“Yes, but they hadn’t insulted my friend.” She put her hand on Kurt’s shoulder.

“But we weren’t insulting you. You shouldn’t be hanging out with animals, anyway. You never know what you might get,” the shorter man said.

Kurt and Adam both tensed, but April drew herself up to her full height. “You insult my friend, it insults me. And my friend is much better-behaved than you are. He hasn’t given you his opinion of you.”

The manager came over to them. “Can I be of any assistance?”

“No, thank you. We were just leaving,” April assured him.

“Well, I don’t think we’re going to come back here, not if you let animals in your restaurant,” the taller man complained loudly.

A number of patrons looked in their direction.

The manager shrugged. “I’m sorry you feel that way, but we serve everyone. Except people who cause a disturbance.”

Adam unobtrusively put one arm around April and the other around Kurt and hurried them out of there. The manager kept the two annoying men in the restaurant, probably letting them rant and rave, while they hurried to their own car. They were able to leave the parking lot before the door opened again.

“Well, we’ll probably be frequenting that restaurant again,” Adam commented.

Kurt blinked. “Really?”

“Did you like it?”

“Yes, very much. And thank you again, April.”

“You’re welcome, Kurt. I was happy to see you enjoyed the food.”

Adam explained, “Then we’ll go there again. Don’t worry about those guys. They might have lost a couple of customers, but picked up a couple more.”

While April and Adam talked in the living room, Kurt got ready for bed, and put his pajamas on before changing to his cat form. He had a feeling he might be too tired later to deal with all the buttons and zippers. He stretched as far as he could, then relaxed, and stretched again for good measure. He ignored the temptation to run out to the living room at full speed, in case either of the humans happened to be walking around. The one and only time he’d tripped his dad -- and it had totally been an accident -- scared them both enough that he made sure people were sitting down before he attempted to sprint from one room to another.

He walked sedately, then hurried a bit, so they’d be able to hear the bell on his collar. He really didn’t mind the bell, though it completely threw off any attempt at being a ninja. Both humans looked at him as he walked up to them. He meowed politely, then began weaving through their legs, waving his tail. April stroked his tail a few times, but mostly petted his back, and Adam focused on his head and ears. Whatever they’d been talking about before was forgotten; he was sure it couldn’t have been that important anyway. Not as important as skritches and backrubs. He purred his contentment at them, while April cooed and talked silly baby talk to him. He didn’t mind It so much from her, but he didn’t actually listen to it, either.

The humans started talking again, but at least they didn’t take their hands off him. He heard the word ‘toy’ and perked up.

“Be right back, Kurt,” April said. She removed her hands, but since she was obviously going to retrieve the toy she’d spoken about, he graciously allowed her to go. He stood between Adam’s feet instead, making it easier for his human to reach him with both hands. Adam was mostly telling him what a good boy he was, and praising him for his patience. Kurt meeped his agreement, then his eyes tracked April as she came back with something largish and round.

“Here you go, sweetie.” She crouched down and set it down on the floor. Kurt looked at the object curiously, and walked closer to sniff at it and examine it more thoroughly. It was wider than him, but not as long. It didn’t take up a huge amount of space on the floor. At the top was scratchy material he could use to sharpen his claws; that would be useful. There were round holes in the toy, and something round inside a sort of covered track, maybe a ball. April stuck one finger inside one of the holes and did something, and the ball moved. It zoomed past him fast enough he couldn’t quite catch it, though he tried to stick his paw in the nearest hole to trap it. He kept trying, moving around and putting his paw through different holes. But at best he’d hit the ball and it would move again. Sometimes it would go backwards.

April was sitting on the sofa again, and now Adam was down on the floor with him. Oh, Adam was trying to help him! He was trying to move the ball so it would be close enough for Kurt to catch. But for some reason, his clumsy human fingers were knocking the thing in the wrong direction, or hitting it so fast he couldn’t catch it. He tried to voice his displeasure, and let Adam know he was being a bit of an idiot, but the human either didn’t hear him or didn’t know what he was saying. He bitched louder, thinking that would help. But the ball kept maddeningly zipping right past him. Or it would hit his paw and bounce back the other way.

There was something else wrong, but he wasn’t sure quite what it was. He attacked the ball with renewed vigor, determined to capture it and win the game. He’d pull it out of one of the holes and show it to the humans, so they could see he’d won. Except he couldn’t grab onto the thing long enough to pull it through. He could hear both the humans now, laughing at him, and it was very annoying. He looked up at them and complained. They immediately held their hands in front of their mouths, like that would keep him from hearing they were laughing at him!

Kurt decided to ignore them and go back to playing his game. He had a bet with himself that he would pry that stupid ball free and pull it out, before April left. He wanted her to know he appreciated her gift, and that he was smarter than any inanimate object. He kept trying, and the humans kept laughing. He finally decided another strategy was in order…which he’d think of later on, when he wasn’t so frustrated and tired. He settled for standing on top of the round platform and scratching the hell out of it. But he couldn’t do anything to destroy the material, so it wasn’t quite as much fun as he’d thought. But he’d done a good job on his claws; Adam shouldn’t have to have the vet trim them for a while. He sat on top of the toy and surveyed the humans with disdain. They were still falling against each other, laughing and wheezing. He turned his back to them, and looked at the piano. He looked at the distance, trying to calculate the correct angle and velocity to get –

“Kurt, NO,” Adam said, very forcefully.

Kurt whipped his head around, startled.

“No, you may not jump on the piano. Or the bench.”

Kurt muttered beneath his breath, but his human must have heard something. He was trying to look stern. Kurt decided it wasn’t worth trying to find out what Adam would do if he did jump onto the piano. Other furniture was fine, but things like the piano and TV, were off-limits.

Looking around the room, Kurt saw the ottoman in front of the sofa. The hole was facing him. As gracefully as he could, he sauntered over to it, and ducked inside. It still smelled a bit too new, but not as bad as it used to. The cushion he was standing on was still soft and inviting. He turned around three times and settled onto his belly, wrapping his tail around himself protectively. He was facing the opening, so he could see if any predator tried to get inside. He was reasonably sure neither of the humans could fit inside.

Something sort of pinged in the back of his mind, and he almost thought he could see something, an answer to a question. But he was sleepy, and grumpy, and didn’t really care about any stupid answers at the moment, so he ignored it, and settled down for a good, long nap.


	86. Chapter 86

“Well, I think that’s my cue to leave,” April sighed. She stood up and put her hands on her hips. “I don’t know about you, but I feel like we got a lot done here.”

Adam stood up as well. “Not nearly as much as we still need to do, but yes. Thank you so much, April, for everything you’ve done. For both of us.”

“Aw, it was nothing.” She winked at him. “Believe me, I wanted to see New Directions for myself, and give Will a piece of my mind.”

Adam grinned down at her. “You certainly did that.” His expression turned more serious as he continued. “I really appreciate you showing the video to Will and the others.”

“Oh, now that was a pure pleasure! I’m glad they finally got a chance to really hear Kurt. It gave them all a little something to think about. Maybe they’ll be a little kinder to each other, who knows?” She glanced at the ottoman, where they could hear Kurt purring.

“Would you give Kurt a hug goodbye for me?” April asked. “I don’t want to wake him up if he’s sleeping, but I don’t want to hurt his feelings, either.”

Adam glanced down and smiled. “I don’t think he’s asleep. But if he is, I’ll explain things to him.”

April nodded. “Let me just grab my things, and I’ll be on my way. Thank you so much for letting me stay here. I’ve had a great time.”

“It was a pleasure to have you here.” He genuinely meant it, and he knew Kurt had enjoyed her company.

While April was collecting her bags, Adam knelt on the floor and peered into the ottoman.

“Kurt? Do you want to wake up and say goodbye to April?”

He’d kept his voice low, so he wasn’t sure Kurt had heard him, but he blinked, then yawned widely. Adam got up and moved out of the way, and Kurt strolled out of the ottoman. He jumped up on top of it, then began washing his paws while he waited for April.

When she saw him, she shrieked happily, then ran over to hug him. She picked him up and cuddled him for a few minutes while Adam watched fondly. There was no reason for jealousy, and their joy was infectious.

April finally kissed Kurt on the top of his head, and set him back down on the ottoman.

“I’m gonna miss you, Kurt, but I have to go.”

He wailed, and stood up with his front legs out.

April sighed, but smiled as she shook her head. “No, baby, I’m sorry. No more hugs, and I’m not taking you with me. But I’ll come back and visit again sometime, if you want me to.” She looked at Adam with the last few words.

Adam nodded. “Any time.” He reached out to pet Kurt’s back, and scratched him behind the ears. Kurt settled down, and Adam left him with one final pat on the head.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes, Kurt. I’m just going to take April down to her car, then I’ll be back.”

Kurt sighed, but laid down on top of the ottoman.

He looked so sad, Adam added, “We’ll do something fun when I get back.”

He had no idea what he meant by that, but he wanted to cheer Kurt up. On the other hand, he had a lot of things to do before making who knows how many phone calls in the morning. Maybe Kurt would settle for snuggling, while Adam typed one-handed?

“Well, this weekend was certainly a lot different than I planned,” April commented. “I didn’t think it was going to be quite this exciting!”

“Me, either,” Adam admitted. “But now I’m quite keen to get things started.”

He saw April to her car and waved as she left, then went back to see how Kurt was doing.

It turned out that kitty Kurt’s idea of fun was being brushed. Adam deduced this by the fact that the cat brush was sitting next to Kurt, on the chair by the door, when he got back. He had no idea how Kurt had managed to get it out of the drawer and into the living room, but he wasn’t an idiot. He picked up the cat and the brush, and took them into Kurt’s bathroom.

He really didn’t mind. It was easy to get lost in the rhythmic movements of the brush through Kurt’s fur, and the rumbling of his purring. It was rather relaxing. He talked to himself as he brushed, just running through some ideas out loud.

When he was done, and had cleaned up the bathroom, he looked at Kurt, who was sitting on the counter next to the sink.

“Are you going to stay like that all night, or are you going to change back?”

Before he’d entirely finished speaking, Kurt had changed, and was sitting on the counter, dangling his legs over the side. He hopped down, but didn’t look directly at Adam.

“Let me get cleaned up,” Kurt mumbled.

“Go ahead.”

While Kurt was getting ready for bed, Adam shut down his laptop, made sure everything was put away in the kitchen, and set out a fresh bowl of water and kibble for kitty Kurt, just in case. He brought in the bag of crackers he’d gotten out earlier.

Kurt was waiting for him in bed, apparently just wearing pajama bottoms or underwear. Adam tossed him the crackers.

Kurt caught the bag, glanced at it briefly, and set it aside on his nightstand. “Thanks.”

“I thought you might want a snack at some point.”

“I might. Thanks for thinking about it.”

“You’re welcome.”

Kurt pouted as Adam took his time removing his clothes. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door. He was pretty sure if Kurt had been in cat form he’d have been hissing, and maybe scratching at the door.

He’d been afraid Kurt might fall asleep before he got to bed, but he was awake and flipping through a copy of Time magazine. He was also now wearing a pajama top. Adam frowned, not knowing what this might mean.

“I got cold,” Kurt explained. He set the magazine aside on the nightstand. “Looks like a lot of things have changed. One of these days I’ll have to get more caught up on current events.”

“Whenever you think you’re ready. But I think at the moment you’ve got quite enough on your plate,” Adam pointed out. He was wearing pajama pants and nothing else. He got under the covers and turned out the bedside light.

“Good point.” Kurt snuggled close and kissed him. “Mm. You don’t seem to be all that cold. Maybe you can warm me up.”

“I’ll certainly try.”

By the time he had removed Kurt’s pajama top, kissing every inch of skin revealed, they were both quite a bit warmer.

“I could really get used to this,” Kurt sighed into Adam’s neck.

“That’s the idea.”

 

 

The next day, Adam spent most of his time on the laptop, or making phone calls. 

Kurt didn’t pay too much attention, as he wanted to finish Lily’s dress, and the logo design for Faster Fitness Center. The one they already had, of the letters FFC, with a couple of lines he supposed represented speed, wasn’t all that exciting. His latest idea, a man and a dog running together, didn’t quite work as well as Kurt thought it should. He tried out a number of things before he found a few he was satisfied with. He thought they were acceptable to show to Daniel and Jerry, and they could pick whichever one they liked. Or they could say they didn’t like any of them, and he’d have to try again. That was okay, though, he’d just keep designing, if he had to.

He made Adam take a break long enough to help him find some designs for a cart they could use or adapt for Artie.

After going through all the ones they could find, Kurt finally went back to the few they had saved, and chose a few.

“I really think this will work the best, but these others might, too. Can you print them out? Should we take them in to Dr. Hanover tomorrow so he can take a look?”

“Excellent idea. I’ll do that. And then, if you don’t mind, I’m going to make some more calls,” Adam said with a sigh.

Kurt looked at him closely and put his hand on Adam’s knee. “Hey, are you okay? You look tired.”

“I am. It’s not that making the phone calls is so exhausting, it’s just the subject matter, and trying to make sure I’m getting everybody. I’m also trying to round up some people for the next meeting of our ‘hybrid gardening’ club.”

“Oh, okay, that’s a good idea. But I’m tired, and I’m going to take a nap now. If you want to nap with me, I’d like that. If not, I understand.”

Adam sighed, then smiled at him. “Alright. But just a nap, I think.”

They held hands as they went back to the bedroom, and made themselves as comfortable as possible. Kurt was having trouble settling down, and finally changed into his cat form. He stretched his body to its full length, while Adam watched and giggled. He climbed onto Adam’s stomach, turned around three times to make sure he was in exactly the right position, and promptly fell asleep.

 

 

When Adam finally woke, over an hour later, he felt refreshed. He also felt whiskers brushing against his nose. He opened his eyes, and his eyelashes were caressed by more whiskers. He tried not to scream, but he wasn’t used to kitty Kurt’s face being just centimeters from his own. 

Those gorgeous blue-green eyes blinked, and Kurt pulled back. Adam would swear he could see a look of satisfaction on the cat’s face.

Kurt jumped off his stomach, off the bed, and out of the room. Adam lay there for just a moment, with his hand over his face, until curiosity got the best of him. What the hell had Kurt woken him up for?

He wandered out to the kitchen, and saw, as he’d suspected, Kurt sitting by his empty food bowl. He growled accusingly.

“Yes, yes, Your Highness, I hear you.” Before he could reach the can opener, Kurt was just underneath it, meowing at it as though that would cause it to magically open a can of food that wasn’t there.

Adam ignored the steady stream of bitching (he was getting pretty good at translating Cat) and took his time choosing a type of food. He suspected Kurt didn’t really give a damn what flavor it was, so he finally chose a can at random. He opened it leisurely, ignoring the cat now sitting on top of his feet.

“You’re in the way, Fuzzy Face.” As he’d half-expected, Kurt didn’t budge.

“Alright, have it your way.” He tried to carefully move his feet so he didn’t end up kicking Kurt. As soon as he managed to lift one foot, the cat was off like a shot, and waiting next to the food bowl.

Instead of attacking the food the instant it hit the bowl, Kurt stared at the empty water bowl, then looked at Adam imperiously. He meowed at him for good measure.

“Yes, fine. Just a minute.”

Kurt actually waited until he put the full water bowl down, before he deigned to eat.

Adam leaned against the counter and watched him. He checked his watch, and realized they’d both missed lunch. He fixed a sandwich for Kurt, and wrapped it up before putting it in the refrigerator. He’d probably be hungry again when he changed back. He fixed one for himself, and sat down to enjoy it. He almost sat down on Kurt, who had jumped up on the chair.

“Fine. Have that one.” He managed to sit down in another chair before Kurt could get to it.

Kurt leaned over, and started to get on the table.

“NO! You’re not allowed on the table.”

Kurt growled in displeasure, but went back to his place on the chair. He watched every bite Adam ate, staring at him while he chewed.

“You know, that’s really annoying. I bet that’s why you’re doing it,” Adam surmised. “Are you bored? Is that it?”

Kurt wrapped his tail around one of the wooden slats on the back of the chair, then he uncurled it.

“Yep. Bored. Sorry, pal, but I’m busy at the moment. You’ll have to entertain yourself.”

Kurt jumped down from the chair, and raced out of the room. Adam hoped he wouldn’t cause any actual damage in his current mood, but he couldn’t be bothered to care much at the moment. He had more important things on his mind.

 

 

A while later, Kurt walked into the living room, back in human form again, carrying the sewing machine. Adam was on the phone, so Kurt just nodded, and started working on Lily’s dress. He didn’t really notice the time going by, until he was finished. 

He held it up and inspected it closely, and didn’t see any obvious flaws. He got out the ironing board and iron, and pressed out any wrinkles he found.

He wanted to show it to Adam, but he was on the computer.

“Adam!”

For some reason, Adam ignored him.

Kurt walked over, chanting, “Adam, Adam, Adam!”

“Yes, Kurt, what is it?” He looked up impatiently, eyebrows drawn together and mouth tight.

Kurt had anticipated the annoyance he heard in Adam’s voice. “I’m sorry, but…” He grinned and held up the dress in front of his face.

“Ah, it’s done! Just a minute, let me finish reading this e-mail, then I’ll take a closer look at it.”

He went back to his terribly absorbing e-mail, and Kurt sat next to him, inspecting the dress again. The hem and sleeve cuffs were even, and everything looked the way it should. He hoped Lily would be pleased. But what if she wasn’t? What if it wasn’t good enough? Would he have enough time to make major alterations, or even start over again? He didn’t have enough material, but…

“Kurt!”

He realized Adam was snapping his fingers in front of his face. How rude!

“Yes! Okay, what?”

Adam sighed. “May I see the dress, please?”

Kurt handed it over, and was satisfied that Adam was very careful in handling it.

“This looks amazing, Kurt! I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“Can you call her, Adam, please? I want her to come over and see it! Or we can go over there.” He blinked. “Or whatever is convenient for you.”

He heard Adam sigh, but it didn’t go with the smile on his face. Though it was rather a tighter smile than usual.

“I’ll call her. But it’s almost dinner time, so we might have to wait a while.”

“Oh! Really?”

“Yes. And you haven’t had your nap yet, either.”

Kurt looked startled, then yawned. “I didn’t even think about that till now.”

“Why don’t you take a little – cat-nap, for now. As a person, I mean,” Adam explained. “I’ll sort out something for dinner, but it will probably be something pretty easy.”

“That’s fine.” Kurt yawned again, then went to get a hanger for the dress, hanging it on the top of the bedroom door, before he collapsed onto the bed. He fell asleep almost immediately.

 

 

When Kurt woke again, it was because Adam was calling his name and shaking him gently. 

“Wake up, sleepyhead! It’s almost seven o’clock.”

“It’s too early,” Kurt complained. “I want to sleep in this morning.”

“Tell you what, sport, you can sleep in a bit tomorrow morning. But it’s 7:00 at night now.”

“Oh!” He came more fully awake, and sat up.

“We’ve got sandwiches waiting, so why don’t you get washed up, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

Kurt nodded. While he freshened up, he thought about all the things he still had to do. At least now he felt more energized.

When they were almost finished with dinner, Adam said, “I called Lily. She’s expecting us when we’re done here. And she asked if you’d mind paying some attention to Misty, either as a human or a cat. I guess she misses you.”

Kurt instantly felt guilty for neglecting the cat. “I’m sorry, I guess I haven’t been thinking too much about her. I need to make it up to her.”

“I have some things to discuss with Lily, so we can talk while you and Misty play, if you want.”

“Good idea. I’ll change again, after Lily tries on the dress and I make any adjustments.”

“Whatever you want. We’ll clean up the kitchen later.”

“I’ll do it. Whenever I change back to human.”

“Suit yourself.”

Kurt carried the dress, after covering it in a clean garbage bag. He cut out a small section at the bottom of the bag for the top of the hanger to go through.

“Hey, do-it-yourself garment bag. I like it,” Adam commented.

Kurt shrugged. “I like to improvise.”

Lily met them at the door and greeted them. Adam put Kurt’s leash away.

“I had to shut Misty into her room,” Lily explained. “I haven’t told her yet that you’d be visiting, just in case you didn’t have time to see her.”

“I’ve got time. I miss her, too,” Kurt confided. “But let’s get your dress straightened out first.”

As soon as she freed it from the bag, Lily gasped. “Kurt, it’s beautiful!” She turned it around, examining the back as well as the front. “I love it!”

“You’d better try it on to make sure it fits,” Kurt pointed out. “We’ve still got plenty of time if I need to make any modifications.”

“Hm, it looks like it’s just my size, but there’s only one way to find out.” She blinked, then grinned faintly at Adam. “I’m sorry. Please, both of you, make yourselves at home. I just brought in some tea for us all. Please go ahead and pour for yourselves,” she invited Adam. “I won’t be long.”

They didn’t even get half-way through their cups before Lily came out again. She was wearing the dress, along with nylons and beige heels. They weren’t stilettos, but had a slightly chunkier heel. Kurt thought it seemed more practical, so Lily could walk comfortably without worrying about tripping or falling.

“How do I look?” she prompted, sounding a bit anxious.

“You look beautiful, Lily,” Adam answered.

“You look like you,” Kurt said, slightly distracted.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh!” He blushed, realizing he hadn’t said quite what he meant. “I mean, you look beautiful, but the dress – it brings out – “ He sighed, frustrated.

Adam looked at her more critically, and Lily obligingly turned around as Kurt twirled his finger in the air.

“I think what Kurt means is you look lovely, but it’s not a shocking change or anything. It’s just a different look.” He frowned as he tried to think of a better way to phrase it.

“You mean, like wearing makeup that looks so natural you can barely tell you’re wearing makeup?” she suggested, with a slight smile.

“You’re wearing makeup?” Kurt asked, alarmed. “But you might get –“

“Don’t worry, dear, it was just a metaphor.”

“Oh.” He was still a bit confused.

“The dress suits you, but it looks elegant, not fussy or over-the-top,” Adam said, stroking his chin as he looked at Lily again.

“Good, that’s exactly what I was hoping for. I think the dress is wonderful, Kurt. Thank you so much for making it!”

“Oh, you’re welcome!” Kurt exclaimed, now relieved that she was happy.

“The beige is a nice, calm background,” she continued, “and the orange and apricot flowers add just enough color for some interest, without it being garish,” she concluded.

“Exactly!” Kurt clasped his hands together and bounced up and down on his toes. “You’ve got it!”

“I think it’s a success,” Adam declared. “The dress, and the model.”

“I agree. I’m so happy it’s finished,” Lily said, smiling at Kurt. “Now I can concentrate on what jewelry to wear with it. I’ve booked an appointment with the hairdresser the day of the event so that’s one less thing to fuss with at the last minute.”

Kurt nodded. “If you need any help with your makeup, just ask, and I’ll be glad to see what I can do.”

“Thank you, dear,” she smiled. “But my stylist can help me with that as well. I have a feeling you’ll be plenty busy without worrying about me.”

Adam was looking at Lily, and shook his head. She raised an eyebrow, then nodded.

Kurt’s brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what was going on. “Well, hopefully I’ll have some of the other things done that I owe people, though Adam’s got some things..." Kurt stopped. “Never mind.” He mimed zipping his lips shut. “Adam can talk to you about whatever he wanted to talk to you about.”

“Well, thank you again for this lovely dress. Now I’m going to change out of it so nothing happens. Please, drink your tea before it gets cold. I’ll be out soon, then perhaps you and Misty can visit.”

“Sure.”

Kurt sat down again, and sipped half-heartedly at his tea while waiting for Lily.

“Are you looking forward to spending some time with Misty?” Adam asked.

Kurt thought they’d already discussed that. “Sure, yeah, I miss her. She’s fun. As long as she’s not, you know, going overboard with the “Purt”ing and pawing at me.”

He had to hit Adam on the back a few times when his owner started coughing.

“Be careful with the tea, Adam, don’t choke on it,” he gently chided.

Adam shook his head, but his face was getting very red. He finally gasped out, “I’m fine,” and took another sip of the now-cold tea.

Lily returned, wearing the jeans and indigo turtle-neck she’d been wearing earlier, with black slip-on shoes.

Kurt commented, “I meant to say, Lily, I like that color on you. Your shirt.”

“Thank you. A very wise friend told me once I should wear some bolder colors.”

Kurt grinned widely.

“It’s nice to have a friend like that to offer advice, isn’t it?” Adam asked. “I find it helpful, myself. When it’s not annoying.”

Kurt’s brows drew together as he mock-glared at Adam.

“Well, if you’re through with your tea, Kurt,” Lily began, “I’ll bring Misty out here. Or perhaps you’d like to play in her room?”

“Out here is fine, I guess, if we won’t be distracting you.”

“That’s fine,” she and Adam said at the same time. They grinned at each other as Kurt rolled his eyes.

“I’ll bring her out now.” Lily left them alone again, but only for a minute.

They heard Misty before they saw her. She was galloping into the room at full speed.

“All I had to say was, “Kurt is here to see you,” and she didn’t even let me say all of that,” Lily explained.

Kurt was ready, already sitting on the floor, with his knees spread wide and ankles crossed. He caught Misty as she launched herself toward him.

“Oof! Forgot how heav—you’re a big girl, aren’t you?” he tried, desperately thinking how to get out of it.

Misty didn’t seem to care, or maybe she just didn’t understand his human speech. She butted her head against his chin, and rubbed her face over his neck and face. He allowed the affectionate contact, and murmured softly to her. It wasn’t baby talk, he reminded himself, just Misty talk. He knew she was responding more to his tone than the actual words. He ignored the humans who were trying to pretend they weren’t giggling. Let them laugh. Pretty soon they’d be sorry they weren’t cats. They’d be stuck in their human forms forever. It wasn’t a horrible fate, just quite boring, he thought.

Misty’s plaintive cry interrupted him, and he went back to focusing his attention on her. She purred, and he responded in kind, as much as he could.

“Hey, let’s play a game! You sit right there, and I’m going to change,” he informed her, lifting her off his lap and setting her outside his right knee.

She complained loudly, but stopped in mid-cry as he changed into his feline form.

“Mrrp?” she inquired.

He answered, “Yes, it’s me,” in a language she would understand. They did their best to ignore the humans, who were talking to each other anyway.

They rolled around, and he pulled away from Misty when she started getting too amorous. He chased her around the room, but instead of trying to catch her, he just lightly touched her foreleg with his paw when he got close enough, then ran away again. Misty whined, maybe not familiar with the rules of ‘tag’. They chased each other around the room, deftly avoiding furniture and human feet, then started running through the apartment. They finally exhausted themselves. Kurt curled up on the floor in the hallway, ready to take a nap. Misty joined him, using his side as a pillow. He didn’t mind, because she didn’t have all her weight on him, just her head.

By the time Adam woke them up, Kurt was feeling much better, more refreshed, and was ready to turn back to human. Misty’s eyes got huge as she watched him change. At first she hid behind Lily, then walked over and cautiously sniffed Kurt’s legs.

“Bye, Misty. I’ll see you soon, I promise.”

Misty growled, and looked up and up at him, then launched herself at him. He caught her, and snuggled her in his arms a few minutes before handing her over to Lily.

“Thank you again, Kurt, for the dress. It’s perfect. I look forward to seeing you and Adam on Saturday night.”

“Sure. What should we wear?”

“You’ll wear your black suit, and I’ll wear a similar one,” Adam explained. “In this case, I think it’s better to have you dressed a little more conservatively.”

Kurt shrugged. “If you say so.”

They said their goodbyes to Lily, fastened Kurt’s leash, and walked back to their own apartment.

 

 

When they were comfortably seated on the sofa, Adam sighed. “Well, that’s one thing you can cross off your list. Lily seemed quite pleased with the dress.” 

Kurt nodded, and looked down at their entwined fingers. “And it fit her really well, too, so I won’t have to make any adjustments.”

“Now I can concentrate more on some other things.”

“Good. I wanted to ask you about something important, that Gabriel asked me to do. I haven’t made up my mind yet, but I’d like to get your input.”

Kurt sat up straighter. “Yeah? What is it?”

Adam glanced over at the library in the corner. “He was thinking perhaps I can take an hour or two, a few days a week, to try to help Artie to read better. Now, he says he reads pretty well as it is, but he’d like to have more options. Gabriel and Julia had talked about this idea, because Mandy, Julia’s companion, doesn’t read very well, but it might give her more to do when Julia is away.”

Kurt was trying to be fair, knowing it wasn’t entirely reasonable to expect to keep Adam all to himself all the time. But he didn’t like the sound of this.

Adam squeezed his hand again. “Hey. Let me finish, before you start worrying, okay?” Kurt nodded, and he continued. “You’d be included, too. In fact, maybe you and Artie could help Mandy a bit with her reading. I think Artie will need some things to entertain him, until he has more opportunity to get around the house more on his own. Mandy is very lonely without Julia there, but Julia doesn’t want her just watching TV or movies all day, either. It might be nice to have some social time, for all of you.”

Kurt shrugged. “Makes sense. Hey, what about Donna, and Carl? I guess they spend most of their time at the gym, but they’re alone a lot, too, if nobody’s in there with them.”

Adam looked into the distance as he thought, then said, “But that might be too many people. Mandy is apparently very shy, and not comfortable around a lot of people. Maybe that will change over time, as she gets to know you and Artie, and me, but let’s go slowly for now.”

“Sure, that makes sense.”

“But I was thinking we should go to the gym tomorrow, we haven’t been in a bit. Maybe you can have a lesson with your sai swords. We can get some swimming in, perhaps.”

“I’d like that,” Kurt agreed. “What about for now, though? We’ve both been busy all day, but I wanted to spend some time with you.”

“We can do that. Do you want to maybe read to me, for a change? Pick up from where we left off in Harry Potter?”

“Sure. Let me get my glasses.” Kurt was excited about the idea of reading to Adam. It was so much easier now that he could see the words clearly. It had been a while since they’re read together, but he thought he could pick it up pretty easily.

“I’ll get the book. Do you want to sit out here, or in my room? Our room?” Adam hastily corrected.

“Wherever you’re comfortable. There’s more room here to stretch out.”

Adam agreed, and a few minutes later they were ready. Adam stretched his legs out along the sofa, and Kurt leaned against him, resting his back on Adam’s chest. He wasn’t used to reading aloud, but it wasn’t that difficult, and he found he rather enjoyed it. He read several chapters before he started yawning.

“Okay, I think that’s enough for now.”

“Can I just finish this chapter?” Kurt asked, his curiosity overwhelming his body’s need to sleep.

“Let’s see if you can,” Adam encouraged.

Kurt kept yawning, but Adam was doing a few things to distract him just enough to keep him awake; running his fingers through Kurt’s hair, tightening his hold on his stomach, then releasing it, and moving Kurt’s feet and legs around with his own. It was just enough stimulation to keep him awake. Kurt slipped the bookmark in place and closed the book, setting it on the coffee table.

“I think I’m ready to go to bed now,” he announced. “Are you?”

Adam hugged him and kissed the side of his neck. “Yes. I’m sure tomorrow is going to be another busy day, so let’s get some rest.”

“I’m not that tired,” Kurt muttered. “I’m sure you can find some way to keep me awake.”

“Ah, a challenge! I like that.”

Adam led Kurt to the bedroom, and proceeded to distract him long enough for them to both be relaxed and ready for sleep.


	87. Chapter 87

On Tuesday, they met with Dr. Hanover. There were a lot of things to catch up on from the previous week. 

They were called into his office together first. They greeted the doctor, and took comfortable chairs near each other.

Dr. Hanover turned his head to face one, then the other, to include them both. “I’d like to talk to the two of you together first, then Kurt individually, then Adam.”

“That’s fine,” Adam said, then glanced over at Kurt. He took Kurt’s hand and squeezed it briefly, before letting it go. “Is that alright with you?”

“Sure, it makes sense.” Kurt wondered when they were going to talk about Dr. Hanover adopting Artie.

“”Would you like to fill me in on what’s been happening in the last week? You can talk about anything you’d like,” Dr. Hanover encouraged.

Kurt liked the suit he was wearing, and it looked like he’d recently gotten a haircut. He wanted to ask him if there was a specific reason, but Adam disrupted his thoughts.

“Kurt? Do you want to go first, or shall I?”

“Huh? Oh, go ahead. I think you’ve got more news than I do.”

Adam frowned, but then turned back to the vet. “Well, we both have some news. I don’t know if this is the kind of thing you want to hear, but we did discuss it before. Kurt and I are now more intimate – we’re having sex now,” he concluded. "At least, the type of sex Kurt's been expecting."

Kurt nodded. “Yeah, that, too.”

Adam almost glared at him, and he recoiled slightly. “I don’t mean it isn’t important, Adam, or a big deal for us, but there’s been a lot of other stuff happening, too. I really love it, I’m just thinking it’s nice to have a lot of things going on in our lives. It’s not what I expected – it’s better.”

Dr. Hanover focused his attention on Adam, who wasn’t saying anything.

“Adam, you seemed upset, perhaps angry, that you and Kurt weren’t quite on the same page as far as priorities. Do you want to talk about that? Or would either of you like talk about it privately with me?”

“No,” Adam sighed. He took Kurt’s hand again.

Kurt was cautious. He didn’t pull away, but wasn’t feeling too affectionate at the moment.

For the moment, Adam ignored the doctor and was looking at him instead. “I’m sorry, darling. I didn’t mean to get so upset. It just took me by surprise that you weren’t more enthusiastic about that. I mean, that you thought other things were more important. I’m not saying they’re not – I don’t know what I’m saying,” he admitted. “It just hurt me for a minute to think that it might have slipped your mind.”

“No, it didn’t,” Kurt insisted, shaking his head vehemently. He gripped Adam’s hand tighter. “I was just thinking about how many different things happened in the last week or so, and we’ve been spending so much time on your book, and working things out for that, I was kind of thinking of that as the most important thing.”

Dr. Hanover glanced between the two of them, but didn’t interrupt.

Adam scratched his head with his free hand. He was beanie-less today, and his hair was slightly windswept. Kurt tried not to pay too much attention to it; he could run his fingers through it later.

“I guess I can see how you would think that,” Adam acknowledged. He looked directly at Dr. Hanover. “We’ve been rather preoccupied with the book I’ve been writing, and some ideas for that. Our friend April visited us – the actress we saw last week. She wants to maybe turn my book into a play, with Kurt and I playing ourselves. We haven’t made any decisions yet. It’s obviously a huge event, something we hadn’t really been thinking about before.”

“There’s obviously a lot to discuss here.” Dr. Hanover made a few notes, then looked back up at them. “Would you say this new project has maybe taken over too much of your lives? Are other aspects of your life, like maybe your sex life, suffering because of it?”

“Well, maybe,” Adam sighed.

“Not really,” Kurt said at the same time. His ears twitched slightly, and he wished he had a tail to lash back and forth. “Don’t get mad, Adam. Let me finish, please.”

“Okay.” But Adam withdrew his hand as he waited for Kurt to continue.

Kurt tried not to be hurt over the withdrawal. “What I mean is, I used to think when I got adopted, it might be all sex, all the time. Or that sex is all my owner would want from me. Even though Mr. Will kept telling me nobody would want that from me. Just the things I’d heard when I was growing up, or what the other hybrids said, I figured that’s how I’d be spending most of my time with my owner. Or as a cat.

“But with you, I’m doing so much more than I ever expected! Sometimes it’s kind of overwhelming, but mostly it’s really good. It’s like, more of a real life than I expected.”

Dr. Hanover waited a moment to see if he was finished. “Do you think perhaps your life is more balanced than you expected?”

“Yeah, that’s it!” Kurt sat up, and enthusiastically continued. “There’s so much going on, and I’m really enjoying it.” He looked at Adam again. “I love the sex, I do, but I’m kind of glad you want to do other things with me, too. I feel more like a real person, more like I have an actual life.”

Adam practically deflated. He looked so miserable, Kurt was tempted to get out of his chair and go hug him.

“I’m sorry, Kurt, I guess I wasn’t thinking things through. Here I’ve been trying so hard to make you feel like a boyfriend rather than a pet, and hoping you’d be as independent as possible. And it’s like it’s been happening right under my nose, and I haven’t quite seen it. This _is_ what I want for you, a full life. A well-rounded life. It’s not all about the sex, and it shouldn’t be. It’s a part of our lives, and I love it, too, but I agree…as much as I’d like to just take a couple of weeks off and do nothing but have sex with you, it’s just not practical right now, because of all these other things we’ve got going.”

Dr. Hanover leaned forward a bit and looked at Adam closely. “If I recall correctly, when we first met, you said one of the main reasons you wanted a hybrid pet was because you were lonely, and bored. Can you tell me, are you lonely or bored now?”

Adam laughed loudly, tipping his head back. When he’d regained control of his breath, he answered, “No. I’m neither lonely nor bored. And I don’t think I’ll be either of those things again. Mainly due to Kurt.” He glanced over and smiled, then returned his attention to the vet. “We’ve got different things we do on our own, but Kurt has really been inspirational. Not just in my writing, but in me wanting to do more things. It’s like I want to experience some of these things through his eyes. I want to make them special for him.”

“You make it sound like you were pretty jaded before you brought Kurt home.”

Kurt was puzzled, so he interrupted. “Jaded? What’s that?”

Adam explained, turning slightly in his chair to see him more easily. “Dr. Hanover means it seems like I’ve experienced so much, I’m bored with everything. But that’s not it. It’s just that ever since I graduated, I haven’t really had a set routine. Most of my friends are either working, or still in school, so they haven’t had much time for socializing. So I’ve been doing things on my own. It’s just not as much fun, usually, as having someone else there to share the experience.” He turned back to Dr. Hanover. 

“So that’s where Kurt comes in. For instance, I’d seen _Wicked_ on my own a few times. I loved it, obviously, or I wouldn’t have kept going back. But taking Kurt to see it, I was sort of looking at it the way I thought he might see it. From a different perspective, so to speak. And it was like it was all new again. 

“The thing is, I want Kurt to have his own experiences, not just ones I share with him, though I’m not sure how that will work out. On the other hand, he spends time with Misty, our neighbor Lily’s cat, and those are experiences I can’t really share.”

He paused, and Dr. Hanover asked, “So he’s already having his own experiences. Is that how you see it, Kurt?”

He nodded. “Right. And sometimes I work on sewing projects, or some other things, too, and I usually do that stuff when Adam is on the computer, or busy with phone calls or something.”

“How do you feel about having your own projects, and not having Adam right there with you all the time?”

The question sounded harmless, but it felt almost like a test to Kurt. “It’s fine.” He shrugged. “I mean, it’s good to have something to do when Adam’s busy, and sometimes I get so involved in what I’m doing, I’m not really paying that much attention to him anyway.”

Dr. Hanover made a few more notes. “So you don’t feel worried or anxious when he’s not right there with you?”

“No,” Kurt insisted. “It’s fine. He’s usually somewhere in the apartment, sometimes just in the next room, or even the far end of the same room. But it’s nice to have something to do, so I don’t get bored.”

“Mm-hm.” He wrote something else down on the pad. Kurt assumed it was notes, but for all he knew, the vet could be doodling pictures or something. “Now, to get back to the issue of sex. Do either of you feel like you’re having too much of it, or not enough, or about the right amount you’re comfortable with?”

Kurt tensed up, not sure how Adam would respond.

“Go ahead, Kurt,” Adam encouraged him. He didn’t seem upset. “You can tell him the truth. I’m not going to get mad at you, one way or the other.”

Kurt nodded, but he couldn’t bring himself to look at either man directly. He studied his nails, wondering if it was time for another manicure.

“I think it’s about right. I’m satisfied. I thought we’d be having sex more often, but there’s so much that we’re both doing right now, I’m not sure where we’d fit it in.”

Adam nodded. “I feel about the same. We’re young, and under other circumstances, I’m sure we’d be having sex a lot more often, but right now, it’s fine. I’d rather we go a bit slower, and have Kurt get more used to it, than rush into things and have either of us feel uncomfortable. Or maybe even feel like we’re doing it too much.”

Dr. Hanover nodded. “It’s something I think all couples need to work out for themselves. I doubt there’s any couple that feels like they’re always having exactly the right amount of sex, or under the best circumstances, but you learn to make compromises. That’s where it can get a bit tricky with a hybrid pet, because Kurt has probably been trained that he should never say no, or complain, or ask for sex on his own.”

Kurt nodded. “It’s one of those things they kind of drilled into all of us, just in case. That we’re supposed to let our owner decided what we do, when, how often, and all of that. If we’re satisfied, that’s fine, but our owner’s satisfaction is more important.”

Adam sat up straighter at that. “Now wait just a minute! That’s hardly fair to you – to any of the hybrids. What’s wrong with asking for sex, or affection, if that’s what you want?”

Kurt shrugged. “We’re not supposed to bother you, or distract you. It’s like Mr. Will kept telling us, we should be seen and not heard. Same for the singing, unless we’re asked to do it.”

“Well, I hope you know I don’t feel that way,” Adam stressed. “I want you to feel free to tell me what you want, or to sing if that’s what you want. If I find it distracting, I’ll let you know, but as far as wanting sex, how are you going to know if you don’t ask? And I want you to be satisfied, too, not just me.”

Kurt bit his lip, then said what was on his mind. “That’s kind of what I thought. It’s a little bit confusing, because you want a lot of things to be different than what I was led to expect, or what I was trained to do. I don’t mind,” he hurried on, “I like it. But some things might take a little time to get used to.”

“Overcoming conditioning isn’t always easy, especially if it’s been going on for years,” Dr. Hanover explained. “Kurt, I was going to say, it seems to me you’re handling things remarkably well, especially in comparison to some of my other patients. I would say it’s a lot more common to find hybrids who do conform to what’s expected of them, than ones that want to rebel, or have to learn to adjust.”

Kurt twisted his hands in his lap as he thought about it. “Adam’s making it easier than I expected, in a lot of ways,” he explained. “But I was thinking, it’s helpful to have these appointments. It just seems like it would have been better to have them before I was adopted.”

“What do you mean? Can you explain that a bit more?” Dr. Hanover asked. 

His voice sounded so calm and relaxed, Kurt didn’t feel any pressure to answer, so he thought about what he wanted to say.

“Well, it was a bigger change to go from living with my dad, to being taken to the pet store. There were suddenly all these restrictions that I wasn’t used to, and it seemed like Mr. Will was always getting mad at me about something, because I didn’t adapt as well as the others.”

“I see.” Dr. Hanover made a few more notes, then asked him to continue.

“Just things like, he was always telling me if he wanted my opinion, he’d ask. But I didn’t understand the reasons for a lot of the things we were doing, so I asked a lot of questions. The others didn’t seem all that upset, I guess, so they didn’t ask many questions or complain too much. Maybe he was right, and my dad spoiled me, because the others were better about things like just eating what they were given, instead of complaining that it was too much.”

“Too much?” Dr. Hanover asked. “I would think it would be more typical to complain about the taste.”

When Kurt frowned and tilted his head, trying to process this, the vet continued.

“What I mean is, usually institutional food – when it’s fixed for a large number of people – is more likely to be nutritious than tasty, because they’re trying to make it okay for everyone. So there won’t be a lot of spices, for instance, or anything that’s strongly flavored,” he added.

“Oh, yeah, I see what you mean. In some ways, the hybrid cat chow tasted better than the regular food. Well, I guess it’s hard to compare, because I don’t think my tastebuds are the same when I’m a cat as when I’m in this form. But I don’t mind as much, as a cat, if it tastes pretty bland. I’m not as discriminating in some ways,” he concluded. “I like some people food when I’m a cat, but I knew better than to expect any cheese or milk or eggs or anything like that when I was at the store.”

“I see. I would think there are a lot of adjustments to make.”

“Uh-huh,” Kurt confirmed. “But my dad also knew not to give me too much food. Sometimes I eat a lot, but if I’m not hungry, I don’t like that feeling of eating too much and feeling too full. It was okay with Dad if I asked for seconds, if I was still hungry.

“But it was hard at the Hybrid Control Center, with the last-minute training and evaluations, before they determine the best store to send us to, and what type of pet we’d make. Like better for kids or for adults, or for men or women. I think they sent me to New Directions because they found out I could sing.”

“Do they test you for singing? Or for just any sort of creative talent?” Adam interrupted.

Kurt shook his head. “Some people might want a pet with that kind of talent, but a lot don’t. I think it’s more up to the individual owner to ask, if they’re looking for something in particular. But because I sometimes sing when I’m nervous or scared, to calm myself down, they heard me. I don’t know if there are stores that specialize in other things, like hybrids that can dance, or paint or something, but I think New Directions is pretty unusual.”

Adam cleared his throat. “Do you want to tell Dr. Hanover about April’s visit?”

Kurt shook his head. “I can go into that later, when you’re not there. But I guess this is more stuff that affects both of us, so why don’t you talk about your book, or the play or whatever?”

Adam sighed, but turned to Dr. Hanover and started telling him about how his novel was getting a little out of control. Dr. Hanover listened, and took some notes, but didn’t interrupt. When Adam was through, he finally spoke.

“This seems really complicated. I wonder if there’s anything we could do, as a group, the gardening club, that might help?”

“I’m not sure, but maybe we’d better schedule another meeting. I was thinking of bringing a couple of new people. Maybe several,” Adam added.

“Good idea. Maybe we can have it at my place, because I’ve got more room. I’m not sure if Artie will want to participate, or if he’ll be ready to be around a lot of other people yet, but if he doesn’t like the idea, he can stay in his room for a couple of hours, I think.”

Kurt shifted nervously in his chair. He wished he’d brought Harriet, so he’d have something to hold onto, to help calm himself down. “Adam told me you’re adopting Artie, and you wanted to get him some kind of cart. I have some pictures and drawings you might want to look at.”

Dr. Hanover nodded. “I do want to see them. But this is still your joint session, so perhaps there are other things either of you want to discuss, while we’re here together?”

They talked a bit more about how they were both adjusting to each other, and that Kurt had moved into Adam’s room.

“Did you ever spend an entire night alone in your room?” the vet asked.

Kurt shook his head. “I tried, a few times, but I just couldn’t seem to stay asleep in there.”

“Can you tell me why not? What specific things made that difficult?”

“Well, the bed was too big, so It made me realize I was all alone. I just want to be near Adam when I sleep. Even if we don’t do anything – even if it’s just to cuddle and sleep, I just feel a lot more relieved knowing he’s right there.”

“I feel pretty much the same way,” Adam agreed, “so I couldn’t really insist he keep trying, when I couldn’t sleep either.”

Dr. Hanover nodded. “As long as you’re both okay with that, it’s fine.”

“What do other owners do?” Adam wondered. “How many pets end up sleeping in their owner’s room, if it’s not for sex?”

The vet shrugged. “I don’t really know. Harold and I had our own rooms, and he didn’t seem to mind sleeping on his own. But my parents established that early on. Some of my patients have said they always sleep in their animal form, in a dog or cat bed. Not all of them will be in the same bedroom as their owner, though. Sometimes they have their own room, or might be out in the living room or something. I think it really varies depending on what each owner wants.”

“What about what the pet wants?” Adam wondered.

“There are some owners who do ask about that, but I think the majority don’t. Remember, hybrids have been around since before either of us were born, a couple of generations before that, in fact, so it may take time before there are any significant changes in people wanting them to be more independent. Or for the hybrids themselves to want to be independent.”

They both looked at Kurt. He bit his lip as he tried to think of what to say. “Independence is really discouraged. I don’t think most of us even really think of it as a possibility. But maybe if they see the play, they can get an idea of what things might be possible.” He looked directly at the vet. “Could we maybe get in trouble, for trying to make hybrids want more than we already have?”

Dr Hanover’s voice was even, but his eyes looked troubled. “It’s possible. It’s also quite possible that very few people will bring their hybrids to see the play, or let them read the book, or read it to them. There are a lot of things to consider. Julia – Ms. Devereaux would probably be better able to help you.”

“Have you asked her out on a date yet?” Kurt asked.

The vet’s eyebrows raised. “I don’t – that’s not –“

“Kurt, that’s rude! It’s none of your business,” Adam reminded him. 

He didn’t sound terribly angry, but it did make him realize he’d overstepped.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that.” He turned to Adam, and said earnestly, “See, this is why it might be a problem. I’m getting used to saying what I think, or asking questions whenever I want, and it’s not always a good idea.”

Adam shrugged. “A lot of people have that problem, not just hybrids. It can take a lifetime of learning when to speak and when to keep your mouth shut.”

Dr. Hanover sighed. “It’s not a good idea to ask something like that, Kurt, because some people might consider that private information. But since you’re probably going to be spending some time around us, at the meetings, or perhaps with Artie, I’ll tell you. Yes, Julia and I have gone on a couple of dates, I suppose.”

Kurt grinned widely. “I knew it!”

“Kurt!” Adam shushed him.

Kurt mimed zipping his lips shut.

 

 

  
Kurt’s individual session went well. He talked about his overall happiness at being with Adam, and the additional intimacy.  


“I have to say, the sex is better than I expected. I wasn’t really sure, because I’d heard some really contradictory things. But Adam seems to know what he’s doing.”

Dr. Hanover coughed, then smiled. “Do you think it was worth the wait, for him to take his time, and not introduce that into your life right away?”

Kurt shrugged. “I guess. I had a lot of other things to learn about and adjust to. But now it’s really nice. It’s just that sometimes I’m so tired at the end of the day, even when I take a nap earlier.”

“Well, you don’t always have to have sex at night. You can do it any time during the day…when you’re home I mean, or have some privacy.”

“Yeah, we’ve found the shower works well. I’m glad Adam’s not one of those demanding owners who would get mad at me for not being ready for sex every night.”

“There are as many different types of owners as there are people,” the vet pointed out. “But yes, I think you and Adam both found a very good match.”

“What about you and Artie?” Kurt asked.

Dr. Hanover’s eyes widened and he choked a bit, then reached for a tissue from a nearby box.

Kurt’s mouth opened and he shut it quickly. “Oh! I’m sorry, is that one of those things I’m not supposed to ask about?”

Dr. Hanover nodded, and finally regained control of his voice. “It’s not going to be like that with us. I’m adopting Artie as a companion, and because I think maybe I can help him. At the very least, I’ll be better able to give him a decent life than someone who might not really understand his medical condition.” He took a deep breath. “And yes, that’s one of those questions you shouldn’t ask.”

“Okay,” Kurt sighed. “I guess I’ll eventually figure it out.”

“I’ll give you a suggestion. If it’s very personal, and not something someone would likely talk about in casual conversation, it might be best to not bring it up.”

“Got it.”

Kurt told him about April, and her adventures at New Directions.

“How did it make you feel?”

“What part of it? That April stood up for me, and showed them what I could do?”

“Mainly. Any part of it, just talk about your reaction.”

He thought a moment, trying to gather all his thoughts and emotions. 

“I couldn’t believe she’d done it. That she would think of it, and want to take the time to do it. I know she likes me, but I wasn’t expecting that.” He smiled dreamily as he tried to picture the various reactions. “I love that she finally got through to Mr. Will and some of the others, the ones that really didn’t think I was any good. I wish I’d been there to see their faces, but just hearing about it helps a lot. I feel…what’s the word?” He waited, but Dr. Hanover just shrugged and held his hands up, probably wanting him to come up with it himself. “Acknowledged, maybe? Like they could finally hear for themselves, without any distractions. And for Rachel to say I was her only competition, that made it even better.”

“I’m glad you had that experience, that April was able to help you in that way. It sounds like you and Adam will be very busy, even more so than usual. Just try to remember, you need to take care of yourself. Try not to get too tired, or hungry, or sad, or angry. If you and Adam try to look after each other, it might be easier than remembering to take care of yourselves, but it’s important you don’t keep thinking, “I’ll get to that later.” And if it gets too overwhelming, please call me, and I’ll see what I can do to help.”

Kurt nodded. “Thank you. But you’re going to be really busy with Artie, at least for a while.”

“Yes, but you can still call me if it’s an emergency. Or before it gets to the point of an emergency. If you can’t find anyone to talk to, and especially if Adam is causing you the type of stress where you don’t want to talk to him, call me. We’ll work something out.”

“I was thinking, Dr. Hanover, I miss Artie. He was my only friend at the store for a long time. Do you think maybe we can spend some time together?”

“I’d really like that. I think Artie would, too, but let me make sure, first. I’d like it if he could get to know you, and Mandy, and eventually start to make some other friends, hybrid and human. Or animal. It doesn’t matter. I just don’t want him to be socially isolated. But we can talk more about that after your appointment. I want to see you and Adam again when I’m done with his session, and we’ll talk about Artie then. At least, as much as I can tell you without violating his confidence or his rights.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you’re thinking about that stuff. I guess you have to, but I’m really glad you’re the one adopting Artie. I was really afraid he wouldn’t find anyone, and – “ Kurt sighed, and looked down at his hands, which were clenched into fists. He slowly unbent his fingers. “Anyway, thank you. As his friend, I really appreciate it.”

 

 

  
Kurt waited in the quiet room while Adam had his session. Sara had given him a snack, and he decided to take a nap while he waited. He didn’t feel like playing with any of the toys there, though he was sure they were probably sanitized or something in between patients. Despite being alone, and Adam in another room, it wasn’t that difficult to fall asleep.  


Sara gently woke him up later, by calling his name a couple of times. He yawned and stretched, and followed her back to the vet’s office.

When he was back in the same seat he’d used before, Dr. Hanover spoke.

“You look rested, Kurt.”

“I am. I had a snack and a nap, and now I feel a lot more energetic,” he confirmed.

“Good. Adam told me something that I thought he should discuss with you. I’d like you to talk about it now, if you don’t mind, while I’m here.”

Kurt straightened up, and tensed every muscle he had, waiting to hear about Adam’s complaint. He was trying to think of all the things it might be, when Adam’s voice cut through his thoughts.

“Kurt, relax, please. It’s nothing bad. At least, I don’t think so. You know how we’ve been talking about me finding someone to leave you to in my will, if something happens to me?”

Kurt nodded, but didn’t think he could force his lips open without using his fingers. He didn’t want to hear this, he really didn’t.

“I talked to April about it, and she agreed to take care of you if I can’t.”

He couldn’t believe it. Had he heard right? “April? Really?”

“Yes. I know it seems sudden, but I think she’s not only got the money – and believe me, I will provide as much money as possible to whoever would be looking after you. But I think she really cares about you, and will do what’s best for you. Hopefully it won’t be necessary, and you and I will both live a long time. But I just want you to know that, if something does come up, you’ll be staying with someone you like, and who will have your best interests at heart.”

Kurt blinked, trying hard not to cry. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I need some time to think about this. Later. But yes, it’s a good thing.”

By the time they left, they’d made arrangements with Dr. Hanover to come and visit Artie on Friday. It would give them a couple of days alone, but Artie would have the reassurance of a familiar face to see after that. Dr. Hanover had even said he’d let them have some time unsupervised, in case Artie wanted to talk to him in private about anything.

“I’m going to trust you two to get along. It might be good for you both to also spend some time in your animal forms together, I’m not sure. The two of you can figure that out. It seems like it will do you both some good to have a friend you can visit, with some shared history.”

Kurt now had even more things to look forward to. Adam would be starting up the reading group on Mondays and Thursdays, for an hour to begin with, then they’d see about expanding it. There were so many good things happening, and Kurt wanted to tell Harriet, Bernard and Phoebe all about it.


	88. Chapter 88

Gabriel knew he was doing the right thing in adopting Artie. It was right for the young man, and right for him. He wouldn’t allow himself to have second thoughts. He would do the best he could to give Artie a good life, and hopefully an enjoyable one.

When he stepped into the pet store, the cacophony began. The other hybrids started singing, yelling, flat out begging him to adopt them.

“Guys! Quiet down. He’s here for Artie,” Will told them, raising his voice to be heard over the din.

Most of the noise ceased, though there were a few questions and grumbling comments made. Gabriel thought it would be best to ignore them.

He’d already signed most of the paperwork, previously; now he just had to finish a couple more forms.

“I’ll get Artie ready to go,” Will offered.

Gabriel noticed that, once again, there were no other customers in the store. That was the third time he’d been in there, and found no one else. He wondered how they managed to stay in business.

He followed Emma back to the office. He read the papers carefully before signing them, then slid them back in front of Emma.

She cleared her throat. “Ah, Dr. Hanover, I know from the paperwork that you’re a psychiatrist, as well as a vet. Are all your patients hybrids?”

“Not all of them. Some are hybrid owners whose pets are seeing me.”

“I see. Do you ever see anyone who just works with hybrids?” she asked carefully.

“I don’t have any clients who fit that description.” He looked at her expression, which had gone from hopeful to resigned in seconds. “Are you asking for yourself?” he continued.

“Yes.” She straightened the papers in front of her. “I think I could do a better job helping our pets while they’re here, if I knew more about their psychological state. And, to be perfectly honest, I have some issues I’d like to discuss, and I don’t want my husband to know. Not necessarily marital issues, though that’s --“ She sighed deeply. “That might be more complicated than you would want to go into. But I’m mainly concerned about the pets, and want what’s best for them.”

He nodded. “Let me give you my card.” He wrote his cell number on the back of it. “You can call my office number to set up an appointment. If there’s any question, just say I’ve already agreed to see you.”

Emma nodded, her eyes wide. He saw the beginnings of a smile as well.

“And if anything comes up that you want to talk to me about, that might happen before or after an appointment, you can call my cell and leave a message if I don’t answer. Anything you say in session with me will be kept confidential.”

“Thank you so much, Doctor. I really appreciate it. I was also thinking, if it’s not a conflict of interest… I’m not entirely happy with the vet who’s been here in the past. I’d like to hire you, instead, to oversee our pets’ health, in their animal and human form. I’m concerned about some of them, and whether they’re eating too much or too little, for instance. Do you think you could do that?”

He paused as he thought about it. He wasn’t sure it was 100% ethical, when he was adopting one of the pets from their store.

“Let me consult with my attorney about that, and I’ll get back to you. I’d just rather not have any problems come up about, as you said, a possible conflict of interest.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

She squared her shoulders and smiled brightly. “Well, I think everything is in order now. Shall we see if Artie is ready to go?”

Gabriel nodded, realizing she had said all she was going to say about any problems.

“Yes. I’m really looking forward to bringing him home. Everything is just about as modified as I can make it. If there’s anything else he needs, I’ll take care of it.”

“Okay.” She smiled warmly. “You can have your choice of any of the collars and leashes we have in stock, and you might want to get the collar engraved with Artie’s new name and your phone number. All of that is free of charge with any adoption.”

He nodded. “I have no intention of losing him, but better safe than sorry.”

“I’ll get started on that.”

They walked into the main part of the pet store, and Gabriel saw that Artie was indeed waiting for him. He looked nervous, but mostly happy. He was sitting in the old, manual wheelchair, with Will behind him.

“Hello, Artie. Are you ready to go home?”

“Yes, sir, whenever you are. Um, do you want me to stay like this for now, or change?”

“Like this for now, so it will be easier for you to ask me any questions you have,” Gabriel answered.

Will spoke up. “You might want to get him some hybrid food, maybe a bed, or some toys.”

Gabriel understood the necessity behind the sales pitch, but wasn’t going to give in to it.

“I’ve already taken care of all of that. I wanted to have everything ready, so we don’t have to delay getting home.”

Artie looked up at him and nodded, but he still looked nervous. Hopefully he’d be able to articulate any concerns, so Gabriel could put his mind at ease.

“Artie, do you have a preference for your collar and leash?” Gabriel asked, nodding towards that section of the store.

“No, sir. Whatever you want to get.”

“I’ll take a look, then.” He ignored the metal chain link leashes. They might be safer, perhaps, for controlling a large or particularly strong hybrid, but he thought the brown leather leash and matching collar would be fine.

Emma came out with the round disk inscribed with Artie’s contact information, and Gabriel inspected it for errors.

“Thank you, this should be fine.” He showed Artie the disk, which read “Arthur Hanover” and his phone number.

Artie winced slightly, then nodded.

“It’s probably best to have your legal name on your identification,” Gabriel mentioned, “but I’ll introduce you to people with your nickname, if you’d prefer.”

“Thank you.” The words were emphatic and heartfelt.

Gabriel attached the collar to Artie’s neck, and the disk to the collar, then snapped on the leash.

“Have you said goodbye?” he asked quietly. “Do you want to say anything to anyone?”

Artie thought a moment. “Hey, everybody,” he hollered in a surprisingly robust voice, “it’s been real. Take care of yourselves.” He got a chorus of responses, mostly good wishes, with a few complaints that were quickly shushed by Emma. He understood why some of the pets would be envious that they weren’t being adopted yet.

Will had taken off towards another room, so Artie sighed, and smiled at Emma.

“So long, and thanks for all the carrots,” he added.

“You’re welcome.” She looked genuinely happy for him to have found a home. Will seemed pleased, but was very perfunctory in his good-bye to Artie. Perhaps it would be a very good idea, if he could replace the current vet. He didn’t like the thought of someone else losing a client, but it seemed this store in particular needed some help.

He took hold of the handles of the wheelchair. “Alright, Artie, I think it’s time to go home.”

 

 

Artie decided that what he mostly felt was relieved, with a side of hopeful happiness. So far, things were going better than he expected. Gabriel’s house was awesome, and he could reach just about everything from his wheelchair. He had his own room and bathroom, just down the hall from Gabriel’s. There was also an intercom system, so if he needed help, he could push a button and let Gabriel know, and he’d show up. As long as Artie was in his human form. 

He loved the little addition to his collar, for use in rabbit form. It was a square, with a button in the middle. It didn’t stick out, so he would have to press his paw on it pretty firmly to get it to work, but it would alert his owner, who could come find him and help him out. It wouldn’t go off accidentally, by just hitting it against a doorway or chair leg or something, but it was certainly an improvement over what he was used to.

His bed was set up so it had rails on the side, so he couldn’t fall out, but they were easy to release when he was ready to get out of bed. There was sort of a trapeze above his head, that he could grab onto and swing himself into his wheelchair. That way, he could get to the bathroom by himself, and could transfer to the toilet, and reach the sink. The large shower had no lip, so he could roll his wheelchair in there. The tap handles were low enough he could reach them, and the showerhead was attached to a metal hose so he could reach everywhere he wanted to pretty easily. This was way more freedom and privacy than he was used to, and he loved it. It was also just a little bit scary.

In his room, there was a comfortable chair, though he did need some help to get into it. There were also bookshelves, filled with all sorts of books, for varying ages. He wanted to stop and read every title, but stopped himself. If he did that, he’d get too excited, and want to read dozens of books at once. Better, maybe to either grab a random book, or maybe just read the first few titles and take the first one that sounded interesting. But just a quick glance at the other shelves revealed his first guess was right; they all looked potentially interesting.

He heard someone clear their throat behind him, and would have jumped if he could.

“I’m sorry, Artie, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Of course it was his owner. Who else would it be? He maneuvered his chair around so they could talk more easily.

“That’s okay, sir. I need to get used to the quiet, instead of thinking there’s something wrong.”

Gabriel smiled sympathetically. “Artie, you really don’t have to call me sir. I know it’s an ingrained habit, but I hope one of these days you’ll call me Gabriel.”

“Yes, sir, I’ll try – I mean, I’ll try to remember, Gabriel.” He had been a bit apprehensive, but it didn’t look like he was going to get in trouble for making mistakes, at least not yet.

“It might be a good idea to set up a routine for you, so you can get used to doing at least some of the same things at the same time every day. Would that help?”

“Oh, yes, sir! Um, yes, Gabriel, thanks!”

As much as he wanted to just read for hours, he was used to having a schedule, and not knowing what was coming next made him a bit uneasy.

“We’ll figure out what works best for both of us,” the vet continued. “As I told you, when I go back to work on Monday, things will be different, and I won’t always be able to keep standard office hours. We’ll have to make some modifications to the schedule, but hopefully it won’t be too difficult for you to adapt.”

Artie shook his head. “No, sir. I mean, no, Gabriel. I don’t mind changes in routine, but it really does help if I know what I’m supposed to do, and what comes next, and when.”

Gabriel frowned. He leaned against the doorway. “What are you used to, a bell, or someone telling you this is over, and it’s time to do that instead?”

“Usually Mr. Will or Miss Emma would tell us when it was time for dinner, or exercise, or things like that. When it’s the same thing every day, you kind of get a feel for how long it’s been. It’s a little harder in my animal form, though, to figure out it’s almost time to quit playing and go back to my cage.”

Gabriel winced. “Well, the good news is, the only time you’ll be in a cage is if I need to transport you somewhere, like from here to the office, while you’re in your rabbit form. Otherwise, it’ll just be the leash.” He lowered his voice, as though talking to himself. “Though it worries me a bit, with you in a wheelchair, to make sure it doesn’t get tangled, or you don’t accidentally get choked.”

“Oh, yeah, um, Miss Emma used to loop the leash around the handles, so it would be easier to steer me with both hands.”

“That’s a good idea. But one thing we’re going to do, tomorrow, is go shopping for an electric wheelchair for you.”

Artie gasped. He couldn’t believe his new owner would spend that kind of money on him! He didn’t know how much those things cost, but he knew they were expensive. “You don’t need to do that. Thank you, but I think I can learn to get around in the manual chair. I didn’t get much opportunity lately, but I can get used to it again.”

“Tell me a little more about that, please. I’m not sure I understand.”

Artie licked his lips, and hoped he explained it well enough. “Usually somebody would help me get into the chair, and out of it, and would push me around in it. When I was at home, my mom let me wheel myself around, when I got strong enough to do it. But at the store, I dunno why, but they didn’t want me to do that. So Mr. Will, Miss Emma, or maybe Finn or Puck would push me around, ‘cause they were the strongest hybrids. I liked it better when Kurt steered me around, because he was always careful not to go too fast, and he never deliberately tried to scare me.”

“But the others did? The other hybrids, I assume.”

“Yeah. Miss Emma was careful, too, but not as strong as Kurt, so I worried she’d get hurt. And Mr. Will just seemed impatient all the time, and he didn’t always pay attention to getting around corners or other things in the way. So I got a lot of bruises on my knees and legs from hitting the furniture or doorway or something.”

Gabriel sighed heavily. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Artie. We’ll keep the manual wheelchair too, but I think it will be easier for you to get around in a motorized chair. On the other hand, the manual one will help keep your arms strong. I’m sure there will be times the motorized one will be easier, so I think you should have both. But I want to take you with me, so we can make sure to get the right fit, and try a few different things.”

“Thank you!”

“And while we’re there, I want to look at some carts, so you can maybe get around more easily in your rabbit form.”

“Carts?” Artie asked uncertainly.

“Yes. For disabled pets. It’s a cart with two, three, or four wheels. There’s a strap around your waist, to help keep your torso and legs in the cart, but you can use your front legs to move yourself around. It will probably make more sense once we see them. There don’t seem to be a lot of styles to choose from, but if we can’t find anything quite right, we can modify one, or have one custom made.” He hesitated, then said, “I actually talked to Adam, Kurt’s owner, about it. He showed some carts to Kurt, and asked him if he could maybe make a better design, based on what he knew about your condition and how you usually move, things like that.”

“Kurt? But why? I get that he knows me, and he’s seen how I move, but I don’t think he’d be able to do something like that.” He wondered why they’d given his fellow hybrid such a difficult task.

“Did you know Kurt designs clothes?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. But I didn’t pay much attention when he talked about that stuff.” Now Artie felt ashamed for not listening better, or being a better friend overall.

“And he used to help his father work on cars in his shop.”

“He did? But he’s not supposed to…” Artie trailed off, not wanting to cause any trouble.

“His father didn’t force him to work, he just showed him how to do some things and let him spend some time in the shop. But Kurt has a good understanding of engines, and car design. I don’t know that he’s ever tried to draw either of those things, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try. I liked the drawings he gave me.”

“Can I see them? Now I’m really curious about what these carts look like.”

“Certainly. I’ll spread them out on the kitchen table. You can have a snack while you look at them, if you’re hungry. I’ll start fixing dinner pretty soon, but I’m not sure what time you last ate.” He gestured for Artie to go ahead of him, towards the kitchen.

It wasn’t taking too long to get used to wheeling himself, as he’d been starting to do before he was sent to the store. “Oh!” Artie hadn’t thought about food. “We usually have lunch at 12:00, so it’s only been a few hours.”

“Well, if you think you can wait about an hour, dinner should be ready by then.”

“No problem!” Artie gasped, and hurried on to say, “I mean, thank you very much!”

Gabriel smiled faintly. “I appreciate you being polite, but I’d like you to feel free to express yourself when you’re at home. You don’t have to apologize for everything.”

Artie closed his eyes briefly and let out a small sigh. “Thank you. I’m just used to it. They really emphasized the difference between being more casual when no customers were around, and being more formal for any potential owners.” Gabriel didn’t respond, so he continued. “Because most owners do want to be talked to with respect,” he continued, cautiously, not sure how his words would be taken.

They arrived at the kitchen. Gabriel helped Artie get his wheelchair aligned with the table.

“I see. Well, yes, I think most people wanted to be spoken to with respect. But there’s a difference between respect and formality.”

“But you’re kind of…formal,” Artie concluded, wondering if he should just shut up.

Gabriel shrugged. “It’s a combination of how I was raised, my profession, and just personal preference. But I’ve noticed you’re more casual in the way you normally talk, and that’s fine. I don’t consider it rude. I’ll be back in a moment, as soon as I find the drawings.”

Artie nodded. “Take your time. I mean, sure, I’ll be fine.”

He looked around the room, at what he could see without moving his chair. It was a really nice kitchen.

He could see the corner of the TV in the living room through the doorway. It was off, of course. He wished he had a TV in his room, but knew that was way too much to hope for. Besides, Gabriel probably wanted to monitor what he watched, and if he had to watch in the living room, that was a good way to ensure he couldn’t watch inappropriate things. Depending on what Gabriel thought was inappropriate, of course.

Gabriel brought the papers in, and moved his chair over so he an Artie were on the same side of the table. He spread out the designs, and pointed out the differences.

“The main idea,” he explained, “is to keep you safe, while giving you more mobility. So there are straps around your body to keep you inside the cart, while allowing your front legs to move outside of it, pulling you along.”

“So it’s kind of like this wheelchair,” Artie said slowly, “and I’ll be able to control it with my front legs, rather than a motor or something moving me along.”

“Exactly. It won’t be the same as if you could move your legs normally,” he sighed, “but I think it’s the best we can do for now. Though I intend to keep doing research, and hopefully we’ll find something that will actually allow you to walk. But I don’t want you to count on that too much, because it might not happen.”

Artie shrugged, not too concerned. “It’s okay. I’d love to be able to walk, but I’ve gotten pretty used to the idea that I can’t, and that I need to try to get around the best I can without using my legs. I’m just not sure how much –“ He bit his lip, and looked up into Gabriel’s eyes. He was distracted for a moment, thinking that his eyes seemed very kind. It wasn’t an emotion he was all that used to seeing. “What I mean is, you’ve got a lot of patients, I’m sure, and I know you need to spend time working with them. I wouldn’t want you to take time away from them, to try to help me.”

Gabriel sighed, and leaned back a bit in his chair. “I gave it a lot of thought before I decided to adopt you. You’re right, in many instances, my patients will need to come first. I can’t spend all my time with you, though I doubt you really expected that.”

Artie shook his head. “I haven’t heard of any pets who get to spend all their time with their owners. Usually the humans are too busy with other things. I just don’t want to get in the way, or become a nuisance.”

“Don’t worry about that. You don’t seem like the type who tries too hard to get attention. It might take a while to find the right balance, but I want to be able to help you, and continue to see my patients. I might have to cut back a little on my schedule for a while, but we’ll see. That’s why I wanted to take a few days now, so we can have some time to get used to each other.”

Artie let out a long sigh of relief. “That’s good. I want to be able to do things for myself, but most of my life, I’ve been told I can’t do things for myself. Both because of being a hybrid, and a disabled one, at that. But I don’t want to have to rely on someone else to do things I think I can do for myself.”

“That’s exactly what we’re going to try to find out,” Gabriel said. He sounded quite sincere. “I think there are probably a lot more things you can do for yourself than you realize. But if we find a limitation you can’t get past, we’ll do what we can to lessen it, or work things out some other way.”

“That’s good.” Artie was starting to get a little uncomfortable. He really wanted to change, and explore the house, but of course, even in his rabbit form, he couldn’t get too far on his own yet.

Gabriel observed him closely. “Are you ready to change?”

Artie nodded. “I’d like to. If not now, then soon.”

“I was planning on fixing dinner for us both. You can either change after that, or you can change now, and I’ll give you some food more appropriate for your rabbit form.”

Artie was really torn. Both sounded appealing. “What do you want me to do?” he asked, not used to having a choice.

“Whatever you want. If you stay human, you can ask me any questions you might have while I prepare dinner, and while we eat. Or, if you’ve had enough talking, and just need to stop thinking so much, that’s fine, too.”

He considered, then spoke up. “Yeah, I think I’d like to change, at least for a while.”

“That’s fine. For now, I’d like you to stay in the kitchen with me. I’m going to close to sliding door for now, but –“

Artie couldn’t help but laugh a bit. “I’m not going to get very far,” he said, pointing to his legs.

“Ah, true. I’ll leave the door open, then. But I’d prefer if you’d stay in here for now. After dinner, you can explore a little more, and I’ll be there if you need me.”

“Okay. I’ll probably change back before I go to bed, if that’s okay with you.” Gabriel had already shown him the very comfortable-looking, pillowy pet bed he could use, in the corner of Gabriel’s room. There was also a litter box, in case he needed it. The vet had explained that for now, until he was sure Artie could get around on his own, he’d rather have him sleep in the same room, if he was in his rabbit form.

“That’s fine. Do you want to stay in the chair, or did you want to be on the floor?”

“The floor. I’ll probably stay right under the table for now, and maybe take a nap, if that’s okay. So I won’t be in your way. You won’t need to look out for me underfoot,” he clarified.

“That’s fine.”

He carefully lifted Artie out of the chair, and set him down on the floor. Artie asked to be put down on his stomach, with his legs out behind him, as it was easier to sleep that way.

He was a little self-conscious about changing in front of Gabriel, but as a vet, he’d seen it lots of times, he was sure. He stretched and relaxed, and in moments he was a rabbit. The floor was a little cold underneath him, but he knew it would warm up soon.

The human moved one chair aside, and put it back where it was before. Now he had plenty of room to crawl under the table. He remembered what it had been like when his legs worked, and he could hop around with ease, but those days were long gone. Now he just wanted to turn his mind off, and sleep. Maybe things would be less confusing when he woke up.

Artie could hear the sounds of his human fixing food, but he wasn’t banging things around or making a lot of noise. He tensed a bit when big feet got close to the table, but the human was looking to see where he was first. Some things were set on the table, then the legs went away again. Shortly after that, he saw a couple of shiny dishes being set down on the floor.

“These are for you, Artie,” he heard. “Whenever you’re ready.’

His nose twitched. He slowly moved in the direction of the bowls. In one he found water, and the other contained shredded lettuce, and tiny shavings of carrots, mixed into the usual boring rabbit hybrid chow. He ate cautiously, until he realized that now the boring food was suddenly delicious!

“Don’t eat too fast,” he heard a voice from above. “You don’t want to get sick.”

As tempting as it was to just eat everything in sight as fast as he could, he realized he didn’t have to. Nobody was going to take it away from him, or make him so scared he couldn’t eat. He could take his time. Artie sighed in contentment as he ate the best meal he could ever remember having as a rabbit.

 

 

He was tired, and really wanted to sleep, but it was so quiet! And dark. Though there was a nightlight near the door, and that helped a little bit. He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, but he just couldn’t. He was warm enough, and the bed was comfortable, and the sheets and blankets soft. But he was alone. 

He glanced over at the clock next to the bed. He tapped the button at the top once, and the numbers glowed green. The numbers were huge, so he could see them well enough without his glasses. It wasn’t even midnight.

A while later, he heard a gentle tapping on his door.

“Come in,” he croaked, still not used to using his voice much. He reached over and touched the lamp with one finger, and it came on. He’d found if he touched it again, it would be brighter, and at its brightest if he touched it a third time. He put his glasses on so he could see more easily.

“I wanted to see if you were sleeping well,” Gabriel said. “I figured if you were asleep, you wouldn’t hear me.” He was wearing a bathrobe belted over dark pajamas.

“I’m having some trouble falling asleep,” he admitted. “It’s just really different. And so quiet,” he sighed. “It’s a nice change, but kind of weird.”

“The alarm clock is also a radio,” Gabriel pointed out. He showed him the buttons. “Do you want to try to find some music you might like?”

Artie grinned. He tried a number of stations, and finally settled on a classical one. He turned the volume way down. “This is good. There aren’t any words to distract me, and it’s not too loud.”

Gabriel nodded. “Whatever works for you. Is there anything else you need?”

“No, I think I’m good.”

“Okay. Let me get this down for you, just in case.” He pulled down another blanket, a soft fleece, and laid it near the foot of the bed, but off to one side, so Artie could reach it easily enough if he got cold.

“Thanks! You’re being really nice. I appreciate it.”

Gabriel’s brows furrowed for a moment, then he smiled. “I really do want you to be comfortable and happy here. If you need anything, press the intercom button.”

Artie glanced at the intercom next to the alarm clock. He hoped he didn’t mix them up by accident. But at least the intercom had a large red button to push if he wanted to get Gabriel’s attention.

“Thanks. I’ll get used to this,” he added quickly. “It just might take a while. Even though the others didn’t like me all that much, and I didn’t really like them too much, either, they understood. I wasn’t the only one, you know?”

Gabriel nodded. He leaned against the doorframe. Artie could really only see his outline, but it was still comforting to have someone there.

“I know. That’s why I’m hoping you’ll be able to spend some time with Kurt, and also Mandy. I know you’ve never met her, but she needs friends, too. And –“ He hesitated, his voice a little bit rougher. “Her owner, Julia, is a friend of mine. Er, that is, we’ve been dating. I’m not sure where that’s going to go yet, but I think we’d both feel better if you and Mandy could get along, than if you didn’t.”

Artie nodded, though he wasn’t sure Gabriel could see him that well, either. “That’s cool. Yeah, I’d like to meet more hybrids. Kurt and I got along pretty well, so we probably still will. Unless he’s changed a lot in the last month or so.”

“Well, he has, in some ways, but I don’t think it’s anything that will affect your friendship. But his relationship with Adam is very different from yours and mine, and Adam is trying to make Kurt as independent as possible.”

“Really?” Artie’s eyebrows disappeared under his bangs. “Independent?” he repeated.

“Well, as much as possible,” Gabriel repeated. “So Kurt has a lot more freedom of speech, for instance, than you’re probably used to.” He closed his mouth and tightened his lips as he looked at Artie’s expression. “You and I are going to have to work out what seems comfortable for both of us, but you’ll have more freedom here, in this house, than when we’re out in public. And even when you’re at the office, things will need to be a little more reserved. I suppose more like what you’re used to at the pet store.”

Artie frowned, but nodded in resignation. He’d hoped things might be different, but –

“I’m sorry, I’m not expressing it all that well,” Gabriel said. “It’s not that we’re going to be breaking any laws here, but possibly bending the rules a bit. But we’ll need to be careful when we’re around other people who might expect a bit more traditional behavior.”

“Okay.” Artie didn’t want to hope too much, in case he was disappointed, but it sounded like things would at least be better here at home. In the vet’s home. He still wasn’t used to thinking of this huge place as his home. He didn’t want to even start considering it a forever home until he was sure Gabriel wouldn’t decide he’d made a mistake and send him back to the store.

“Anyway, it’s late, so let’s both try to get some sleep. If you need anything you can’t reach easily be sure to turn on the light before trying to get into the wheelchair. And if you need any kind of help, please ask. I’d rather you wake me up than take a chance on you falling or getting hurt.”

“Thanks. I should be able to sleep through the night. I hope.”

“I’ll come in and give you some advance notice before breakfast, so you have time to get ready. If you wake up before I come in, feel free to get up if you want. But if you need help, let me know.”

“Whatever is best for you. I don’t want to put you to any trouble,” Artie said.

“Don’t worry about that yet. Try to get some sleep. Good night.”

“Good night. And thanks, Gabriel.” Artie was proud of himself for remembering to call his owner by his name.

“You’re welcome.”

Artie turned off the light and tried to relax. He really was tired. The classical music was soothing, and it helped him feel a little less alone.


	89. Chapter 89

Kurt didn’t want to admit it, but he was a little nervous to see Artie again. They used to be friends, sort of, but what would it be like now? Artie would have more of a choice of friends now, so he might not want to hang around with him any more. He mentioned this to Adam as they drove to Gabriel’s house.

“Well, think about it this way. You’ve had some time to make new friends now, but you still want to spend time with him, right?”

He considered it a moment. “I think so. I mean, I do. But what if it’s too confusing for him? What if you’re more relaxed about things than Gabriel, and Artie might get confused about how he’s supposed to behave, and then say or do the wrong thing when they’re in public, then someone will report them and he’ll get in trouble and might –“

“Breathe, darling,” Adam instructed him.

Kurt shut up and tried to concentrate on just breathing, taking air in, and letting it out very slowly, until he was calmer.

Adam glanced over at him briefly before returning his gaze to the road. “Do you feel better now?” he asked.

“Yes and no.” At Adam’s confused look, he added, “Yes, I’m breathing easier, but no, I’m still worried about Artie.”

“Do you really think Gabriel is going to let him get in trouble?”

He realized Adam was right. “No. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.”

“Right. Now why don’t you take a few minutes to think about what you want to say to Artie when you see him.”

Kurt knew that was a good idea, because he didn’t want to say the wrong thing right from the start. And he had no idea what to say.

Gabriel greeted them at the door, then added, “I’ve already given Artie permission to answer either of you, and talk to either of you, without going through me. And I wanted to check ahead of time, Kurt, and let you know it’s fine with me if you and Artie want to change to your animal forms later.”

Kurt heaved a huge sigh of relief. “Yes, please. Adam, that’s okay, isn’t it?”

“Of course. Gabriel and I can talk while you and Artie are playing, or whatever.”

Gabriel brought them into the living room, where Artie was waiting.

Even though it had only been a little over a month since they’d seen each other, Kurt was surprised to see Artie hadn’t changed at all. He was wearing slightly nicer clothes, but that was it. Somehow, Kurt had been expecting him to look a lot older. Maybe because he felt like he’d grown up, himself, quite a bit since leaving the pet store. Artie had only had a few days to make any real changes.

Gabriel said, “Artie, our guests are here. I’m sure you remember Adam?”

“Uh-huh. Yes, sir. Hi, Mr. Adam,” he recited dutifully, though he only glanced at him before looking at Kurt.

“Hello, Artie. I hope you’re doing well. And you can call me Adam.”

Artie nodded once. “Thanks, Adam.”

Kurt smiled and greeted his friend. “Hi, Artie. You look good. How are you doing?”

“I’m good.” Artie’s shoulders relaxed a bit, and his face smoothed out. “So glad to be out of there, and I really like it here.” He glanced up at Gabriel, and looked worried.

“Why don’t we all sit down?”

Gabriel indicated the sofa, so both Kurt and Adam sat down. Artie was in a spiffy-looking wheelchair that looked much more comfortable than the one at New Directions.

“Can I get anyone anything to drink? Lemonade, soda, coffee, or tea?” he offered.

Kurt looked at Adam, who nodded, and spoke up. “I’d love some lemonade. Kurt?”

“Yes, thank you, lemonade,” he agreed.

Gabriel looked at Artie, who licked his lips. “Yeah, thanks, I’d really like some, too.”

“I’ll be right back. Please go ahead and talk among yourselves.”

Now it was just the three of them. He was pretty sure Adam was waiting for the two of them to talk. Kurt thought he knew a good question to break the ice.

“How do you like your new wheelchair? Can you get around by yourself in it?”

Artie laughed, sounding only a little nervous. “I’m still trying to get used to it, but it’s awesome. This one’s manual, but a lot better than my old one. Gabriel said maybe I should get used to this one first, then we’ll get a power chair.”

“That’s great! And I love the color.”

Artie glanced down, his hand moving to caress the side of the chair. “Most of the ones we saw were black, but this one came with a choice of colors. I liked the metallic green, and they already had it in stock.” He held up his left hand. “I’ve also got gloves now, which make it easier to move it.” He peeled the gloves off and set them in his lap, so he could hold his glass more easily.

Adam spoke up. “I love it! Soon you’ll be able to race up and down the halls at Gabriel’s office!”

Kurt and Artie both gave him astonished looks, and his brow furrowed.

“Maybe that’s not such a hot idea, now that I think about it. But it should be more comfortable, anyway.”

“It is!” Artie agreed. “It’s got a four-inch thick foam seat, which my butt really appreciates. I mean –“ he blushed, then continued, “the other one has very little padding, and I’d get sore after being in it for just a little while. It makes a big difference.”

Gabriel came in, carrying an oddly-shaped tray, that had a cut-out section on one side. It carried four glasses of lemonade. He set it on the coffee table, and handed them each a glass and a napkin, before attaching the tray to Artie’s chair. The cut-out was for his body, so he could easily reach the glass again once he set it down.

Gabriel picked up his own glass and sat in the wing chair between the sofa and Artie’s chair.

“I agree, it’s not a good idea for Artie to go racing around the hallways, at work or here, but maybe when we go to the park, if there aren’t a lot of people or other hybrids or animals to get in the way, he can really test it out. I can jog along next to you with your leash.”

“I can’t wait to go to the park! I haven’t had much chance to be outside, in a long time.”

Adam looked thoughtful. “Maybe we should try that, too, sometime, Kurt. If you want a chance to run a bit outside. As a human or cat.”

Kurt thought that sounded like a great idea. He loved being able to really stretch his legs, but hadn’t had much opportunity to run. He really liked the treadmills at the gym. It was the closest thing to running he’d done since leaving New Directions. There it was only running laps around the fenced-in back yard, but at least it was something.

Gabriel said, “He’ll also need a harness, around his chest. As a cat, I mean. It will be easier for both of you, if you’re not pulling on a collar that’s just around his neck.”

“I’ve seen those, at the pet store,” Kurt clarified. “But I thought they were for big dogs.”

“They have them in different sizes. It’s just so you’ve got the straps around your back and chest, rather than your neck. You’re less likely to get hurt that way,” Gabriel explained. “It might be better for you as a human, too, if you’re running in that form.”

“What about me? Will I need a different kind or collar or leash?” Artie asked. “If I’m being walked in public, as a rabbit, I mean.”

“I don’t think so. You’ll be strapped into the cart, and we can attach a metal ring or something onto the cart, perhaps.”

Artie turned to face Kurt.

“Gabriel showed me your designs for a cart to use when I’m in rabbit form,” Artie mentioned. “I liked them. I think it’s a great idea.”

“Oh, good! I was hoping they might be helpful.” It was a relief to know Artie liked the drawings.

“Maybe,” Gabriel suggested, “the two of you can look at the designs together, and try to figure out what will work best. I can have something made to order.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Artie agreed.

They both drank more lemonade, clearly unsure how to proceed.

“Kurt, why don’t you tell Artie a little about what you’ve been doing since Adam adopted you,” Gabriel suggested. “Maybe it will give him some ideas on how he might want to spend his time.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Artie agreed.

“Well, let’s see…Adam’s been trying to help me with my reading. Gabriel figured out I need glasses to read. It made a huge difference,” Kurt sighed.

“I can see how it might.” Artie smiled, and pushed his own glasses back a little further.

“We’ve been singing, and Adam has a piano.”

“Nice!”

“Maybe the two of you can sing a duet sometime?” Adam suggested. “Or maybe you can come over – and Gabriel, too --” he added quickly, “when the Apples are there sometime. Tell Artie about the Apples,” he suggested, off Artie’s puzzled look.

“Oh, yeah!” Kurt grinned at the thought of Adam’s friends…maybe his friends now, too. “They’re a show choir group Adam put together in college, and they still get together and sing sometimes, even though Adam’s not part of the group anymore, because he already graduated,” Kurt explained.

“That’s cool! So you sing with them sometimes?” he asked Kurt.

“Uh-huh. Well, one time I did. That was at Adam’s house. I don’t know who’s hosting the next one, or if they’ll want me there.”

Adam rolled his eyes. “It’s Jessica. What do you think?”

Kurt blushed. “Yeah, I guess she won’t mind.”

“I have a feeling if I don’t bring you, she’s going to send me home to get you,” Adam sighed. He really didn’t sound too unhappy about it.

Kurt told Artie about meeting the members of Adam’s group, and how scared he’d been, until he realized he didn’t need to be.

“They really weren’t upset with me being there. Nobody said anything insulting. They were just curious, and some of them didn’t know much at all about hybrids.”

“Gabriel, I didn’t think to ask your permission for Artie to visit. I’m sorry. You might not think it’s a good idea,” Adam added.

Gabriel shook his head. “No, no, that’s fine. I actually think it’s a good idea, if you want to do it, Artie.”

“Um, it sounds like fun. How many people will there be?”

“About a dozen, give or take,” Adam explained. “There were only seven at the last one.”

“Maybe it will be good for them to meet another hybrid, so Kurt isn’t the only one they know,” Gabriel said thoughtfully. “But you might want to check with them first, because it sounds like it’s as much about old friends getting together, as it is about singing. It can be difficult to bring new people into an established group of friends.”

“True. I don’t think it will be a problem, but I’ll ask. I think they’ll like having another voice, even though neither Artie nor Kurt can officially join the group.”

“I don’t think I’d want to really join a group,” Artie spoke up. “I didn’t really like being part of New Directions. I like to sing, but the way people reacted to us, and the way Mr. Will ran things, it made me really uncomfortable.”

“Me, too,” Kurt agreed.

Adam leaned forward and gazed earnestly at Artie. “Actually, I think you’ll have the best of both worlds. You’ll get to occasionally sing with a group of people, just for fun, and only if you want to. If you don’t know a song, you don’t have to sing. You won’t have to perform in front of a crowd, and there won’t be any of the stress of an actual performance. If you make a mistake or forget the words, it’s no big deal. Some in the group might laugh or tease you about it, but we’ve all done things like that…skipped to the wrong verse, or messed up the choreography, things like that.”

“There’s choreography?” Artie looked worried again. He glanced down at his chair. “I’m not sure I can do that. Mr. Will would just pretty much park me in the chair and the others had to dance around me. It made me really –“ He sighed. “What’s the word?” He looked up at the ceiling as he tried to figure it out.

“Self-conscious?” Kurt suggested.

“Yeah. Too aware of myself, and I’d think everyone was staring at me, because I was literally in the way.”

Adam grinned broadly and slapped his own knee. “Well, guess what? There are people who find a way to dance in a wheelchair, and can move all around the stage. Yes, the other performers have to be aware of where you are, and where you’re supposed to be, so they don’t run into you, and you need to know the same so you don’t run into them. It takes a lot of practice, but it can be done.”

“Really? I always thought it looked like a lot of fun when I see other people dancing,” Artie said wistfully, “but I just figured it was something I’d never be able to do. Maybe this would be a compromise?”

“Let’s look into it,” Gabriel suggested.

“Hey, I wonder if there’s any classes like that at the gym?” Kurt mused aloud. “Or maybe Jerry or Daniel might know someone who can do that, or can teach Artie?”

Gabriel merely raised an eyebrow, and waited for Adam to speak.

“That’s a fantastic idea, Kurt! I’ll call tomorrow and find out.” He explained to Gabriel, “They’re the owners of the gym, and they’re sort of becoming friends. They’re very nice guys, and if they don’t know about wheelchair dancing themselves, they can probably help us find someone who does.”

“Artie and I can talk about maybe joining the same gym,” Gabriel suggested. “It might be good for both of us.” He looked over at Artie and smiled kindly. “I’ll explain more about it later, but Adam found a gym that he and Kurt can go to together. They welcome hybrids and their owners.”

“A gym? But I can’t – I’m not –“ Artie looked helplessly down at his legs, and balled up his fists. “There aren’t many exercises I can really do.”

Gabriel leaned closer and kept his voice cheerful. “Well, let’s try it and see. There are some exercises I’m going to teach you, that will help strengthen your muscles and keep you healthy. Maybe there are other things that might help. I really think at least physical therapy is in order, but maybe…well, we’ll see.” Artie still looked skeptical, so he added, “If you really don’t like it, I won’t insist we go. But let’s give it a try first, okay?”

Artie nodded, but didn’t give a verbal answer.

“They’re really nice guys, Artie,” Kurt stressed. “Nobody’s gonna make fun of you there, or give you a bad time. The staff won’t tolerate it.”

“Really?” Artie sighed, and Kurt could tell he didn’t want to be too negative. But he probably didn’t want to get his hopes up, either.

“It’s true,” Adam spoke up. “They won’t allow bullying of any kind, or anyone deliberately trying to make you uncomfortable. If you don’t mind, I can give them a little background, and it might make it easier for them to figure out the best ways to help you.”

Artie nodded. “Okay.”

Seeing that they were through with their drinks, Gabriel suggested Artie and Kurt change. “If you want to, but don’t feel obligated,” he emphasized.

“Sure. It should be fun,” Kurt agreed.

“Yeah, that would be nice,” Artie said.

Gabriel removed the tray. “Let’s go down to the playroom. I’ve cleared away anything breakable from there.”

 

 

Gabriel let Artie lead. He seemed to be wheeling himself along pretty well. They got to a sliding door off the kitchen, and Adam saw a ramp leading down to what he assumed was originally a basement. Artie easily reached down and pressed a rocker switch. It looked like he might be able to reach it in rabbit form, too, because it was low to the ground, but not out of reach of the wheelchair. 

“There’s another switch higher up for me or other people,” Gabriel pointed out.

They let Artie get down the ramp first. It wasn’t very steep, but it was pretty long. The area was mostly a long hallway, with a doorway to the right that looked like it led to a laundry room. At the far end of the hallway, after the ramp ended, Adam saw some large shelves on the right side of the hall being used for storage. To the left, Adam could see there was another sliding door, though it was pushed into the doorframe at the moment.

“If you wouldn’t mind taking your shoes off, please, before we get to the playroom,” Gabriel suggested. “You can put them here. There are slippers if you want them, Adam, but Kurt, I don’t think you’ll be in human form for long.”

“Nope,” Kurt agreed.

Adam and Kurt soon had their shoes off. Adam accepted the offer of a pair of slippers, still wrapped. There was a small barrel of them to the right of the doorway. “They’re disposable, and I can get them in bulk,” Gabriel mentioned. “I want to keep the floor as sanitary as possible.”

Considering Artie would spend a lot of his rabbit-time on that floor, Adam thought it made a lot of sense.

Just beyond the barrel were more bookshelves. There weren’t a lot of books there yet, but he had a feeling that would change.

Artie pressed another light switch outside the doorway, and rolled into the playroom. The lights were recessed into the ceiling. They slowly followed behind Artie. He’d parked his wheelchair just to the right of the doorway. The end of the room was just a yard or so behind it. The carpeting was very low pile, presumably stain guarded in some way, medium gray in color. There were three large beanbag chairs, in red, green and yellow. They were the only real spots of color in the room.

Artie was grinning from ear to ear. “I love this room,” he said in a hushed voice. “I want to live down here.”

Gabriel sighed, but it sounded more fond than exasperated.

“We’ve discussed it, and I’d rather keep the playroom and his room separate.”

“This is so cool!” Kurt exclaimed. “It’s huge!”

“It gets better!” Artie crowed, pointing to the far end of the room. They could see a wide doorway in the far wall. “You guys need to check out the bathroom down here!”

Gabriel slid the door open, and flipped on the light switch. He stood aside and let Adam and Kurt check out the room. It took up the length of the entire wall, but was still fairly wide. Directly ahead of them were a couple of sinks. One was on a pedestal, but fairly low to the ground. There was room for a wheelchair to get close. Next to it was a row of shelves, and some drawers underneath that. All were low enough to accommodate Artie’s wheelchair, yet would be accessible by someone standing as well. 

“Yes. It was originally designed as a utility sink, but I had it refinished.”

Beneath that sink, pushed against the back of the wall, was a large mat, with a clean litterbox on top of it. One side was very low. He could see shredded newspaper as well as what he presumed was rabbit litter. It didn’t look much different to him than cat litter.

To the left, there was another wide doorway, with the sliding door pushed into the frame. They could see a toilet, and grab bars on the walls to both sides and behind it. This area took up that entire end of the bathroom. Adam judged there would be plenty of room for Artie to transfer off the wheelchair safely.

The entire far right of the room was taken up by a huge shower, which looked like it was made from actual marble. The color was variegated shades of beige, tan and brown, and it was lovely. The floor inclined on all sides, to drain near the showerhead at one end. The rest of the floor was level. There was a bench along two sides of the shower, but there was still room to get a wheelchair inside, where Artie could transfer from the chair to the bench. There were also water jets located at different heights along the wall under the showerhead. There was a panel of buttons a little above the level of the bench, next to the water jets.

“Artie can press the numbered buttons, which correspond to the different jets,” Gabriel explained. “He can have one or all of them on. Pressing the button once turns one on, at low pressure. Increasing the number of presses to the button increases the pressure. Pressing and holding the button for five seconds will turn off the jet.”

“Oh, my God! Adam –“

Kurt was a comical cross of ecstatic and envious, but Adam knew he daren’t laugh.

“Sorry, Kurt, I don’t know if we can renovate either of the bathrooms that much,” he said. “Though if we ever move, I’ll keep it in mind.” He didn’t hide the regret in his own voice. It looked like the most awesome shower he’d ever seen.

They went back into the main room. Adam sat in the green beanbag, and watched as Gabriel helped Artie out of the chair, and onto the floor. Kurt stood off to one side, biting his lip and furrowing his brow, but Artie was soon out of the chair. Gabriel pushed it near the door, next to the red beanbag at the far end, and sat in the yellow one. Despite having long legs, Adam thought it was quite comfortable.

There was now a huge expanse of floor. Adam estimated that the room took up the equivalent of the living room and maybe more than that.

“Does this take up most of the same space as the house?” he wondered aloud.

Gabriel nodded. “With the laundry room, and a sort of workroom, yes. I had originally thought this might be a good guest apartment for my parents, but my mother prefers being on the same level as everything else. My dad thinks it’s nice, but of course, now they’re perfectly fine with Artie, and his friends, using it instead.”

“This is a fantastic idea.” Adam didn’t mention that it was a shame that Artie didn’t literally have the run of the room, since he couldn’t move that well as a rabbit. But maybe once he got a cart set up for him, it would be different. But at least there was nothing hard, except the wheelchair, that he or Kurt could bang into or trip over.

Adam tried to watch both Kurt and Artie change, but he couldn’t even pinpoint who changed first, let alone how it happened. Gabriel lifted the rabbit out of the chair, and set him on the floor, with his legs out behind him. Adam had seen him in that position before, and thought it looked uncomfortable, though it didn’t seem to bother Artie.

The rabbit stayed right where he was, leaning forward a bit to sniff at Kurt. The cat slowly inched forward, tail twitching. Adam hoped he wouldn’t pounce on Artie, even as a playful gesture.

Soon they were rubbing noses, though they both seemed a bit wary. Kurt’s tail was now wrapped around himself. Artie was quivering, probably in fear, Adam thought.

Gabriel sat in the same beanbag he had before, where he and Adam could easily talk.

“I’m sure they’ll be alright,” Gabriel explained, keeping his eyes on the hybrids, “but I just want to be here to supervise. Maybe another time they can play in another room. But until Artie is more mobile, I don’t want him to feel trapped or scared.”

“Kurt won’t hurt him,” Adam protested, hoping that was true. Human Kurt wouldn’t, but he knew a lot less about what went on in kitty Kurt’s mind. Cats were predators after all.

“I didn’t think he would.”

They watched the two animals warily sniffing each other. Kurt’s ears twitched more than Artie’s did, and Kurt had more of a tail to move expressively. Still, Artie’s nose and tail twitched, and he made some sounds that seemed like an inquiry.

“Can they understand each other like this?” Adam whispered.

“Let’s find out.”

Kurt meeped at him, and Artie shook his head. They seemed to be talking at each other more than to each other, and Artie’s entire head drooped. Kurt’s tail was swishing back and forth, a sign of annoyance. Then Kurt butted Artie’s head with his, and the rabbit looked up at him. They were close to the same size, though Artie was a bit smaller. Kurt crouched down with his butt up in the air, his tail slowly lashing.

Artie looked at him warily.

Kurt leaped up into the air and over Artie.

“Not fair,” Adam called out, annoyed that Kurt would be so inconsiderate.

Artie had looked scared for a moment, but now he just looked disappointed.

Kurt lowered his head and slunk back over to Artie, and started grooming his ears, using his tongue. Artie’s body was quivering for a moment, then he relaxed, and let Kurt do his thing.

“They seem to be getting along okay,” Adam observed. He relaxed slightly. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust either of them, but this was a new environment, for both of them. He had no idea how rabbits tried to establish their ownership of a place, or their dominance, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to witness it, either.

Kurt finally stopped his grooming. Adam didn’t really see any difference in Artie’s ears, but he was far enough away that he supposed they looked different to Kurt. Artie nuzzled Kurt’s face for a moment, but didn’t attempt to return the grooming. Adam relaxed further.

Gabriel stood up. Both animals turned their heads towards him and tensed slightly. “I’m just going to get one of Artie’s toys.”

“I happen to have a couple of Kurt’s toys with me,” Adam added. Kurt meeped at him, his voice rising at the end as though it were a question.

“You’ll see in a minute,” he promised, opening the small backpack he’d brought. He was relieved he and Gabriel had discussed this ahead of time. It would be interesting to see if they shared their toys willingly, or each played with their own. Hopefully there would be no misunderstandings of ownership later.

He ignored Roo, for the moment, thinking perhaps getting Kurt high on catnip wasn’t the best idea at the moment. He brought out Harriet, and the bright ping pong ball. When Gabriel came back, Adam showed them to him. He shook his head at the ping pong ball and Adam put it back. Now that he thought about it, while Kurt might enjoy it, Artie might be frustrated that he couldn’t play much with it, even if Kurt let him. He bent down and put a large, plush carrot in front of Artie. Within seconds of Artie biting down on it and holding it with his paws, he realized it had a squeaker inside.

Naturally, Kurt was fascinated with the noise. He meeped a couple of times and looked over at Adam with a pleading expression.

“I suppose you want a squeaky toy, now?” Adam asked in resignation.

Kurt waved his tail back and forth and nodded his head. He blinked slowly a couple of times.

“Sorry,” Gabriel murmured to Adam. “I hope you don’t mind the noise.”

“It’s fine. Looks like I’d better get used to it, anyway.”

Kurt just watched Artie chew on the carrot. Adam was 99% certain he wouldn’t try to take it away from his friend.

“Kurt, do you want Harriet?” he called out.

The kitty was at his feet in a flash, standing up and putting his paws on Adam’s knees. Adam opened his hand, and let Kurt delicately take the mouse in his jaws. He flipped his tail in a jaunty “thanks” and ran back to sit close to Artie. After a moment, he laid down, and started grooming Harriet thoroughly.

Artie stopped playing with the carrot and looked over. His ears came up slightly, then went back down again. He returned to his own toy.

“I need to find some actual activities for Artie,” Gabriel mentioned, keeping a careful eye on the two hybrids. “He can drag himself along on the floor, but it takes a long time, and it doesn’t really seem like fun for him. I really wish he could run and jump and hop around like he’s meant to.”

“I can’t imagine how I’d feel if it were Kurt.”

Gabriel looked at him curiously, and he continued. “I mean, I’m sure I would still have adopted him, but I’d feel so bad for him. I thought about adopting Artie, actually, before I met Kurt. At the time, I thought I really wouldn’t be able to properly care for him. But it makes me think, if something happened to Kurt, I’d do whatever I could to make him comfortable and help him adapt.”

Gabriel nodded. “I’m glad you adopted Kurt. I think the two of you are well-suited to one another. I really enjoy Artie’s company, and I’m also intrigued by the challenge of helping him become more independent. I’m not sure he’s ready to be as independent as Kurt,” he continued, “but it’s a shame that they made him so dependent on others at the store. We’re finding that there are a lot of things that Artie can do on his own, or with the right type of equipment, that he never realized he could do.”

“He already seems more confident than when I saw him last,” Adam watched the animals playing, then lowered his voice. “I hope they can’t hear us, or haven’t been listening.”

“I have a feeling they’re paying more attention to each other than us. I’m glad they’re playing nicely together. I was afraid Kurt might try to dominate Artie, and I don’t want him to be uncomfortable in his own home.”

Adam shook his head. “If anything, I’d say he’s more likely to be protective of him, than try to scare or intimidate him.”

Artie grasped the toy between his paws, and threw it up in the air. He raised himself up as much as he could, and it was clear he intended to catch it in his mouth. The toy sailed right past him, well out of reach. Making grumbling sounds to himself, Artie slowly started to crawl across the carpet to where the toy was, a couple of yards away. Adam and Gabriel waited to see what would happen.

The toy had landed closer to Kurt than Artie. He looked at the carrot curiously, then got up and approached it. He sniffed at it. Artie tensed up, and then tried to move faster.

Kurt merely batted the carrot away, so it landed much closer to Artie. He only had to move a few more inches to get to it.

Adam was pretty sure the vocal exchange that followed were the equivalent of, “thanks” and “you’re welcome.”

“That was a relief,” Gabriel murmured.

“They’re not really playing together,” Adam observed. “I kind of thought they would.”

“Well, I was just thinking about that. I’m not sure how much they can do at the moment. What does Kurt do when he plays with your neighbor’s cat?”

“Misty? Well, they roll around, chase each other through the apartment, jump all over the place, play in Misty’s treehouse thingy… Oh. Stupid. Of course Artie can’t do those things.”

“You’re not stupid,” Gabriel scolded him lightly. “You just haven’t spent a lot of time around Artie yet. Neither have I, really, but I’m learning. I’d love it if he had full mobility and could do all the normal things he should be able to do, and have fun while getting exercise at the same time. He can exercise a bit better when he’s human, actually. But we’ll have to experiment, and see how much he actually can play. He could climb into a treehouse, if it had a ramp instead of stairs, maybe.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Adam commented. “I’m a little concerned. Kurt isn’t usually this quiet. I mean, he doesn’t stay in one place for very long when he’s a cat, unless he’s taking a nap.”

“It’s nice that he’s pacing himself for Artie. I’m going to look into getting a cart as soon as I can. He and Kurt still need to look at those drawings together.”

“Maybe before we leave, if they’re both ready to change by then.”

Gabriel glanced at his watch. “I didn’t really ask before. How long can you stay? Would you like to stay for dinner? It would be no trouble.”

“Well, we don’t have any specific plans, so thank you. I’m sure it will be okay with Kurt, but I’ll check with him when he changes.”

“I don’t want to wear Artie out, or overwhelm him with too much going on with new people at once, but I figured since he already knows Kurt, it shouldn’t be too upsetting.”

“If he doesn’t like the idea, we’ll just leave, it’s no trouble either way.” Adam was determined to go along with whatever both hybrids wanted, at the moment. Assuming they both wanted the same thing, that is.

“I want to change the subject for a bit,” Gabriel said. He glanced at the two animals on the floor, but they were playing quietly next to each other, acting very companionable. “I wanted to discuss the next meeting of our ‘gardening club’. I was thinking we might be able to have it here, this Sunday.”

“This Sunday? It’s awfully short notice, isn’t it? It’s okay for us, but won’t other people need more time to plan?” He wasn’t sure how many people would be able to make it on such short notice.

“Well, I’ve contacted a couple of people already. Let me explain what I have in mind. Maybe we can divide the phone calls between us.”

Adam agreed. He’d already given some thought to whom he might want to invite to meetings in the future. If they couldn’t make it this time, there was always the next meeting.

 

 

After a while, Kurt heard Gabriel call out to Artie, asking if they were ready to change back. He normally would have liked to stay in cat form a few hours longer, but he wanted to see what his friend wanted to do. 

Artie seemed tired or frustrated, and changed back to human almost immediately. Kurt looked over at Adam, who nodded at him. He meeped his annoyance, but thought it was probably too quiet for anyone but Artie to hear. He got a small smile in response from his friend. He changed back, and helped Artie get into his wheelchair when Gabriel brought it over.

“Artie, I’ve invited Adam and Kurt to stay for dinner. Is that alright with you?”

The question wasn’t that complicated, but Kurt could easily remember how confusing it was, when he was first adopted, to be asked for his preference in things like that.

“Sure, it’s fine. I mean, I’d like that,” Artie added.

“Kurt? What do you think?”

He supposed Adam was just trying to be polite. “I’d like that, sure.”

“Good. Gabriel suggested you two might want to look at your drawings together. Perhaps you can do that, while I help Gabriel prepare dinner? That is, if you want help,” he asked with a broad smile.

“It will certainly go faster that way,” Gabriel acknowledged. “That sounds like a good idea. You boys can clean up now, or just before dinner, whichever you’d like. Kurt, there’s a guest bathroom just down the hall on the right.”

They made their way slowly back upstairs.

Kurt liked to freshen up after changing, though he didn’t always get to do it. He had his messenger bag with him, and he carried a travel toothbrush and toothpaste in there, as well as a comb, individually wrapped moist towelettes, and a few other things, so he could be comfortable when away from home. He’d already put Harriet in the bag so she wouldn’t get left behind.

Artie shrugged. “I can wait.”

“Me too,” Kurt agreed.

Gabriel spread out the designs on the kitchen table. “As soon as you’re through, we’ll put those away, and Adam can set the table for me. I imagine you’ll both need more time than we will to clean up.”

“Thank you,” Kurt sighed.

He and Artie looked at the designs together, and he pointed out what he saw as the advantages and disadvantages of each. Artie pointed out a couple of things he hadn’t thought about, and they soon agreed on one design, with a couple of modifications. Kurt took a pencil and large eraser out of his bag, and soon had made the changes. Adam and Gabriel came over to take a look.

“That looks very useful,” Gabriel commented. “I think I know someone who can put it together for me.”

“You don’t want me to do it?” Kurt asked, before he thought better of it. It wasn’t his place to offer his services for anything.

Gabriel hesitated only a moment. “It’s not that I don’t think you could do it, Kurt. If Adam is willing to let you try, it’s okay with me. But it seems to me you both have so many other obligations right now, or other projects. I’d hate to see you have your attention so divided that you’re not satisfied with the results of anything.”

That made sense to Kurt, so he nodded.

“I have to agree with Gabriel. But, since it’s your design, I do think we should get it patented, to be on the safe side.”

“I don’t know if it can be patented in Kurt’s name, but I can ask Julia.”

Adam grumbled a bit, but agreed. “I also think perhaps we can take a little bit of time for you to check it out before it’s finalized, and I suppose Artie should be able to try it out, as well, before you pay for it, Gabriel.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

Kurt was relieved when they were dismissed shortly after that, to get cleaned up for dinner. He left the designs with Gabriel, in case they wanted to change anything else later on. He wasn’t sure how he felt about someone else doing the work. He wanted to do it himself, but Adam and Gabriel were right, he probably would be too distracted by everything else, and he didn’t want Artie to have anything less than the best cart, no matter who made it. He thought Adam was trying to protect him, so whoever built it wouldn’t get credit for the design, and maybe make money by making more carts, but if they could help other disabled hybrids, or animals, why not? He supposed they’d have to talk about it later. He wrote his concern down mentally, and put it in the LATER box he’d stored in the back of his mind.

 

 

On their way home later that night, Adam went into more detail about his concerns. 

“Don’t forget, tomorrow night we’re going to Lily’s benefit. It might be fun, and just think, you’ll be able to hear first-hand what people think about the dress you made for her.”

“That’s true. Maybe some good comments as well as the bad ones.”

Adam sighed. “Turn that around. Maybe the occasional bad comment, but I think most of them will be good. I don’t know as much about fashion as you, but I do know an absolute sartorial disaster when I see one, and that dress looked beautiful. It also suits Lily very well. So please don’t worry about that. But you’ll need some time to get ready for that, to make sure you’re happy with what you’re wearing and all that.”

Kurt nodded absently, starting to think about wearing the black suit in public for the first time.

Adam said, “I have an errand to run in the afternoon, so I’ll be leaving you alone for perhaps a couple of hours. But I’ll be back in time to get ready.”

“Okay. What do you need to get?”

“It's a surprise.”

“For me?”

“Yes, for you.” Adam sounded so pleased and indulgent at the same time it rather alarmed Kurt.

“You don’t need to get me anything else, Adam, I’m fine, really. I appreciate it, but I don’t need anything.”

“You do need this. Now stop thinking about it, and just be surprised.”

“Okay.”

“That’s Saturday night. On Sunday evening, we’re going back to Gabriel’s for our next ‘gardening’ meeting. I think this one will be better attended than the last, but I have a lot of calls to make and e-mails to send.”

“What am I going to do while you’re doing that?” Kurt complained, already missing Adam though he was right next to him.

“You’ll figure something out. You can work on some clothes for yourself or me, or do more designs for the gym’s logo, or anything else you’ve already said you would do. And I think we need to give Hugo an answer. Perhaps on Monday.”

“Okay. I’ll figure something out.” Kurt realized he really was being given more freedom than the average hybrid.


	90. Chapter 90

When they got home, Adam spent about an hour sending out e-mails, while Kurt started looking through his sketches for outfits for the two of them. He wondered if there was anything he could work on that they could wear the next night. He found the lavender silk for Lily’s blouse, and the darker lavender silk for a skirt, and thought he should start working on that soon. He sorted through the material intended for himself and Adam, and started writing a list of his future sewing projects.

He was inspired when he saw the white jersey knit with black musical notes on it. He’d already determined they weren’t part of a song, just random notes that wouldn’t make sense if they were put together. But it did make a nice pattern. He remembered Adam had agreed they could have matching vests or ties.

Now the question was, which should he make? He thought perhaps ties would be best for the next night. But should he go ahead and make them, or ask Adam first? He didn’t think Adam would mind, and maybe once they were completed, he could show him what he had in mind.

He brought out the sewing machine, and got to work. He already had the pattern, so it didn’t take too long to cut the pieces and pin them together. He’d just started sewing when Adam got up from his chair.

“Kurt, can you hold off on that a moment?” he called out.

Somewhat reluctantly, Kurt turned off the sewing machine and turned to face Adam. He walked over so they could talk more easily.

Adam reached up and took his hand, squeezing it comfortingly.

Adam looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, darling, I thought I’d be through by now, but it’s taking longer to compose this than I thought. I’m trying to send blind carbon copies to everyone, so nobody has the complete list except me. I might be another half-hour to an hour, but I promise, after I get this e-mail sent out to everyone, we’ll spend some time together, doing whatever you want to do.”

“Really?” He already knew what he wanted to do. “Cuddling? And a massage?” Kurt suggested.

Adam blinked. “You want to change to cat form again?”

“No,” Kurt explained patiently. “I want to cuddle with you, as a human. Then I want you to give me a massage. And I’ll give you one. And I’m pretty sure that’s going to lead to sex.”

“Ah, I see,” Adam grinned. “Thank you for explaining. And I do believe you’re correct.”

Kurt knew he shouldn’t start anything right now, while Adam was busy, so he refrained from throwing himself on Adam’s lap and kissing him.

But maybe he could interrupt him just briefly, with something that wouldn’t distract them both.

“Hey, can you look at something for a minute? I’m working on something that maybe we both can wear to the fundraiser tomorrow.”

“Oh? Sure, let me see.”

Adam looked at the ties that were partially completed.

“These are fantastic, Kurt! Yes, let’s wear them tomorrow. Semi-matching black suits with matching ties. I like it.”

He grinned and kissed Kurt enthusiastically, then pulled away before Kurt had much chance to react.

“Sorry, love, let me get this off my mind, then I promise, I will pay so much attention to you tonight, you’ll wonder when I’m going to go write again and leave you alone.”

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Kurt answered, grinning.

“We’ll see.”

While he waited for Adam to finish his project, Kurt finished the ties. He was pleased with the results, and hoped Adam was, too. But he also felt like it would be okay if Adam wasn’t thrilled with them. It felt very satisfying to start and complete a project, and have something he could hold in his hands to show for it. The ties might not be up to the standard that Hugo would sell in his store, but Kurt wouldn’t feel ashamed to be seen in them, either.

He put the sewing machine away, and put all the scraps of material into a Ziploc bag, inside a larger one, which already held the scraps from Lily’s dress, and a tiny one that contained what was left from Bernard’s outfit. He wasn’t sure yet what he would do with all the scraps, but the material was too nice to just throw away. Once the bag with extra material was put away into his dresser drawer, along with the cloth he hadn’t used, he looked around his room to see if there was anything he could organize or tidy up.

He saw his friends sitting on his bed, looking lonely, and decided to spend some time with them. They might be a bit more comfortable with him in his cat form, but they knew him as a human as well, so they were willing to play. He used Phoebe as a pillow while he talked to them. He’d done that many times when he was younger, and she’d never objected. He wondered, sometimes, if she realized he wasn’t her baby, even in cat form, that she was his. He stroked her ears with one hand, and used the other to cradle Bernard and Harriet to him.

“You still need a dress, don’t you, Harriet? I’ll make one for you soon, I promise.” He thought Phoebe might feel left out without one. “I’ll make one for you, too, baby.” He tilted his head up as he spoke, to be sure she could hear him.

He told them about his day, and what Artie’s new home was like. They listened politely, then told him all the things they’d been up to while he was gone. My, they certainly were busy little creatures! He decided to tell Adam how much they appreciated Buckingham Palace, and having the run of it when Kurt wasn’t there to play with them.

He hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but before he knew it, he was wakened by the feeling of a larger body than any of his friends, wrapping around him. It felt so nice he almost wanted to go back to sleep. Almost.

“Hey, Adam.” He blinked sleepily at his boyfriend.

Adam kissed him softly, then pulled away slightly. “I’m sorry. I know you only had a short nap before going to Gabriel and Artie’s, so I didn’t want to wake you up. But you did say you wanted to cuddle.”

“What’s that?” Kurt turned his head slightly away from Adam. “Oh! Phoebe says you can use her for a pillow, too, she doesn’t mind.”

Adam reached up awkwardly and petted the plush cat. “Thank you, Phoebe, but I think Kurt and I will take our cuddling to our own bed.”

Kurt laughed, and Adam grinned at the sound. “That is, if you don’t object.”

“No, I don’t think this bed is going to be big enough for the five of us. Now with what I have in mind.”

Adam sat up, bringing Kurt with him. “Then let’s get your friends set up comfortably. I’d really like to see what you’ve got planned.”

They arranged the smaller animals so they were resting against Phoebe. “See you later,” Kurt called out to them as he and Adam walked out of the room.

He told Adam, “I think Phoebe is disappointed she can’t have any babies of her own. She used to comfort me when I was little, and after Mom died, Phoebe did her best to be my mom, especially when I was in cat form. But now that I’m grown up and I’ve got you to take care of me, she’s being a mom to Harriet and Bernard.”

He wasn’t sure how to interpret the expression on Adam’s face, as he’d never seen it before. Then his face smoothed out as he pulled Kurt even closer. It made walking a little bit awkward, but Kurt didn’t mind.

“Well, I shall have to thank her later, for being so good to you when you didn’t have your own mother. And as far as I can tell, she’s doing an excellent job with Harriet and Bernard.”

Kurt nodded. “She is. They were telling me earlier how much they enjoy Buckingham Palace when we’re not in there, and they wanted to thank you for giving them such a nice playground.”

Adam frowned again, and when his lips curved into a smile, his eyes still looked troubled. “I’m glad they’re enjoying it as well as you. But I was thinking, perhaps in your next appointment with Gabriel – with Dr. Hanover, let’s not get confused on that –“

Kurt nodded, and he continued, as they started getting undressed.

“He might be interested in hearing more about your childhood, and Phoebe, and – and what she’s telling you about taking care of the others now. And them enjoying Buckingham Palace.”

Now Kurt was really confused. “But why would he care about that? They’re not his patients.”

Adam took a deep breath. “No, but they’re clearly an important part of your life, and I think the more he knows about you, the better he’ll be able to help you with whatever issues come up.”

Kurt shrugged, not really caring too much about his next appointment right now. “Sure, yeah, we’ll talk about that stuff.”

He wanted to focus all of his attention on the gorgeous man in front of him. Huh, from the way Adam was looking at him…and other evidence he could clearly see, looking down…Adam was just as attracted to him. Kurt sighed happily and dug his heels in a bit, before springing himself at Adam and tackling him to the bed. The look on Adam’s face would have been comical, but Kurt didn’t give him a chance to laugh. He started kissing every inch of Adam’s face, while rubbing his head against him, any place he could reach.

“What – “Adam managed to gasp out.

“Marking you as MINE,” Kurt growled. He emphasized it by giving Adam a particularly large hickey on his neck.

“Mm, okay. Not that I object, but I don’t think it’s going to be an issue –“

“Stop talking,” Kurt ordered, covering Adam’s mouth with his own. That seemed to get the message across.

Kurt definitely wanted and needed to cuddle, but he knew they could do that afterwards. Right now he needed something else. He didn’t really think anyone would try to take Adam away from him, or Adam would want someone else. But he had a deep-seated need to establish just who was the real owner, and who was owned. He spent a couple of very pleasant hours before he was sure he’d driven his point home.

 

 

On Saturday, when Adam reminded Kurt he needed to run an errand, and would be out for a bit, Kurt was very annoyed. They were going to Lily’s fundraiser thing that night, and Adam just decided he had to run an errand? It wasn’t fair, and didn’t even make sense. Not that there wasn’t enough time, but Adam seemed to be confused about when they needed to be there. 

Adam explained, “I know you’re going to take longer than me to get ready. I have to do something, so I’ll go out and do that now. I expect to be back in an hour or two. Hopefully you’ll be done by then, and can help me if I need any last-minute adjustments.”

Kurt looked at his watch. “But it’s only 1:00! It doesn’t start until 5:30. If you get back at 2:00, or even 3:00, and take maybe half an hour to get dressed –“

“More like 15 minutes, Kurt,” Adam sighed.

“With a shower and washing your hair and everything?”

Adam gingerly touched his hair. “I washed it this morning. Okay, let’s say half an hour, including a shower. What was your point?”

“It will only be about 3:30. Is it going to take us two hours to get to wherever they’re having this fundraiser?”

“Mm, more like 45 minutes, with traffic, I think. We don’t have to get there right at 5:30, anyway. They’re serving drinks and appetizers, and dinner will begin about 6:15, I believe.”

“Okaaaaay,” Kurt said, hoping Adam could appreciate his patience. “We’ll have a lot of time to kill. And can’t do anything without messing up our suits,” he pointed out in frustration.

“We can’t make out, no,” Adam agreed placidly. “But I’m sure you’ll be occupied. And I’m not telling you anything else.” He glanced at his own watch. “Behave. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

He pulled Kurt in for a kiss.

As soon as his lips were free, Kurt began, “But what about –“

“Please, darling, don’t worry. You don’t need to sit in the chair and wait. If you’re not quite ready when I get back, that’s fine. If you’re ready and you get bored, you can try reading a bit on your own, perhaps.”

Kurt glanced at the chair and whined deep in his throat. “I can’t promise anything.”

Adam drew a deep breath, then forced himself to smile. Kurt could tell it was forced, but he didn’t have time to worry about it.

“Just do whatever you need to do to get ready, okay? When I get back, you’re not going to want to waste a lot of time on last-minute adjustments.”

“But –“

Adam put his finger to Kurt’s lips. “I’ll be back soon.” He kissed Kurt again, then left quickly, before Kurt could delay him any further.

 

 

Kurt busied himself with getting ready. Adam was right, it would take him a while. And he could take all the time he wanted, while Adam wasn’t around to distract him. He decided to take a leisurely bath, instead of a shower, using a bath bomb to make his skin extra soft. He loved the bright colors the water turned, and hoped it wouldn’t be difficult to clean the tub afterwards. To his delight, the colors didn’t stain the tub. 

He had time to shave, and moisturize, tame his eyebrows, and use some foundation to conceal his freckles. If Adam really didn’t like it, he’d remove the foundation, but he thought his skin looked better with an even tone. He was tempted to use some of the dramatic eye make-up, but contented himself with just the extremely dark blue eyeliner. He used the popcorn lip scrub to make his lips smoother, then put on some untinted lip balm. His hair took quite a while just on its own, but he tried not to put too much product in it. He wondered if he could bring a can of hair spray for touchups, but it wouldn’t fit in his pockets, and he really didn’t want to bring his bag.

He finally decided he was ready. Now he just had to wait for Adam to show up. He looked at his watch, and was amazed how long he’d been gone. What kind of errand took that long?

Then he remembered something very important, and ran out to the entryway to wait for Adam. He made himself as comfortable as possible in the chair. He wished, for the 6,394th time, that he had a window to look out of, to not only see Adam approaching, but to have something potentially interesting to look at while he waited. He tried to sit still, but kept tapping his knee with his fingers, or bouncing one leg up and down. He looked at his watch again and sighed. He was so bored! And a little worried about Adam.

The phone rang, and he practically jumped out of the chair. He ran over to answer it.

“Crawford residence, Kurt speaking,” he said, and took a moment to congratulate himself for keeping his voice steady and calm.

“Oh, Kurt, hello. This is Lily.”

“Hi, Lily! Are you ready? Does the dress fit okay? Do you need any help with the dress, or your hair and makeup, or –“ Kurt stopped when Lily laughed lightly.

“Thank you for your concern, Kurt, but I’m fine. Yes, the dress fits, and my hair and makeup seem fine. I was just calling to ask Adam something, but I take it he isn’t there?”

“No. He had to go do some errand. He’s been gone a long time, and wouldn’t even tell me where he was going!”

“Well, that answers one of my questions. I wanted to see if there was anything you needed, or Adam, or -- Well, never mind. Please tell Adam if he needs anything or has any questions, he can call me. I’m going to be leaving in a few minutes, because I have a lot of things to take care of. I’m sure Adam will be there soon.”

“I hope so. He’s not even dressed yet!” Kurt blinked, and then added, “I mean, he’s not really dressed. Not in his nice clothes.”

“I’m sure he’s got everything planned out. You won’t need to be here for another two and a half hours, you know.”

He sighed. “Then why am I all dressed up and ready to go, when I’m going to have to wait that long? I don’t want my clothes to get wrinkled or anything.”

“If Adam told you to go ahead and get ready now, I’m sure he had his reasons. I’d take you with me and put you to work – as a volunteer, of course – if I could, but none of us thought about that ahead of time.” She sighed, as though she were slightly annoyed. “Only if you’d wanted to, that is, but now it occurs to me that we could use more help. Oh well, don’t worry about it.”

He started to say that he was sorry he couldn’t help her.

“Kurt, it’s okay. We do have other people helping out tonight. You just relax, and enjoy yourself. I’m sure Adam will be back soon, but I really do need to be going.”

He heard Misty meowing in the background. Lily’s voice was slightly muffled as she said, “Yes, dear, I’ll tell him, be quiet!” She spoke up more clearly. “Misty wants to say hello, but I really do need to go. Maybe you can spend some time together this week, if you want to.”

“Of course. Tell her I said hello, and I’ll see her soon.”

“I’ll do that. I’ll see you and Adam later this evening.”

“Okay, goodbye. I hope everything goes the way you want it to tonight.”

“I’m sure it will. Thank you.”

Kurt hung up the phone, and looked at his watch again. His stomach growled, and he thought he might have time for a snack while waiting for Adam. That didn’t take very long. What had Adam said he could do if he was bored? He glanced around the room, and saw the library. That’s right, Adam said he could try reading on his own. He found his glasses, and “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” and opened it to the bookmark. He settled into the chair to read.

He hadn’t even finished one chapter when Adam showed up. He wasn’t alone.

Adam let the other two enter the room first, then shut the door. Kurt couldn’t believe it. When was all this planned? He recognized the woman easily, though he’d only seen a few pictures.

His father spoke first. “Hey, kiddo! Bet you didn’t expect to see me again so soon!”

Kurt threw himself at his dad, but kept turning his head towards the woman standing next to them. She was biting her lip, looking nervous.

“Kurt, let go of me, I need to breathe.”

He reluctantly stopped hugging his dad.

“Son, this is Carole. She’s been wanting to meet you. Honey, this is Kurt.”

Adam quickly threw in the requisite invitation for Kurt and Carole to speak to each other freely. “And you can hug or shake hands or whatever,” he added.

Kurt noticed that Carole had her purse over one arm, but her fingers were pressed against her sides, twitching. It reminded him a bit of Jessica and Tessa for some reason.

As soon as Adam had given his permission, she threw herself at Kurt and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Kurt was startled, but he found he didn’t mind. He cautiously returned the hug, gingerly putting his arms around Carole’s shoulders.

“Oh, Kurt,, I’ve been wanting to meet you for so long! Let me look at you!”

Carole held him at arms’ length, and Kurt tried to stay as still as possible. He knew he looked okay, unless her hug had wrinkled his suit.

“You are so handsome! We have got so much to talk about! Come on, let’s sit in here and talk.” She sent a pointed look to Burt, who took Adam by the arm and started talking about the fundraiser, leading him out to the kitchen.

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.” Kurt still wasn’t sure what to call her.

“It’s just Carole, honey. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have a stepson!”

“But I’m a hybrid.” Surely she had to know that…he knew his dad had told her.

“Kurt, that doesn’t matter to me. You’re human to me, and your father loves you. Thank you so much for that lovely note, by the way.”

He’d almost forgotten about that. “Oh! You’re welcome! Thank you, again, for knitting the scarf, and for giving Phoebe a bath and trying to make her pretty again. You did a good job,” he added.

He didn’t know why that would make her cry, but her eyes filled with tears.

Kurt tried really hard to not react negatively, in any way that would show, to her dress. It fit her, but not as well as it could. And the dark blue really wasn’t her color. She was pretty, but could be prettier with the right clothes and make-up.

He tried to focus on what she was saying.

“Kurt, I want us to get along really well. Not just for your dad’s sake, but for ours. I know I’ll never take your mother’s place, and I’m not trying to, I just want you to know that I’m here for you. If you need someone to talk to, a mom-type of person, I’m here. You can call me any time –“

Kurt shook his head, overwhelmed.

Carole stopped, and held her breath until he spoke up.

“Miss Carole, if you’re saying what I think you’re saying, thank you. I want to think of you like a step-mother, though I’m not sure you technically are. But I think that’s what Dad wants, too.”

“He does,” she confirmed, “and so do I. And please, the Miss isn’t necessary.”

He frowned. “I’m not sure – should it be Mrs. Carole instead? We called Mr. Will’s wife Miss Emma even though she was actually a Mrs.”

She sighed. “Maybe we need to talk to Burt and Adam and see what they think, but I’d be happy if you’d just call me Carole. Or even Mom, if you want to.”

He nodded, and swallowed, trying to keep his emotions under control. “I’d really like that. I mean, I don’t know about “Mom” yet, or what Adam wants. And I need to talk to him to see if it’s okay for me to call you – on the phone, I mean, but I don’t think he’ll say no. I’m really lucky that he wants me to be in touch with Dad, and you, and that you both want that, too. It would be a problem if you didn’t.”

He didn’t mean to emphasize that “you” quite so strongly, but Carole didn’t take offense.

“No, honey, I understand. I really have been dying to meet you. It’s not just because you’re so important to your father, but I want to get to know you for your own sake. You’re a big part of your father’s past, and his future, too. You’re also a part of my life now. I’ve heard so much about you, I can’t wait to really get to know you.

“I also care about hybrids, and want all of you to have things so much better than you do now. I want you to be treated like people, and to learn the same things as other people. You should be able to stay at home as long as your parents want you to, or you want to stay, and be able to get a job and support yourself when you leave. Same as with other children.

“You shouldn’t be taken away from your family, and given to someone else to train, and then another stranger to keep you like a pet. You’re not pets.”

He wondered for a moment at the anger in her eyes, then realized from the words that she wasn’t angry at him, but at things she couldn’t control.

That was an interesting concept, that regular humans had things they couldn’t control, but he’d have to think about it later.

“Yes, I am. A pet,” he clarified. “We are.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry to contradict you, but that’s our purpose in life.”

“No, it isn’t, sweetie.” Her brow creased in concentration. “Okay, legally, yes, and the way things have been for decades. But I don’t think, just because you are an animal some of the time, that should make you suitable to be someone’s pet.

“I’m so glad you found Adam, or he found you, but so many hybrids wind up with someone who doesn’t really love them or treat them well, and I hate to see that happen to any of them. As mean as I heard some of the other pets at New Directions were, I’d hate to see any of them treated badly when they’re finally adopted.” She frowned, then her face cleared up and she hugged him again.

“If they’re adopted,” he added automatically, then blinked. “I mean, I really do hope they’re all adopted, too. But sometimes we’re not. As weird as Mr. Will was about a lot of things, he and Miss Emma never put any of us down while I was at the store, and I was there from almost the beginning. They’ve tried really hard to give us these extra skills, to make us more attractive to a potential owner, and sometimes it’s paid off.”

He hesitated, then continued. “I know Dave is back there now, and he’s over 18. Maybe 19 or 20, even. He was adopted, then sent back maybe a year later. I think some stores would just put him down as not worth the trouble to re-train, and others, like New Directions, will give him a chance. Mr. Will and Miss Emma, I mean, not the actual store.”

He could feel his cheeks burning, and wished he could express himself more clearly.

Carole nodded. She wasn’t laughing at him. “I understand. I think they’re good people, at heart, and are trying to help you, even though it might not always seem that way.”

She took a deep breath.

“Kurt, I really haven’t met that many hybrids. I’ve seen a lot, but I think you know that most owners don’t encourage their pets to talk to other people, and neither do the parents when their kids are young. I really want to get to know you, not just what your father has to say about you, or Adam, or other people. What they say is important, but I want to form my own impression as well. Is that okay with you?”

“Sure, but…” He bit his lip. “I don’t know how that’s going to happen.”

She shook her head and smiled gently. She started to reach her hand out toward him, then pulled it back.

“I’m sorry, I know Adam said it’s okay, but I need to know you don’t mind if I hold your hand.”

He nodded, and wondered why he was starting to get tearful. “Please,” he managed to say, before reaching for a tissue.

When he’d wiped his face, she took his other hand. “Honey,” she sighed, “it takes time to get to know anybody. It’s going to take longer with us, because your dad and I are so busy, and are travelling between Ohio and Washington. I don’t know how much time we’ll be able to spend with you, and a lot of that depends on Adam. But I’d like us to be friends, at least.”

Kurt still found this such a strange concept, that any human would want to be his friend. On the other hand, he’d met so many people who not only weren’t annoyed by him, but seemed to actually like him. Maybe it wasn’t as weird a thing to be friends with people as he’d thought.

“I’d like that,” he admitted.

“Good. Another thing I’d like – I’ve discussed it with your father, and he’s fine about it, but I know I need to talk to Adam, too. But I’d really like it if –“ She bit her lip and looked down at her clothes.

She tried again. “I heard from your father that you’re designing some clothes for your neighbor, the one Burt talked to about this event tonight.”

“Yes,” Kurt agreed. “I made the dress she’s wearing tonight. Unless she changes her mind and decides to wear something else.”

“Kurt, I haven’t seen any of your designs, but I saw some of the clothes you used to make. I helped your dad pack them up, and honey, they were beautiful. I’d really like it, if it’s okay with Adam, if you could maybe give me a make-over. Maybe we could go shopping together. There probably won’t be time this trip, but I’d really like it if we could do that sometime.”

Kurt could keep the grin off his face, thinking of Adam’s likely reaction to another shopping trip. “You’ll have to ask,” he agreed, “but I’d love to help.” His mind was already racing with ideas.

“I think – all this Washington stuff is new for you, right, and these fundraisers and things?” he asked.

She nodded. “I’ve been to rallies, but I could never afford the fundraising dinners and things. I haven’t had much reason for really fancy clothes, and since I’m a nurse, I wear a uniform. I know my style is a little out of date, and I’d really like to look appropriate when I’m with your father at different events.”

“He needs some work on his wardrobe, too,” he muttered, then his eyes went wide as he realized what he’d said. “I mean – I shouldn’t be critical of him, but just about the only time I’ve ever seen him in a suit, before today, was at my mom’s funeral.”

“Oh, honey.” She squeezed his hand, and put her other hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry she couldn’t have the kind of funeral your dad wanted. I want you to know, he still keeps your mom’s ashes on the mantel, in that beautiful container.”

He nodded. “He let me help pick it out, ‘cause he said he had no idea what she’d want. He was so upset about everything right then, and trying not to cry, so I just tried to think about Mom, and looked for the prettiest one they had. The salesman thought we might want something less expensive, but Dad got mad and said that Mom deserved nothing less than the best. I think it was really expensive.”

“I’m so glad you and your dad were both there for each other.”

“Yeah, it helped to have him there. I’m glad he’s still got the ashes. They wouldn’t let him bury her…not like, in a regular graveyard, and they said we couldn’t bury her in the back yard, either.”

Carole bit her lip. “She wasn’t a pet. Not to your father. She shouldn’t have been buried like one. He’s honoring her in the best way he’s allowed.”

“I know,” Kurt sighed. “I wonder if – if something happens to me first – and it probably will, ‘cause we don’t live as long as you humans – but I wonder if Adam will want to keep me in an urn? I mean, cremate me and –“

“Kurt, shhh. Don’t worry about that now. Maybe you can talk to Adam about it, and let him know what you’d like, and he should let you know what he wants, in case something happens to him first. But let’s not think about sad things like that right now.”

Kurt nodded, knowing she was right.

They heard loud laughter coming from the kitchen.

“Well, I’m glad your dad and Adam are getting along so well.”

“Me, too. Oh! I’m sorry, did you want something to drink, or eat?”

Adam called out, as he and Burt came into the room, “We’ve got that covered, Kurt, thanks.”

He was carrying a tray with glasses of iced tea. Burt was carrying a plate of cookies. Kurt was embarrassed that they were store-bought, but he and Adam had been too busy to do any baking, and _somebody_ had neglected to tell him they were having guests.

In a few minutes, they were all chatting easily about the fundraiser.

“Speaking of which, I need to get ready. Kurt, you look marvelous. I love the tie! Is mine –“

“It’s on the hanger, with your suit. I laid it out on the bed, along with everything else you’ll need.”

“Including socks and underwear, I suppose?”

Adam’s tone indicated he thought he was joking.

“Of course,” Kurt smirked. “I didn’t want you to waste time trying to make up your mind.”

“Thank you,” Adam sighed, sounding only slightly exasperated.

Adam squinted, looking at Kurt’s eyes. “Is that – are you –“ then changed the subject. “I still need to get ready.”

“I’m ready,” Burt declared firmly, as though to stave off any suggestions that he get ready.

“I’d like to freshen up a bit,” Carole said.

“You can use my bathroom,” Kurt offered quickly. He frowned as he realized something. “Where are your suitcases?”

Carole and Burt looked at each other, and Kurt had the impression they were having a conversation without words. Not fair. Carole smiled at Kurt and stood up. Adam told her where to find the bedroom and bathroom.

“I’m sorry, buddy,” Burt explained, “but I’ve got an early meeting in Washington in the morning. We’re going to get a red-eye flight, and if we’re lucky, we’ll have time to change before my meeting. I’m gonna be spending more time in Washington now than I used to, but I still need to live in Ohio. I’m not sure if we’re going to try to rent an apartment or what, because the hotels are expensive. Carole’s going to talk to a realtor and see what we can find out.”

Kurt knew what that meant for him was he’d likely see even less of his dad than he’d thought. But he was going to be doing important things, so he wasn’t about to complain.

“I wish you could stay longer, but I’m glad you’re going to be here now,” he said, feeling relieved that his voice was steady.

“If anything changes, you know you’re welcome to spend the night here,” Adam offered, “but I know that’s not the plan. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d better get my shower and all that.”

Kurt grinned at his father. “You look really nice, Dad.”

“Thanks. That’s mostly due to Carole.”

“That reminds me.” Kurt crossed one leg over the other, and put his hands around his knee. “Carole asked me if we could go shopping, and if I can do a make-over on her.”

Burt rolled his eyes. “Kurt, there isn’t time! We’ve only got a couple of hours, at most, before we have to be there.”

“Not today,” Kurt chided him, “sometime later. But is it okay?”

Burt shrugged. “It’s fine with me. You’ll need to see if Adam minds. But I’m going to give you a budget, and Carole will make sure you stick to it! Don’t go overboard with all the fancy designers, now.”

Kurt smiled broadly. “Don’t worry, I’ll manage to stay within budget. And maybe I can make one or two dresses for her.”

Burt shook his head. “Check with Adam. It sounds like you’ve got a lot of projects going on.”

Kurt nodded. “Oh, that reminds me! I wanted to show you the designs I came up with for my friend Artie’s cart.” He was in the process of explaining when Carole came in the room. She had repaired the minor damage from all the hugging, and re-done some of her make-up, but she wasn’t wearing any eye make-up.

“Sorry, boys, but I have an urgent question.”

“Go ahead,” Burt invited.

Carole looked at Kurt and said, “Honey, I love that eyeliner. I wish I had some in that color. I don’t suppose – it might not be a good idea, but, could I maybe borrow some of yours? It might go with my dress.”

“Eyeliner?” Burt muttered.

“Of course! Let me wash the brush first. I don’t have any kind of eye infection, so I think if I wash it really well –“

“Sweetheart, I’m a nurse,” she reminded him gently. “I think I can sterilize the brush with soap and hot water, before and after I use it.”

“Eyeliner?” Burt repeated, as though he thought anyone was listening to him.

“That’s great! Oh, wait, it’s in our bathroom, and I think Adam is showering now. Let me go get it, and we can work on it in my bathroom. If you want some help, that is. Not that you need it –“ Kurt realized he was babbling, and stopped.

“I’ll meet you in there. Burt, can you entertain yourself for a few minutes, while Kurt helps me out?”

“Sure,” he agreed, “just as long as nobody gets any ideas about putting any eyeliner on me.”

“Don’t worry, Dad, it’s definitely not your color,” Kurt assured him with an impish grin.

“Smart-ass,” Burt muttered. He picked up the designs to look through again. “Hey, this is the one you said you all thought was the best, right?” he called out.

Kurt looked back and nodded.

“Why don’t I write out a list of parts you’ll need, in case you do decide to make it? Adam can get this stuff at any hardware store, I think.”

“That would be great! Thanks, Dad!”

Kurt hurried into his and Adam’s bathroom, and grabbed everything he thought would be useful, that Adam wouldn’t need. They could start with the eyeliner…


	91. Chapter 91

Kurt wanted to get started on Carole’s makeup, but she had a special request first.

“Burt told me about your babies, and I wanted to meet them. Is that okay?” Her eyes were sincere, which helped him decide.

He bit his lip, then nodded. It would be okay.

Carole marveled over Buckingham Palace, while Kurt gathered his pets and brought them over to her.

“You know Phoebe,” he said, “though she might not have said anything when you knew her before. She can be sort of shy.”

“Hello, Phoebe,” Carole greeted her. She started to reach a hand out. “Is it okay if I pet her, and the others?”

“Sure.” Kurt realized he didn’t sound all that certain, so he added, “It’s fine. They like to be petted.”

Carole petted Phoebe, then asked, “May I hold her?”

Kurt nodded and held the stuffed cat out. Carole gently cradled Phoebe in one arm and petted her with the other hand. After a few moments she set her down carefully on one of the platforms on the cat tree.

“This is Bernard.” Kurt handed her the bear, and briefly explained how he’d been added to the family.

“Nice to meet you, Bernard. Oh, look at that snazzy outfit! Did your daddy make that for you?”

Bernard didn’t answer her. Now that Kurt thought about it, all of his babies were sort of shy around new people.

“Yes, I made it,” he answered on the bear’s behalf. “I’m not sure any of them really need clothes, actually, but Adam thought it would be good practice before I started working on people-sized clothes again.”

Carole nodded. “That makes sense. You did a great job.” She hugged Bernard, and kissed the top of his head, before handing him back to Kurt.

“This is Harriet.” Kurt carefully gave her the small pink mouse.

“Oh, she’s so sweet! I’ve heard a lot about you Harriet, it’s good to finally meet you.”

Kurt liked the fact that Carole sounded sincere.

She stroked her fingers down Harriet’s back and sides. “They’re all so soft! I bet they’re nice to cuddle with.”

“Uh-huh.” Kurt now realized he was getting a bit nervous and shy. “Um, you don’t think it’s weird for me to have pets of my own, right?”

“No, sweetie, not at all. I had stuffed animals well into adulthood. I finally gave them away when there was a charity drive to provide stuffed animals for children who were in emergency situations and needed something to comfort them. Like if they’d been hurt, or lost everything in a house fire, or were taken away from their parents –“ She stopped, her face turning red. “I’m sorry, Kurt, I didn’t mean to bring up something –“

“It’s okay,” he interrupted her, pretty sure she wouldn’t mind. “I understand. For regular kids, they’re not expecting that to happen. And I suppose some of them are really little, and need someone to talk to.”

“Right. Sometimes they’re not ready to talk to an adult, but they can talk to a stuffed bear, or dog, or cat. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you wanting your own pets. In fact – “ she hesitated, then cleared her throat and went on, “I bet you probably treat them the way you’d want to treat actual pets, if you had any, or the way you’d like to be treated.”

He was surprised she understood so well. “It’s sort of like that, yeah. I like how Adam treats me, but if I had pets of my own, I’d – “ he sighed. “I mean, they’re sort of like my kids, too. I guess I’m thinking it’s good practice, sort of, in case we ever adopt a child. I don’t know, if we ever do something like that, if Adam would want a regular kid or a hybrid, but either way, I’d let them know I loved them. I’d cuddle them, and talk to them, and listen, and play with them. All the stuff that – “ He was frustrated, not sure what he should say to Carole. He decided to trust her, at least for now.

“Dad did the best he could, and he was great, but he was gone a lot, you know? And he was never really all that affectionate, and I kind of missed that. So I guess I’d try to give my kids some of those things I didn’t get, that I think would have helped me.”

Carole bit her lip and blinked a couple of times, then squeezed Kurt’s hand.

“That makes sense. I’m sure your dad would have spent more time with you if he could. But…” She sighed. “He’s such a kind man, and protective. But no, he’s not really nurturing, not like the kind of thing you might have wanted.”

Carole gave Harriet back to Kurt. “Well, it’s been lovely meeting everybody, but I think we’d better get started on the makeup.”

There was a gentle knock on the door, which was partially open. Adam stuck his head inside. “Sorry to interrupt, but I was just going to suggest we need to leave in about half an hour. I’d rather allow some extra time for traffic. We don’t have to be there right when it starts, but we should get there before dinner begins.”

“We’ll hurry,” Carole promised.

“It won’t take that long,” Kurt agreed. “But thanks for giving us a time estimate.” He put Harriet next to Phoebe, and almost missed the odd look Carole and Adam exchanged. He thought Adam looked relieved, though he wasn’t sure why. Maybe he’d been worried they would take forever with the makeup.

“Don’t worry, Adam,” he reassured him, “I’m not going to do a full make-over tonight. I’m just going to help Carole with her eye make-up.”

“Is it, er, going to match yours?” Adam asked.

“Yes.” Kurt met his gaze with just a trace of defiance. “Unless you want me to take my eyeliner off.”

Adam blinked. “No, no, it looks fine, it’s fine, great, I just, um – glad you’ll be sort of color-coordinated. With Carole as well as me, I mean.” He gestured to his tie, the match to Kurt’s. “Thanks for doing these, by the way. They’re fantastic.”

“Glad you like them.” Kurt was beginning to get a trifle irritated, but luckily Adam said something about letting them get on with it.

Kurt and Carole went into the bathroom, where the lighting would be best.

“I don’t think he approves,” Kurt said, staring at himself in the mirror. He used a small magnifying mirror to look more closely at his eyeliner, but it looked fine to him.

“I don’t know him well enough to know if that’s it,” Carole ventured, “but I think it brings out the blue in your eyes. You have such beautiful eyes, and this just accentuates them. It gives you a little color, because the black suit looks good on you, but it’s a little severe. I mean, you seem like you like brighter colors,” she continued in a rush, “from what I saw of the clothes from your closet at home.”

Kurt sighed, and got out the eyeliner and mascara. “I do, but Adam wanted us to wear more conventional suits, I guess, for this. Now, do you want to put this on, or should I do it for you?”

“I’m not used to wearing a lot of makeup, usually just lipstick, so it’ll probably go quicker if you do it,” she suggested.

Kurt started working, trying to think of various products that might best help her.

 

 

Adam returned to the living room, where he’d left Burt. “I think they’re just getting started now. They were talking for a bit. I overheard some of it, though I’m sure I wasn’t meant to.” He wasn’t sure how much to reveal to Burt. 

“Oh? I’d have thought they’d had enough talking earlier.”

“No, I think they’re just getting started, really.” Adam settled down on the sofa at the opposite end from Burt, and had another cookie. “I’m glad Kurt has someone else to talk to, someone who’s willing to listen to him. We spend a lot of time together, but I know it’s never really enough for him.”

“I know,” Burt sighed. “For a cat, he can be really clingy, in some ways. In others, he’s incredibly independent. I had to leave him alone a lot when he was a kid, and I always trusted him to take care of himself, or call me if there was a problem. I sometimes worried he’d get hurt as a cat, and might not be able to change, to let me know, but he was fine. But whenever I’d come home, he’d be right there. Didn’t matter if I just went out to the garage to get something, and came back two minutes later. He’d still pounce on me, as a cat or human, like he hadn’t seen me for days.”

Adam nodded, and started clearing up the dishes and glasses. “He’s sort of that way with me, too. I’ve been busier than usual, lately, between writing the book, and thinking how to turn it into a play or musical, and trying to get permission from everyone to use them in the book or any future format. He knows what I’m doing, so he tries not to interrupt me, but I still feel guilty.”

Burt grabbed a couple of glasses and followed him into the kitchen. “Don’t feel guilty. You’ve got to live your life. He needs to realize he’s a very important part of your life, but he’s not everything in your life.”

Adam stopped, holding himself very still. He didn’t want to get into a fight with Burt, but didn’t like what he’d just heard. “What do you mean?”

Burt set the glasses down in the sink and started washing them. “I just mean, for him, you’re sort of his whole world. It’s good he’s got some hobbies, and his toys and his little stuffed friends and all, but it seems like for most hybrids, their whole existence is kind of tied up in their owner. Like they don’t know how to live without them there. A lot of ‘em can’t read, or aren’t encouraged to. Some aren’t allowed to watch TV, or listen to music. There’s not a lot they can do on their own, unless they’ve been given specific instructions. It’s probably harder on the dogs than the cats. Not sure about the rabbits or birds or any other type of hybrid. Kurt’s got more to do than most of ‘em, it seems, so you shouldn’t feel like you need to entertain him every minute.”

Adam dried the rest of the dishes as Burt washed them.

“Okay, fair enough. But Kurt’s very sensitive. I don’t want to seem like I’m ignoring or neglecting him.”

“Doesn’t seem to me like you are,” Burt observed. “He’s come a long way since he’s been with you, even since the last time I was here, I think. It’s great that he’s reconnecting with his friend from the store, Arnie.”

“Artie,” Adam corrected. “And yes, I agree. I want Kurt to have his own friends, not just getting to know mine. But I’m really glad he and Carole are getting along so well.”

“Uh-huh.” Burt washed his hands, and inspected his suit as best he could. “Did I get any water stains or anything on me, that I can’t see?”

Adam looked at him and smiled. “No, you look great. Now, I hope Kurt and Carole are almost ready.”

Burt rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything.

They sat on the sofa again and turned their conversation to the upcoming meeting of the Gardening Club.

“Wish I could be there, but I’m probably going to be pretty busy, but you can summarize it for me, right?”

Adam nodded. “Well, one of the things I’d like to do is find someone to volunteer as secretary, to take some minutes of the meeting. We might not want to keep anything in writing, but I have a feeling more and more issues will be brought up, and there will certainly be more people this time.”

“Let me know how it goes.”

They heard Kurt’s excited voice, and Carole’s laughter, and both relaxed.

“Hey Adam, Carole wants to see me as a cat!” Kurt announced excitedly. “Have we got time for me to change?”

Adam glanced at his watch and frowned. “I’m sorry, we really need to get going. And I doubt you want to take a chance on wrinkling your suit, either.”

Kurt shuddered. “I’m sorry, Carole.”

“That’s okay, Kurt. I didn’t really think there would be time, but maybe when I visit next. If that’s okay with you,” she added, for Adam’s sake he supposed.

He smiled as warmly as he could. He genuinely liked her. “That’s fine. You’re welcome here any time, with or without Burt.”

“Hey,” Burt protested weakly. “Nah, that’s fine by me. Kurt, Carole and I are going to have to go back to the airport right after this shindig is over, maybe even a little early. We can catch a cab –“

“Nonsense. I said I’d take you back, and I will,” Adam added firmly. “Kurt will come with us. We’ll drop you off, and be on our way.”

Kurt brightened up at that news.

Once everyone was finally ready, Carole insisted on taking pictures. Kurt rolled his eyes, but didn’t object. They each took a couple of pictures of the others, and Adam mentioned he was sure they could find someone at the event to take a picture of all four of them together.

Adam almost forgot, but went back to the hall closet to get Kurt’s leash. He attached it on autopilot.

The ride over was quite entertaining. Carole had heard Burt’s version of the highlights of his visit, and now she wanted Kurt’s take on some things. The trip to the country club seemed shorter than Adam had expected, but that was only partially due to light traffic.

 

 

They arrived about 15 minutes before dinner was going to be served. It gave them time to check their coats. Adam was annoyed that he had to continue to hold Kurt’s leash, to “keep him under control” supposedly. They were directed to Table #1, which Adam hadn’t been expecting. He’d assumed that would be for the Board members. Instead, they saw Lily, and some other familiar faces. 

“Hello Adam, Kurt, Burt,” Lily greeted them. She held out her hand to Carole. “You must be Carole. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Carole seemed relieved to find that Lily wanted her to feel welcome.

To the left of Lily’s place, Adam saw a familiar and welcome face. “Hello, Hugo!”

They shook hands, and the others were quickly introduced.

Lily looked around the room, and explained, “I have some things to do, but I’ll be back here before dinner starts. Please, feel free to have a drink, mingle, or just stay right here and relax. Whatever suits you best.”

Adam examined the placecards, and was pretty sure Lily must have arranged them. He was seated on her right side, with Kurt next to him on his right. The place next to Kurt was empty, and Adam was a trifle concerned about who might be sitting with him, until he saw the name. He moved around to look at the other settings, directing Burt to sit opposite Lily’s place, with Carole next to him. There was a gap between Carole and Hugo. The name there read “Ava Benson” and Adam thought he’d heard the name before, undoubtedly from Lily. He pointed out the name on the placecard next to where Kurt would be sitting, and the two of them heaved a sigh of relief.

“I think I’ll get a drink. Diet soda or something,” Burt added. “Anybody else want anything?”

Carole requested another iced tea, and Kurt wanted Diet Coke.

“Let me go with you, and I’ll – “ Adam realized he couldn’t go anywhere without taking Kurt with him, and it just didn’t seem like the best idea. He sighed as quietly as he could. Adam thought the most discreet way to deal with Kurt’s leash would be to run it over the back of Kurt’s chair, and wind it around the nearest chair leg a few times. He’d tried keeping the loop at the end around his wrist, but it really was difficult to eat that way. It wasn’t like Kurt was going to run away.

“I can help you bring some drinks over,” Hugo offered. “I’ll get something for myself and Ava. She should be here any minute. I believe she’s just powdering her nose.”

Adam, Kurt, and Carole stayed at the table and looked around the room. They were very close to the stage in the center of the room. There were a couple of projection screens on either side of the stage. Most of the other tables were filling up quickly. Adam looked around for anyone else he recognized. He saw Julia a few tables away, and waved to her. She was in conversation with an older gentleman seated next to her, but smiled and waved back.

Most of the people Adam could see were well-dressed, but he saw a number of younger people, who were probably clients of the non-profit.

A beautiful, dark-skinned woman, probably in her fifties, joined Hugo at the table. He kissed her hand, then introduced her to them as his lady friend, Ava.

She wasn’t at all taken aback to have a hybrid at the table, but Adam suspected Lily had briefed her ahead of time. She smiled at Kurt and shook his hand. Adam gave Kurt permission to talk to anyone at the table, and anyone else he was comfortable talking to who might approach him. “If anyone makes you uncomfortable, just let me handle it,” he suggested.

Dinner was announced, and Lily rejoined them.

Adam continued to look around the room, and was rather alarmed to see another familiar face. This one was most unwelcome. Sebastian Smythe was a few tables away, seated between a distinguished-looking man and a sophisticated-looking woman. Likely his parents. Sebastian hadn’t seen them yet, or at least hadn’t seen Adam looking. He quickly looked away again, then was distracted by the last person at their table.

“Goodness, I had no idea I was going to be so late! Hi everybody! Sorry I couldn’t quite get my behind in gear quick enough!” April Rhodes greeted them. She kissed Adam on the cheek, and he gave her permission to interact with Kurt. She kissed him on the cheek, too, and giggled when he blushed. She took her seat next to Kurt, and introduced herself to a slightly bewildered Burt, seated on her other side.

Given the very limited menu options, Adam had previously requested the grilled chicken for himself, and the salmon for Kurt. He glanced across the table at Hugo, knowing Kurt should give him an answer soon. It wasn’t fair to keep him wondering.

There were some lively conversations going on at the table, though Kurt was only participating if someone spoke to him first. In between the main course and dessert, several announcements were made. Lily delivered the first one.

She explained briefly why they were all there.

The letters C H L N G appeared on a screen behind her as she spoke. Other words appeared below that.

“As most of you know, we developed Challenge as a way to help at-risk youth find a way to channel their creativity, to give them a way to express their emotions, and to communicate with other people. We call ourselves “Challenge” because “Creative Hearts Learn New Goals”. We’re going to be presenting some of our clients who have achieved things they may never have thought possible, because they were encouraged to challenge their own creativity. They were also given supplies as needed, such as musical instruments, paints, brushes, canvas, sheet music, clothing appropriate for dance, and all sorts of things.

“As you can imagine, that set our budget back quite a bit. We’re hoping you will all generously help us to help these young people, to give them a brighter future, and a way to use their emotions in a constructive manner. You’ll be seeing and hearing some examples throughout the evening. In between performers, we will be auctioning prizes. All these prizes have been generously donated, so your winning bids will go directly to our foundation, to help these children to help themselves. We hope you will bid accordingly.”

She left the stage and another member of the Board took her place, to describe the auction items.

Kurt had finished eating, so he moved around in his seat, sitting sideways on the chair, so he could see the stage better.

Adam did the same, as best he could. They saw and heard many examples of how music, writing, painting, dance and the like had helped young people who were trying to recover from drug or alcohol addiction, or had been removed from their homes because of the way their family neglected or abused them. Some had tried to commit suicide. What Adam noticed more often than anything else was how peaceful or happy they looked. Most spoke briefly to explain their chosen creative expression, and why that particular one appealed to them. A couple didn’t say anything, just closed their eyes and played a musical instrument, or recited a poem they had written. A few sang, which fully captured Kurt’s attention. Adam thought they were all very talented, but he thought even the best of the singers still wasn’t quite in Kurt’s league. He wondered briefly if being a hybrid had anything at all to do with that.

None of the auction items really appealed to Adam, and he checked to see if Kurt reacted to any of them. Some of them were baskets of food and wine, or two- or three-day trips to local attractions, a weekend in a luxurious hotel, or a ride in a vintage sports car or private airplane. Burt seemed interested in the vintage sports car, but sighed in disappointment when he remembered he wouldn’t be in the area to take advantage of it.

Adam felt like he should bid on something, so he did put in a couple of bids on a shopping spree at a fashion store that seemed to capture Kurt’s interest, but someone else was willing to bid higher. Some of the others at their table bid on various things, and April was thrilled to hear she’d won a weekend for two at a romantic getaway for a weekend. “Now I just need to find someone to go with me,” she stage-whispered to Adam as she got up to pick up the certificate.

When the dessert was brought in, Kurt was thrilled to note it was chocolate cheesecake. Adam tried a bite, and told him it wasn’t as good as what Kurt made. Carole immediately asked him if he’d make one the next time she saw him, then looked horrified and held her hand up to her mouth.

“It’s alright, Carole,” Adam said easily. “Kurt, don’t feel obligated, but if you’d like to do it, I’ll be happy to get the ingredients.”

Carole shook her head, clearly wishing she could take back her words.

“I’d love to, Carole,” Kurt insisted, smiling brightly. “It will give me a good excuse to make one.”

Burt had two bites of his, before the combined glares of Carole and Kurt stopped him.

“What? How is this bad for my heart?”

They told him in too much detail, so he gave the rest of his cheesecake to Kurt to finish.

There was more mingling to be done after the formal events were over.

“Hugo, if you have a minute,” Kurt called softly. The older man walked over to him. “I’ve been thinking about it,” Kurt admitted, “and I just don’t think I should do the modeling. It’s not that I don’t want to, but we have so many things going on right now, and I don’t want anything to take away from Adam’s project.”

Hugo nodded. “That’s fine. But if you change your mind later, we always have new lines coming out that we need to promote.”

Hugo, Ava, and April all left together, and Lily was talking to a lot of people. While Burt was getting Carole’s coat, and she was visiting the ladies’ room, Adam was looping Kurt’s leash around his wrist. They weren’t left alone for long.

“I thought that was you, Crawford, and your pet. Kurtina, isn’t it?”

Kurt settled for glaring at him, and Adam tried to ignore him.

“I don’t have time for you, Smythe. Go bother someone else.”

“I’m not bothering you,” Sebastian lied. “I’m just trying to figure out why you’d bring your pet to such an exclusive event. Didn’t you notice there are no other pets here? Especially no pets wearing guyliner.”

“We were invited by a close friend, one of the Board members,” Adam replied stiffly.

“Oh, sure, enough money will buy you almost anything. But I can’t figure out why you’d want him here. Unless you’re trying to expose him to a little culture and class, though it’s like trying to throw pearls before swine.”

Kurt gritted his teeth, but Adam patted him on the shoulder, signaling him to let him handle it.

“It’s actually none of your business,” Adam reminded Sebastian.

“Except for the fact that your pathetic pet is an affront to all of us. He’s even making these so-called clients look good in comparison.”

Adam heard several people gasp. He’d hoped Sebastian wouldn’t try to make a scene.

“Excuse me, young man.” Lily strode over to them and confronted Sebastian. He was quite a bit taller, but still stepped back when she walked up to him. She kept her voice low, so it wouldn’t carry too far. “I appreciate you coming to our event tonight, but you’re insulting my friends, and our clients, and disturbing a number of people. I’d appreciate it if you would say your goodbyes and leave.”

“It’s this hybrid you should ask to leave,” Sebastian sneered.

Kurt spoke up. Adam almost stopped him, but decided he wanted to hear what Kurt had to say. He wasn’t disappointed.

Kurt was angry, but wasn’t shouting as Sebastian had. “What is your problem? Why are you trying to cause trouble, when these nice people are trying to help others? Why don’t you try doing something nice for people instead of trying to make them feel bad? Does it really make you feel good to make someone else feel worse? Don’t you know being a hybrid or a human is just an accident of birth?”

Sebastian opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before spitting out, “What? Are you trying to insult me?”

“Think about it. If you’d been born to different parents, to hybrid parents, or a human and hybrid, you would be a hybrid. You’d have no control over your own life, you’d be taken away from your family and sold to someone for whatever purpose they wanted. How would you feel then?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! I’m human! I could never be a hybrid.”

Kurt countered, “But it has nothing to do with YOU whether you are or not. It all depends on your parents.”

“Are you daring to insult my parents? You’re not going to get away with that. I could have you and your owner arrested for verbal assault!”

Adam hadn’t heard of such a charge, but didn’t want to take a chance it was real. Before he could try to move Kurt away, someone moved close to Sebastian and clamped a less-than-friendly hand on his shoulder.

“Son, it’s time to leave. Mrs. Avery asked you nicely, and you’re just causing a scene.”

“But Father!” He turned to the woman next to him. “Mummy! He can’t be serious!”

She answered gently, with a charming French accent. “Son, I think you have much to learn about hybrids. I think you do need to learn more about them. And you need something to fill your time with. Maybe you should do some volunteer work, with hybrids.”

Mr. Smythe nodded. “I also think you should sign up for this program, and try to put your wit and imagination to good use.”

“But I don’t qualify! I’m not at risk!”

“No, but you are at risk of losing your inheritance if you don’t be quiet and come with us right now!” his father threatened.

Sebastian gasped.

“But – Daddy! Mummy!”

“I’m so sorry for my son’s deplorable behavior,” Mrs. Smythe said to Kurt, Adam and Lily. “Clearly we have neglected to teach him a few things.”

Mr. Smythe spoke to Adam. “Ignore my son’s threat, please, Mr. Crawford. There will be no charges pressed against you or your pet.” He nodded at Kurt and smiled briefly. “Thank you for a lovely evening, Mrs. Avery, but I’m afraid we must be going.”

They almost bumped into Burt and Carole, who were on their way back in. The elder Smythes murmured apologies, and steered their son towards the nearest exit.

Lily closed her eyes briefly and composed her face, then smiled at her guests. “Thank you all for coming. I’m sorry the evening had to end on a sour note, but I hope you enjoyed it up to that point.”

Burt and Carole assured her that they had.

Adam glanced at his watch and gasped. “I’m sorry, but we’d better be off so we can get my in-laws to the airport,” he said, somewhat distracted by his mental calculations of the distance to the airport and the traffic.

He wasn’t sure why everyone was smiling so brightly at him, but he dutifully smiled in return. Kurt’s and Carole’s eyes were particularly shiny for some reason. Soon they were all on their way to the airport.


	92. Chapter 92

On the way home from the airport, Kurt was awfully quiet. Adam figured part of it was from missing his parents, but the evening as a whole had been more stressful than he’d expected.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked, glancing briefly at Kurt before returning his gaze to the road.

“Yeah,” Kurt sighed. “I’m fine. I’m tired.”

“I am, too,” Adam confessed. “I think I’ll be ready for bed when we get home.”

Kurt’s voice was a bit unsteady as he asked, “Did I mess things up tonight?”

Adam risked another glance at him. Kurt was looking at him, and from what he could see, didn’t look too upset, just a bit worried.

“No, love, you were fine. It was Sebastian causing trouble, not you.”

“But maybe I shouldn’t have spoken up.”

Adam shrugged. “I’m kind of glad you did. ‘Cause if I’d said anything right then, it would have been a lot ruder. You actually seem to have more compassion than I do. Even for Sebastian.’

“Mm-hm. I don’t like him, but I was trying to figure out why he does what he does. I mean, he’s unnecessarily rude, to everyone. I think he must be really unhappy. Maybe he’s not as confident as he wants us to think, and really is trying to make himself feel better by making others feel worse.”

“Go on. I want to hear more about that,” Adam suggested.

“I mean, maybe he’s not sure he’s good enough on his own, compared to other people, so he’s got to put them down so he can feel superior. He doesn’t even give anyone a chance to say anything, he just starts off with an attack. It’s like he’s attacking before he even knows if he needs to defend himself or not.”

“Ah, yes, that does sound like him. I know we all make fun of him behind his back, but we probably wouldn’t if he didn’t behave like such an obnoxious jerk all the time.”

“It kind of reminds me of Puck and Dave. I used to wonder if I might ever have liked them if they hadn’t been so mean to me, but I never had a chance to find out, because they were mean from the time they met me. I’d have liked to be friends with more of the other hybrids at New Directions, but they all sort of pushed me away. Mercedes, this one cat hybrid, used to be nice until I made it clear I didn’t like girls the way she hoped I did, but just as friends. She stopped being nice to me. Most of the others, though, didn’t even try to be nice. Except for Artie. Maybe he and I got along because he was the other one who was hassled from the start, like I was.”

“Could be,” Adam mused. “I thought it was interesting, and very true, what you said about Sebastian only being human by the luck of the draw, so to speak. Of course, if he’d been born to different parents, he wouldn’t be Sebastian. Even if he had the same name, he wouldn’t have all the same things that make him who he is. Including how he was raised. But luckily his parents seemed to understand, and didn’t take offense.”

“But I didn’t mean it to be offensive,” Kurt insisted. “I wasn’t trying to say anything bad about them. I didn’t even know they were there. I just meant, any of us could have had different lives than we do now, with no more control than we had over this life. Like, you could be a hybrid, I could be a human, I could be your owner, you know?”

The thought had crossed Adam’s mind before. Even though he knew he’d be lucky if he had an owner like Kurt – well, who knew what Kurt would be like if he’d been raised a human? Would he be the same sweet-natured, loving boy he was now, or would he perhaps be arrogant and selfish and cruel, the way some people were?

“I hope not, Adam,” Kurt said, startling him.

“Oh, er, did I say that out loud? I didn’t mean to.” Adam tried to focus on the road. He certainly didn’t need them missing their turnoff, or getting into an accident because he was distracted.

“Yeah, you mumbled enough for me to figure out what you were thinking about.” Kurt swallowed, then cleared his throat. “I have no idea what I’d have been like if I’d had your parents, for instance, or what you’d be like if you’d had mine. Much less if we had completely different parents. I think I prefer things the way they are, actually. At least I’m happy with you, and I pretty much like who I am.”

“Me, too,” Adam agreed. “I mean, I’m very happy with you, and I like who I am, mostly. But I think you gave Sebastian’s parents some things to think about.”

Kurt’s cleared his throat and asked, “Do you think they’ll really make him join the Challenge program? Does he even qualify?”

“I don’t know. Even if he doesn’t, it might be a good idea for him to spend more time on his singing or any other creative hobbies. Maybe it would siphon off some of the anger, if he could direct his feelings to something a bit more useful than putting other people down.”

“Maybe.”

Adam could see Kurt was looking out the side window, then he turned back to look at Adam again.

“I was thinking about it, how nice it is to have things to do. I was getting a little bored when you were out picking up Dad and Carole, but I started reading Harry Potter. I was wondering what I’d have done if I didn’t have my designing, or the sewing, or anything like that, to work on while you’re writing and making all those calls. I feel really sorry for the hybrids that aren’t allowed to do anything like that.”

Adam nodded. “Me, too. I think hybrids, especially, need something to do with their time, if they’re left alone a lot. If their owner doesn’t want them to read or watch television, they need something to do. I would imagine otherwise, if they’re already sad and lonely, it would just get worse with nothing to take their mind off it, nothing to channel those feelings into.”

“Like Harold, Gabriel’s brother,” Kurt suggested. “It sounds like maybe he didn’t have enough to do on his own, and if his parents weren’t busy and suddenly Gabriel was gone, maybe he had too much time to think, and to feel, without any way to get those feelings out. So they just multiplied till he couldn’t take it any more.”

“It sounds like that’s pretty much what happened.” Adam took one hand off the wheel long enough to pat Kurt’s knee. “I’m glad I don’t have to worry about that with you. Because you will tell me, if you ever get to a point of thinking that’s the solution, won’t you?”

“Of course I will,” Kurt reassured him. “But it’s not going to happen. I have too much to live for. But Adam, I can really understand the hybrids that feel like they don’t have a lot to live for. If I had someone else, like Sebastian, or even Mr. Will, for an owner, I’d probably be miserable. I’d probably be alone most of the time, with very little to do. And I might not like what I’d have to do when my owner was paying attention to me. I don’t want to think about how awful that is, to have an owner who really doesn’t care about you.”

“Right. I think I’ll bring that up at the meeting tomorrow night, if you don’t mind. We don’t have to talk specifically about what happened tonight, just that we’d been talking about this idea, of keeping any hybrid pets busy enough with things they enjoy, that they won’t hurt themselves instead.”

“Or get themselves in trouble, just to get a little attention. A couple of the hybrids at New Directions used to do that. Mr. Will and Miss Emma knew what they were doing, but I could understand why they didn’t have enough time to spend with all of us. And it wasn’t really their job. Running a store isn’t the same as owning a pet. They had to train us, keep us clothed and fed and in good shape, but it wasn’t the same as an owner who would have really cared about us as individuals.”

“True. Okay, we’re almost home. Did you want to get in some cat time before you go to bed?”

“Mm-hm. If you don’t mind, could you – if not give me a bath, that might be tiring for both of us, but could you at least brush me or massage me? I feel like we haven’t been doing that enough lately.”

“You mean you feel like I haven’t been doing that enough,” Adam teased. “Of course I can. Let’s take some time to get cleaned up and ready for bed before you change, then you can change back whenever you’re ready, without having to take the time to clean up when you’ll probably be exhausted.”

“Good idea. And I don’t want to mess up this suit, either.” Kurt brushed at a wrinkle in his pants’ leg.

Adam cleared his throat, but couldn’t risk looking directly at Kurt. “By the way, I really do like your guyliner. Maybe black might have been better with the black suit, but the blue really brings out your eyes. Which I guess is the purpose.”

“Thanks!”

Adam didn’t need to see Kurt’s face to know he was smiling.

“You did a nice job on Carole’s make-up, too. I’m glad the two of you got along so well together. It might have been really awkward if you didn’t like her.”

“Or worse, if she didn’t like me.”

“But she did,” Adam reminded him firmly. “How could she not?”

Kurt started to answer, then sighed and shut his mouth. He looked out the window again.

Adam pulled into the parking lot and they took the elevator up. They only encountered a few other people getting on or off at various floors. Adam took Kurt’s hand, and could feel him relaxing, even though none of the people said anything negative to them, or sent them any dirty looks.

They made it almost all the way to their floor. The last man in the elevator with them was a neighbor Adam had seen only a few times, and hadn’t spoken to other than to say hello, or comment on the weather. He wasn’t tall, but was solidly built, and always seemed to be grumpy, if not downright angry. Adam didn’t realize he was holding his breath until the man spoke, just before getting off at his floor.

“Well-behaved pet you’ve got there. Somebody trained him well. But there’s something off about his eyes – something around them.” The man squinted. “And the lashes. You should have it looked at, might be medical.” He nodded his head quickly, then left before they could say anything. Which was probably a good thing.

They only had a couple more floors to go.

“What a jerk he is! Like I need his approval about your behavior,” Adam muttered.

“Was he talking about the eyeliner?” Kurt giggled.

Adam looked carefully at his eyes. “Yes, that was probably it. But don’t worry about him.”

They got off at their own floor, and both heaved a big sigh of relief once they were safely inside their own home.

“Lily’s not home yet, I don’t think. It’s probably a bit early,” Adam commented.

“I wonder how Misty’s doing, having her mommy gone for so long?” Kurt asked.

“Oh, she’s been alone for longer than this. But maybe you two can spend some time together tomorrow, some time before the meeting? Would you like that?”

“Yeah.” Kurt smiled softly. “I do miss her. Her crush on me is a little annoying, but I think I get it. She doesn’t really get to be around any other boy cats, and I’m nice to her.”

“Well, if she were human, I bet she’d have a crush on you, too,” Adam chuckled. “You just seem to charm all the ladies, somehow.”

Kurt shrugged. “It’s not like I’m trying. But yeah, everyone seemed pretty nice tonight. Except for –“

“Sebastian,” Adam finished with a sigh. “I really hope he learns his lesson and starts thinking about how his words and attitude affect other people.”

“Maybe he doesn’t think people will like him, so he’s rude to them so he can tell himself that’s the reason they don’t like him,” Kurt mused, as he headed into the bedroom to change.

“Could be.” Adam followed him, shedding his own jacket. “But at the moment I don’t care about him. I just want to make sure you’re alright.”

“I’m fine.” Kurt carefully hung up his jacket, moving the hanger to the “to be dry-cleaned” corner of the closet.

“Really? Did you have a good time tonight?”

“Uh-huh.” Kurt continued meticulously hanging or folding the clothes that didn’t need to be cleaned. His shirt went into the hamper in the bathroom. He continued to talk to Adam while he removed his make-up and washed his face. “It was fun, dinner was good. Lily looked really nice. I forgot to tell her.”

“You can talk to her tomorrow,” Adam suggested. Kurt moved to one side of the sink as Adam started brushing his teeth.

“I think she liked the dress,” Kurt commented. “At least nobody seemed to be laughing at it.”

“They wouldn’t dare,” Adam said, through a mouthful of toothpaste foam. He spat and rinsed his mouth before continuing. “I thought she looked lovely. I did see a couple of people speaking to her, then she looked down at the dress, so maybe they were complimenting it.”

“I’m just glad I finished it on time. I’d really like to make something for Carole.”

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me,” Adam chuckled. “Tell you what, why don’t the two of you do that shopping trip. You can get a better idea of her taste, what looks good on her, the types of materials she likes, things like that. Then you’ll have a better idea what to make for her.”

“True. And I need to make that lavender skirt and lilac blouse for Lily, too.”

“And some clothes for me, and you. Maybe by the next time you see Carole, you won’t have as many other sewing projects in the way.”

Kurt brushed his teeth, then they finished undressing and got in the shower together. Despite their tiredness, they took quite a lengthy shower. After drying off, Kurt changed into his cat form. Adam let him run around for a bit to tire him out, then he came back in for some cuddling, a nice massage, and a thorough brushing. Adam was pretty sure Kurt enjoyed all the cat activities more than he did, but only by a small margin. It was amazing how relaxing it could be to pet Kurt, and groom him, while he purred contentedly.

Instead of changing back to human, Kurt stayed in cat form and snuggled as close to Adam as he could get, over the covers. Adam kept one hand on Kurt, and the rhythmic breathing and soothing snoring soon put him right to sleep.

 

 

The next morning, Adam had intended to call Lily, but instead she called him.

“Thank you both so much for coming last night. I take it Kurt enjoyed your surprise guests?”

“He did indeed. Thank you for a fantastic evening.”

“You’re welcome, but a lot of people are responsible for that,” she explained.

“I was thinking, Kurt wants to visit with Misty for a little bit. I’m sure you’ve got things to do, but if you’d like to bring her over here, I can keep an eye on them.”

Lily laughed in delight. “Thank you, Adam! Yes, that would be appreciated. Misty’s been pestering me all morning, because I was out for so much time yesterday. But I’m sure she’ll find Kurt an acceptable substitute. Maybe I can get some things done without her underfoot.”

“I’ll have Kurt introduce Misty to his friends, and show her Buckingham Palace, and see what she thinks.”

“That would be nice. I’ll bring her over in a little while, along with a couple of her toys. Kurt might not mind sharing, but it might make her feel better about being in a new place without me.”

“You’re probably right. See you soon.”

Adam explained the plan to Kurt.

“That’s great! Don’t worry about us, I can keep Misty entertained, if you’ve got things to do.”

Adam looked upwards and tapped his chin with one finger. “Tell you what. I think I’ll bring the laptop into your room. I’ll sit on the bed, out of the way, while the two of you play. It’s not that I don’t trust you to keep Misty out of trouble, but I told Lily I’d be there.”

Kurt agreed. “I think I’d better change now, so I don’t confuse her too much.”

“But she likes you as a human, too.”

Kurt shrugged. “That’s fine, too.”

Adam made one more quick call before Lily and Misty arrived.

As soon as she saw Kurt, Misty seemed to forget all about Lily. She struggled to get out of her arms, until Kurt, still in human form, reached out to take her. He held her as she purred ecstatically.

“Were you able to raise a lot of money?” Adam asked.

Lily smiled widely. “Yes, just a little over our target we were hoping for.”

She added, “I wanted to let you know, Kurt, my dress was a big hit. Thank you again for making it for me. Several people asked me where I got it, because they wanted one like it.”

Kurt shook his head.

Lily reassured him. “No, don’t worry, I told them it was a one of a kind. Then they wanted to know the designer. I said he hadn’t really been discovered yet, but I thought it was only a matter of time, but for now he’s only taking private commissions for friends.”

Kurt released his breath in a long sigh. “Thank you. I enjoyed working on the dress, but I don’t want to do so much of that, that I don’t have time for anything else. But I don’t mind making things for you, of course. I wanted to work on the lavender and lilac outfit for you.”

“There’s no hurry,” she insisted. “If you have other things to do, go ahead and do them.”

Adam nodded. “Actually, Kurt does have several different projects he’s doing for various friends. Luckily, he doesn’t need any supervision with them, because I’ve been so busy writing and getting things together. In fact, I wanted to talk to you about a meeting Kurt and I are attending tonight. It might be something you could take an interest in.”

Kurt was whispering nonsense to Misty, and started crooning a song to her as he rocked her in his arms, holding her on her back, like a baby.

“She doesn’t like being held like that,” Lily warned him.

Misty couldn’t have understood the words, but she looked in Lily’s direction and hissed.

Adam figured she was saying something like, don’t spoil this for me.

Adam told her briefly what he had in mind, and Lily agreed. She left a couple of minutes later, and Adam cleared his throat. “Whenever you’re ready to change, let me know. I’m going to bring my laptop into the spare room.”

Kurt hummed in agreement, not losing the rhythm of the song. He and Misty followed Adam. He could see Kurt was doing his best to hold Misty tightly so she wouldn’t be in danger of falling. She didn’t look like she was about to try to get away.

As soon as Adam was out of the doorway, Kurt stopped just inside.

“Hey, Misty. Look at this. This is my play room. It was my bedroom, but now Adam’s room is mine, too, I mean, and this is for playing. Or guests. Or playing with guests.”

Misty watched him, and never stopped purring.

“Here, baby. Why don’t you sit here on the floor while I change.” He started to set her down, but she wailed.

Adam had settled himself on the bed, sitting up with his legs stretched out, with the pillows behind his head. He patted the bed near him.

“Hey, Misty, you want to sit up here with me while you wait for Kurt?” he invited.

She didn’t even look in his direction, but Kurt brought her over. He gently deposited her near Adam’s hip. Adam put one arm around her to hold her safely so she wouldn’t fall.

As Kurt changed from human to cat, Misty’s ears flattened, and she started to growl, but it ended on a funny note of inquiry as she saw his cat self.

“Go on and visit with him if you like,” Adam encouraged. He lifted his hand away, and she leaped off the bed and ran to Kurt’s side. She sniffed him everywhere she could see, then let out a meep.

Kurt rubbed his face against hers, and that settled her down. Adam watched for a few minutes as Kurt found each of his babies and brought them to her. She sniffed them, and reached out to touch them, but didn’t try to play with them.

Adam took the toy out of his pocket, that Lily had given him.

“Hey, Misty, here’s your egg. You want your egg?”

He tossed the bright pink egg to the floor, where it rolled between the two cats. He’d examined it earlier, and it was one of those plastic toys with two halves, that people put Easter candy into, then hid for their kids. He wondered if Kurt might like one? Perhaps he could fill it with kitty treats, and hide it. Of course, he’d have to remember where he put it, in case Kurt didn’t find it.

Kurt leaned forward and sniffed the egg, then tentatively touched it. Misty’s shoulders were tense and her ears were back, but he pushed it towards her. She pounced on it and brought it under her body. Adam didn’t make any jokes about the egg not being able to hatch; Misty wouldn’t understand him, and Kurt probably wouldn’t think it was funny. After a moment, Misty raised herself so she was standing on her front legs, and the egg rolled towards Kurt. They batted it back and forth a bit. It didn’t make much more noise than Kurt’s ping pong ball, so Adam was able to ignore it and get on with his writing.

Every now and then he’d look up, to see them playing in different areas of Buckingham Palace. Misty seemed delighted with it. When they got to the shelf where Harriet, Bernard, and Phobe were sitting, Kurt tried to put one of his forelegs around all of them, but it wasn’t quite working. He accidentally knocked Harriet to the floor. He abandoned the other two and raced down to get her, while Misty cautiously sniffed and patted Phoebe and Bernard with one paw. Adam was relieved she wasn’t trying to scent-mark them. But they clearly belonged to Kurt, and if she saw him as the alpha cat, she probably wouldn’t interfere with his claim.

Kurt raced back up with Harriet in his jaws. Adam was prepared to intervene if necessary, but Misty just sat patiently and waited for Kurt to make sure his baby was alright. He pushed his babies into one of the little rooms, for safekeeping, presumably, while he and Misty continued to explore.

Adam wasn’t getting much work done on his book, but he didn’t mind too much. It was fun to watch the two cats playing together. When they’d had enough running and jumping, they settled down on separage bridges and looked ready to take a nap. Adam thought it would be safe enough to get back to work. First he sent an e-mail to Gabriel about the meeting that night, then opened a new document for another chapter. By the time he’d completed most of that, he realized he was sleepy, too. He glanced at the cats, and they were still sleeping soundly. He supposed he could get a nap in without neglecting his supervisory duties.

He put his laptop aside and made himself comfortable on the bed. He’d already discarded his shoes.

He could have sworn he’d just fallen asleep, but he could feel a heavy weight on his chest and neck. He opened his eyes to see not one, but two cats, making themselves comfortable on top of him. Well, he could make out white fur in front of his face, and could see the tips of Kurt’s ears and his tail.

He closed his eyes briefly, but realized he wasn’t going to be able to sleep. For one, he could barely breathe with fur in his nose and covering his mouth. He glared at Misty, but she couldn’t see him from her position sprawled across his neck.

He supposed he should be grateful Misty was finally starting to accept him, but he really did need to breathe. He carefully put his hands around her and lifted her away from his neck. She grumbled, but he growled back at her and she allowed him to set her down beside him. Now he could see Kurt, curled up on his chest.

“Sorry, love, I need to get up.” Kurt rolled off him, and he left the two cats on the bed, figuring there was plenty of room to make themselves comfortable. He called Lily and asked if she was ready to retrieve Misty, or if he should bring her over.

A few minutes later, he found both cats sound asleep. Kurt was snoring, stretched out, and Misty was curled up against him, with her head resting on his side. Kurt’s tail was wrapped protectively over her. Adam gave in to temptation and took a few pictures, then let Lily in.

“They’re so cute,” he insisted. He held up his phone. “I’ll send you the pictures.”

“Here, before I forget.” Lily took something blue out of her pocket and handed it to Adam.

“What’s this?”

“You asked me about Misty’s egg. Rather than you having to buy a dozen, when I’ve got a lot left, I thought Kurt would like this.”

Adam grinned as the examined the bright blue plastic egg. He carefully separated the two halves. “Thank you. I think he’ll enjoy this very much.”

“You’re welcome. It’s poor repayment for the dress, but…”

“Nonsense. You paid for the sewing machine and material. But I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

Lily was reluctant to wake or move Misty, but in a few minutes the cats were separated and Misty was on her way home.

As Adam let them out the door, he heard Lily say, “No, sweetheart, you can’t live here. No. How about I give you some treats when we get home?”

Apparently the bribe was acceptable enough that she didn’t try to get out of Lily’s arms.

Adam found Kurt still on the bed, but he was sitting up.

“Well, what do you want to do? I think I’ll fix some lunch. Do you want to join me, or are you staying like that?”

Apparently the answer was “both” because Kurt followed him into the kitchen. Adam made a sandwich for human Kurt later in case he got hungry. He couldn’t resist the look in those eyes, and gave him a small corner of his tuna sandwich. He wasn’t sure Kurt would eat the bread, but it was gone in seconds. He glanced at the food dish, and saw there were still some crunchies left, so Kurt would be fine if he was really starving.

Adam made a couple of phone calls while Kurt was busy catting it up, then sat down with a mystery he’d been trying to finish for ages. It wasn’t that it was boring, but it seemed he hardly had time to ready anymore. There were so many characters, it was hard to keep track when he had to keep putting the book down. About the time he finally remembered who all the characters in the current scene were, Kurt ran out of the room. He’d been running around the house, then had been sleeping across Adam’s feet.

He wasn’t too surprised to hear the shower running a few minutes later. He glanced at his watch, and wondered if he’d have time to finish the book before Kurt was ready for their ‘gardening club’ meeting. He decided there was only one way to find out.

He was on the last chapter when Kurt walked into the room. He didn’t look up, wanting to finish the book.

“Hey, Adam, I’m ready,” Kurt announced.

“Uh-huh,” Adam replied, turning a page.

Kurt sighed loudly, and Adam glanced up over the top of his glasses. He was wearing rather tight jeans, a green t-shirt, and a long-sleeved, lighter green shirt over that, which was buttoned almost all the way to the top.

“You look nice,” he added.

“You’re not ready,” Kurt announced. “Don’t we have to leave pretty soon?”

“Not for a while yet. And yes, I’m ready. Tell you what, let me finish my book, I’ve just got a few pages to go, then I’ll be willing to listen to your opinions about the suitability of what I’m wearing.”

Kurt sniffed, but didn’t argue.

“I left a sandwich for you in the fridge, if you’re hungry. I thought maybe we’d stop at a fast food place for dinner, on the way to Gabriel’s. You can leave the sandwich for later, if you want.”

“No, I’ll have it now,” Kurt decided. “Thanks. Maybe I’ll just have a salad for dinner.”

“That’s fine. Now please let me finish this, before I lose track of who’s been exonerated, and why.”

“Exonerated?” Kurt repeated.

“Found not guilty. The detective is telling everyone in the room, all the potential killers, one by one, why he doesn’t think they did it. Till he gets to the real killer.”

Kurt shrugged. “If it’s a true story, it was the husband. Or wife. If it’s British fiction, it was the butler.”

“What? Why are you so sure?” Adam was amused, wondering where he’d gotten those opinions.

“Oh, that’s what Dad used to say.”

He went to the kitchen, and Adam returned to his book.

About five minutes later, Adam closed the book, and joined Kurt in the kitchen. “It was the wife. In collusion with the butler.”

Kurt raised his eyebrows.

“They were in love, and the husband was in the way. I was sure it was the younger brother, but no.”

Kurt swallowed the last of his sandwich. “I don’t like mysteries. Life is confusing enough without filling my head with all those other people and all their emotions and motives and all that.”

“You could be right.”

After a brief discussion, they compromised on Adam’s wardrobe. He kept everything he was wearing, except for his sweater, which was inexplicably covered with cat hair. He substituted a vest, ran a comb through his hair, and declared himself ready to go.


	93. Chapter 93

Gabriel greeted Adam, Kurt, and their guest at the door, then brought them into the kitchen, where Julia was baking cookies.

“Julia, Adam and Kurt are the first to arrive, with their friend.”

Julia introduced herself, and smiled at the other woman, as Adam introduced her.

“The cookies smell really good!” Kurt said, sniffing the air appreciatively.

“They’re sugar cookies,” Julia told him. “Just the slice and bake kind. I didn’t really have time to make any from scratch.”

“Those are good, too,” Kurt agreed. “My dad used to make them. He never had time for home-made either, but they were always good. Except when he burned them.”

Gabriel asked them to move as many chairs as possible into Artie’s playroom, since it was larger than the living room. Adam suggested they put the leash over Kurt’s shoulder for now so they’d both have their hands free and be unimpeded. Kurt told Gabriel about his father’s suggestions for the cart for Artie.

Gabriel was impressed. “I really haven’t had a chance to get anything from a store yet. If you’d like to try an put one together, I’ll pay for the materials.”

“What if it doesn’t work out?” Kurt asked anxiously.

“Then we’ll adapt it. Or if there’s no way it will work for Artie, we’ll donate it to someone else, or a store that has a hybrid who can use it. It won’t go to waste.”

Artie stayed out of the way, in his bedroom, until Gabriel asked him to come out.

The other members arrived shortly, a group of five carpooling, and a few people driving solo, so it wasn’t long before they were all there.

In addition to the chairs, there were also an inflatable sofa, and some pillows on the floor. The hybrids all wanted the pillows, though Artie agreed staying in his wheelchair made more sense. They all had their leashes on, but the owners were holding the other end loosely. Before everyone was seated, they were all encouraged to take some cookies and a beverage from a large tin cooler filled with ice. There were bottles of water, cans of diet soda, and fruit juices. Julia brought cookies and drinks to the hybrid owners, who couldn’t carry everything plus hold their pet’s leash.

When they were all seated as comfortably as possible, Gabriel cleared his throat. “Since there are quite a few new members, let’s introduce ourselves. First name only, if you’d prefer. You may state your occupation if you wish, and who referred you. We might have some discussion later about what specifically brought us all here, if anyone wants to talk about it. Also, I’m going to give my pet, Artie, permission to speak to any of you in the group, or individually later this evening, if you’d like.”

Adam gave permission for Kurt so speak, and the other pet owners did the same.

Gabriel spoke up again. “Let’s just go around the room. I’ll start. I’m Dr. Gabriel Hanover, and I’m a veterinarian and doctor for hybrids, as well as a psychiatrist.” He glanced down at Artie, who was in his wheelchair next to him.

“Hi. Um, I’m Artie. I’m a hybrid, as I guess you can tell, and I belong to Gabriel.”

Gabriel frowned, but didn’t correct him.

On Artie’s left, on another pillow, Kurt sat up a bit straighter.

“I’m Kurt, I’m a hybrid, and Adam is my owner.” He turned his head to his left.

Adam held up a hand. “Hello, I’m Adam. I’m…primarily a writer, at the moment.”

They guest Kurt and Adam brought was next, to Adam’s left. “I’m Lily, and I’m here with Adam and Kurt. We’re friends and neighbors. Adam explained what you’re trying to do, and I’d like to help. I have some experience with organizing large groups, fundraising, and publicity, for another organization. If you think you can use my expertise, please ask.” She sat back comfortably in her chair.

She glanced to her left, where a young, red-haired woman sat with her fingers clasped, clearly trying to keep her hands under control. “I’m Nancy. Adam invited me. I do housework for him, and Lily. And I’m here for my sister.” She smiled down at the hybrid sitting next to her.

Gabriel had to strain to hear her voice.

“My name is Donna. Nancy is my sister – half-sister. And I’m here with my owner, Jerry. We were invited by Adam.”

Jerry sat next to her, on the inflatable sofa. He held up one large hand in a brief wave. “Hey, y’all. I’m Jerry. I’m co-owner of a gym downtown that caters to hybrids, and the people who own them. We have some other members, but they have to be cool with hybrids or we kick ‘em out.” He reached down and took Donna’s hand.

The slightly older man next to him on the sofa coughed loudly, and glared at Jerry. “I’m Daniel, the other owner of the gym. And it’s true, we welcome hybrids, and enforce our zero tolerance for harassment of any of our clients. I’m also here with my pet, Carl.” He smiled fondly at the blond man sitting on a pillow to his left, who looked a few years younger than him.

“Hi. I’m Carl, and yeah, I’m here with Daniel. Adam invited us, too.”

The gentleman to Carl’s left spoke. “My name is Hugo. I own a clothing store, and Adam has been a customer and friend for years. I would like to tailor more suits for hybrids, but I don’t have that many customers looking for that.” He paused a moment, then continued. “My son is a hybrid. I don’t know where he is now, since, of course, he was taken from me years ago.”

The guest Gabriel had invited, whom he wasn’t sure would show up, was next. Although at first she’d been hesitant to sit in the chair without cleaning it, Gabriel grabbed a clean towel from the bathroom and let her drape it over the chair. “My name is Emma, and my husband and I have a hybrid pet store.” She looked around the room, as though waiting for people to say rude things. So far no one had. “My husband doesn’t know I’m here. I don’t think he’s quite ready for this yet. I don’t like keeping secrets from him, but I think we’ve made some mistakes, mostly out of ignorance.” She looked over at Kurt, then Artie, and smiled at them. “But I’d like to see what can be done to correct that, and to try to get our remaining pets into good homes. I think after that, we might be going into a different line of business.”

“Does your husband know about that? Changing businesses?” Daniel asked.

Emma looked startled, but handled it well. “Not yet. But I think by that time we’ll both be ready for a change of pace. Oh, I’m here because Gabriel invited me.”

She glanced to her left, where a short blonde woman was sitting. She reached over and patted Emma’s hand, then looked around the room. “My name is April, and I’m an actress and singer. I’m a friend of Adam’s, and Kurt is my favorite hybrid in the whole world.” She grinned at Kurt, who blushed and looked down at his hands, though he was smiling. “And Artie is another real sweetheart. I’d just like to help in whatever way I can.”

They’d come almost all the way around the circle.

“I’m Julia, and I’m a lawyer. I specialize in hybrid law, especially hybrid rights. My hybrid companion, Mandy, isn’t here tonight. She’s very, very shy, and I’m hoping if she does come in the future, you’ll all make her feel welcome, without overwhelming her. But she wouldn’t have been comfortable around this many people, not yet anyway. Adam is the one who originally spoke to me, and to Gabriel, about getting together to discuss these sorts of issues.”

“Before we begin,” Gabriel said, looking around the room, “does anybody have any question? And I mean anyone, shy hybrids included,” he added with a soft smile.

Donna raised her hand.

“Yes, Donna?”

“This isn’t…illegal or anything, is it?” She looked around the room cautiously. Jerry squeezed her hand gently, and she relaxed.

Gabriel smiled as reassuringly as he could. “That’s why we have legal counsel here. Julia?”

Julia nodded, and leaned forward. “I’ve looked into it, and while I’m sure the Office of Hybrid Control wouldn’t be too happy about it, it’s not actually illegal. Probably because it wouldn’t occur to them that anyone would hold this kind of meeting. But we are trying to be discreet. We don’t want any new laws restricting your rights to be put in place. Please be careful who you talk to about this, if anyone.”

Donna nodded, and relaxed back into the pillow she sat on.

Emma raised her hand, and when Gabriel nodded to her, she wetted her lips nervously. “I’m sure you were all asked here because you were trusted. I just want to reassure anyone who might have reason to doubt me, that I do want hybrids to be treated better. I’m not sure complete independence is the answer, but that’s why I’m here, to learn more about the ideas and suggestions. I can admit it when I’m wrong, but I might also have a different perspective than some of you.”

Artie rolled his eyes, but Gabriel wasn’t about to criticize him for it. He thought Kurt might have caught it, judging from the slight smile playing about his lips.

Gabriel nodded. “It’s true, Emma, aside from myself, and possibly Julia, you’ve probably spent the most time around different hybrids, and have had a good opportunity to observe their behavior. And to see what does, and doesn’t work, in the way they’re currently treated in pet stores.”

Emma bit her lip, then spoke again. “Yes, although I have to say, not all pet stores are run the same. I know ours is a bit unusual in some ways, but in others, it’s probably typical in the way the pets are treated.”

A few attendees looked uncomfortable.

Gabriel held up one hand. “Before we go any further, I’d like to establish some rules. First of all, what’s said in here, stays in here. No one should try to coerce anyone else to talk about what was said, or to contradict what they said, outside of here. I’ve been debating about whether we should take notes, or record the meeting.”

There was a loud murmur of voices.

Gabriel held up his hand again for quiet, before putting it down. “I think we can agree, we can all speak more freely if we’re not being recorded. That being said, if anyone has any sort of recording device, please turn it off now. I already asked you all for cellphone silence, but it’s very important that we can all trust one another.”

Everyone looked around the room at the others, but no one reached into a pocket, purse or bag.

“All right. I do think we should have some notes, though, if there’s anything we don’t want to forget, or to keep track of who may be volunteering to do different things. Nobody is going to be coerced into volunteering, and don’t worry that if you miss a meeting, someone else will “volunteer” you to do something. But if we’re going to make any progress, we’ll need to start taking a more active part in what’s going on.”

Adam put a hand on Kurt’s shoulder. Kurt leaned his head down against Adam’s hand for a moment, then seemed to remember they weren’t alone. He lifted his head, but Adam kept his hand where it was.

“Does anyone want to be the club secretary?” Gabriel looked around the room.

Nancy raised her hand. “I can try.”

“Thank you.” Gabriel passed down a legal pad and pen, then sat up straight.

“Is everyone comfortable? Let me rephrase that. Is anyone uncomfortable with the group as it stands now?”

No one objected to anyone else, which Adam thought was an excellent sign.

Gabriel briefly went over what they’d discussed at the first meeting.

“I think it’s encouraging that we’ve increased our numbers so quickly. There are going to be people who won’t like what we’re doing, and who might try to interfere if they knew. We don’t want to put anyone at risk, but we’re also trying to prevent future risk to hybrids who are still in stores, or even still at home.”

Jerry raised his hand. “I’ve got a question. What about the hybrids who don’t want to be independent, or if their owners don’t want that?”

Gabriel nodded. “I’ve been giving that some thought. This change isn’t going to happen overnight. It might take a couple of generations, even, before hybrids are given independence. I think it will be a gradual process. It’s not likely that in a couple of months, or years, hybrids are going to be released from the stores and told to go out and support themselves. It’s going to have to be gradual. Coming generations of hybrids are going to need to go to school longer, and be taught more practical skills. Whoever adopts them will need to help them to cope with finding what they want to do. Eventually, hopefully, hybrids will have the same rights as full humans.”

Emma sighed, and didn’t bother to raise her hand. “I’m not sure that’s ever going to work. I know there are exceptions, but some of the hybrids I know just don’t seem like they would ever make it out in society, competing against humans – people who have the advantage of always knowing they can go out and live their own lives, who might be better prepared.”

Gabriel heard her out. “That’s why we need to start training them now, to show people that it can be done. It’s possible that some, or maybe even a lot, of the current generation of hybrids, would have difficulty being independent, because they’ve never been told they could be. All their lives they’ve been told they’re only good for being someone’s pet, they need someone to take care of them, they can’t do this, that, or the other thing that other people do. It’s got to be odd to go to a store, for instance, and look around, and see so many people who look like you, except they’re not wearing collars or leashes. They’re sometimes alone, or maybe in a group or a family, but no one is telling them, ‘If you’re lucky, you’ll be adopted by someone who is kind and won’t hurt you.’ That’s got to be very difficult to overcome.”

He looked at Kurt, to see how his words were affecting him. Kurt looked thoughtful, but not angry. Some of the other hybrids were nodding in agreement.

“Carl, if I can ask you some questions?”

The blond looked startled. He glanced up at Daniel, who shrugged. “Up to you, man.”

He swallowed, and shifted around a bit on the pillow. “Um, sure. What did you want to know?”

“You look like you’re the oldest of the hybrids in this room,” Gabriel observed. “Can you tell us what you think about this issue of independence? Or what your experience has been like?”

Carl didn’t look too happy to be singled out, but he thought for a minute or so before answering.

“Daniel lets me run some errands for him, like at the gym, going across the street to get coffee. Me and Donna spend a lot of time at the gym, and we help or supervise the hybrids who come in to relax or nap, or if someone has a question about the equipment or something. We make sure there are plenty of clean towels stacked up at the front desk. They get cleaned at a laundry service, they pick them up for cleaning, and deliver them, and me and Donna make sure we don’t run low on them.

“At home, Daniel lets me do what I want a lot of the time. I listen to music a lot, but I do get bored easily. I like to be in the same room as Daniel, even if he’s busy with the computer or something. I help him with the housework, and cooking, things like that, and the grocery shopping. The only time I go out by myself, like I said, is for short errands. I can’t drive, of course, but I know how to take the bus to the grocery store, if we just need a couple of things. I can walk to the coffee shop near the house, and I know how to get to the gym, and I can walk to Jerry’s house. I’m supposed to call Jerry, or go get him, if anything happens to Daniel. I don’t know if I want to do much more than that, without Daniel there. What if something goes wrong? Who’s gonna take my word about anything, if Daniel’s not there to back me up?”

He stopped talking, and Gabriel waited to see if he was gathering his thoughts, or was done. Carl finally said, “I think that’s it.”

“Daniel, do you have anything to add? I’m trying to get an idea of the differences between the four hybrids, their various levels of independence.”

“I see. I think Carl has it right. It’s a little different if we go to visit my parents, in Oklahoma. They don’t like to come to New York, so every year, I take a couple of weeks off. Me and Carl drive to see the folks, then come back here. But when we’re out of New York, I guess things are a little different. Carl sticks closer to me, I don’t send him off on any errands, and –“ He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I treat him differently when I’m around my folks. They’re kind of old-fashioned, maybe a little bit what you’d call redneck. Carl doesn’t talk much when he’s there. They mostly kind of want to ignore him.” He looked down at Carl and squeezed his shoulder briefly.

Carl spoke again. “It’s easier for all of us if I just stay in my dog form most of the time. Then Daniel’s parents relax a little, they talk more freely, and I can go outside on the porch and take a nap, or run around the yard. I don’t ever try and go off their property, though, or any place where Daniel can’t find me. I don’t want to upset his parents, and I think it’s easier for them to forget about me. Not that they don’t – you know, they keep hybrid dog chow there, and there’s a dog bed in Daniel’s room – not that I sleep in it – and sometimes his mom will kind of forget and pet me, until she remembers I’m not a real dog, as she puts it.”

Daniel’s brows lowered. “Sometimes I think maybe it’d be easier to just tell them I can’t come out this year, we’re too busy at the gym, but you know, they’re getting older. I can’t really expect them to change the way they think, which is that hybrids shouldn’t exist at all. I’ve tried to talk to them, and I thought if they got to know Carl, they’d see he’s nothing like what they think hybrids are.”

“But hybrids do exist,” Jerry interrupted. “Just because some people don’t like them, it’s not going to make them go away. And as long as people keep wanting to adopt them…” He stopped and thought about his words. “What if they keep breeding hybrids, and nobody wants to adopt them? They’re not all getting adopted, some of them get –“ He bit his lip, and bent down to kiss the top of Donna’s head. “Well, what would happen then?”

“That’s a good question,” Gabriel sighed, “and one of the things we need to think about, if we’re ever going to present a case before the Hybrid Control Department, or the public in general.”

“How about giving them back to their family?” Kurt suggested, his voice tinged with bitterness.

“If the family still wants them,” Artie added.

“I would love to have my son back,” Hugo interjected. “I suspect most parents would.”

“But what if the kids don’t want to go back?” April asked. When everyone stared at her, she blushed slightly. “Sometimes the parents might not want the kid back, and maybe sometimes the kids don’t want to go back. If the parents were only raising them for the money, or something like that, they wouldn’t have the same bond that people might have if they love their partner and wanted kids.”

Gabriel brightened at the thought. “That’s a great idea, though, to see if they could go back. If the hybrids and the families were given the chance to both decide. If either side didn’t want to reunite, other arrangements would have to be made. Maybe the government will have to think about the way it compensates parents for raising a hybrid child for 13 years. They may not want to pay for more than that, but some families might be willing to take their hybrid children back, even with no subsidy.”

Kurt nodded rapidly. “I’m sure my dad would have taken me back, if I hadn’t found Adam. Or he hadn’t found me.”

“Slow down, please,” Nancy begged. “I know some shorthand, but I can’t write that fast.”

“You don’t have to take everything down,” Gabriel suggested, “Just the most important issues. Anything we might want to remember later.”

Nancy nodded as she continued to scribble as fast as she could.

Gabriel thought it might be time to change the topic. “Before I forget, I think Adam has something he wants to announce.”

“Before you start worrying, it’s something good,” Adam assured them. “I’d like to start a small class, unofficial, no cost, but I’d like to help you hybrids with your reading skills, if any of you are interested.”

He saw several surprised faces, and heard some quiet murmurs, but wasn’t sure if anyone besides Kurt was receptive to the idea.

“Artie,” Gabriel began, “this is up to you. You don’t have to make a decision right away. None of you do. But Adam is willing to spend an hour or two a week helping you, so that you’ll be better able to entertain yourself when you have nothing specific to do. Your owners, of course, have the final say about it, but we thought we’d present this opportunity.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Jerry said. “I’ve never been much of a reader, I like to work with my hands more, but Donna, if you’re interested, we can find you some books you might like.”

Adam nodded. “To clarify, I was thinking of starting with some simple children’s books. You all can let me know if they’re too easy for you. Something like Dr. Suess, perhaps, and work our way up perhaps, before trying other authors.”

Adam continued, looking at the various reactions. “I’d be happy to recommend some books, once I learn more about your individual tastes and reading level. I’ve been helping Kurt with the first book in the Harry Potter series, for instance.”

Donna and Carl both nodded vigorously.

“I’d like to read that,” Carl said wistfully. “Whenever I saw ads for one of the movies, they looked like fun.”

“Me, too,” Donna said. “But some of the later ones looked kind of scary.” She drew a little closer to Jerry, who reached down to put an arm around her. She visibly relaxed.

“Yes, the series gets progressively scarier, as the characters grow up and learn about all the things out there that can hurt them, or want to keep them docile – calm,” Adam corrected. “It’s about a group of children learning they have more power than they imagined, and that they can use that power to fight the evil in the world. They have to make decisions, about doing the easy thing, or the right thing. About staying safe and protected, or going out in the world to see what they can do to improve it. There’s more to it than that, but for me, that’s the heart of the books.”

He saw that they were all thinking about his words.

“Are we going to start with the easy books, then work out way up to Harry Potter?” Artie asked thoughtfully. “Because I did read a lot before I was sent to the store. I read the first three books in that series. I might be a little more advanced than some of the others, but maybe I can help you?”

“That’s an excellent idea,” Adam approved.

“What about the movies?” Carl asked. “Is there any way we can see the movies?”

“The Harry Potter movies?” At Carl’s nod, Adam continued. “I have them all. If it’s okay with your owners, I’d be happy to have a screening. Hopefully we can all squeeze into my – our place. Your owners are welcome, too, of course. I was thinking, perhaps after we finish the first book, we can watch the first movie. Then go on to the second book. That way, the book will be fresh in your mind when you see the movie.”

Daniel spoke up. “I think it’s a great idea, and I don’t mind if Carl wants to see the movie. But I was thinking – Julia, you said Mandy is really shy? Do you think she might be too scared? ‘Cause maybe if there were a bunch of us watching, it might not be as scary.”

Julia looked thoughtful as she slowly tapped one finger against her knee. “I think if you go slowly enough, and make sure everyone’s sort of at the same level, about being able to read, it will help. And I think Mandy will enjoy the first movie. Maybe the first three. We’ll see how it goes. If she’s going to watch, I should probably be there with her. At least for the first movie, and certainly for the first reading lesson. I hope she’ll be comfortable enough with all of you without me being there all the time, once she gets to know you.”

“Where are you going to have the class?” Daniel asked.

Adam sighed. “Well, I was thinking at my apartment. But it depends how many people are going to be there. If all the owners want to be there while their pets are learning to read – well, it sort of defeats the purpose. I was thinking it could be like a pet-sitting situation, if anyone asks.”

Daniel pursed his lips and thought about it. “I’m not sure if that will work. How about this? We can offer a new class at the gym. It’s not physical fitness, but more maybe mental fitness. If a pet is tired or bored or doesn’t want to exercise, they could have the option of joining this reading class, for an hour, a couple of days a week. We’d hire you on, Adam. It would be free for members, but anyone who’s not a member can pay a small fee. Let’s say, something like $5 per session? That way it shouldn’t break anybody’s budget.”

Jerry added, “We’ve already got things set up there where pets can be off the leash, or away from their owner for a little bit, to take a nap or rest, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“It sounds almost like a hybrid day care,” Julia observed. “I’ve never heard of one, but it makes sense to me.”

“I like that idea,” Gabriel offered. “You’ve got a lot more space there at the gym, and that way we could reach out to more hybrids. It might be too early to talk to them about our gardening club just yet, but if we can give them something to do in their free time, they’d probably be happier, and it might be a relief for the owner, as well.”

“What if the pet wants to read, and the owner doesn’t want them to?” Artie asked.

“Well, we can’t insist,” Daniel explained, “I think all we can do is maybe come up with a flyer or something that explains the program and the benefits. Maybe when they know more about it, the owners will decide it’s a good idea.”

“We need to be careful,” Gabriel interjected, “to not end up disappointing the pets who aren’t allowed to read, or to improve their skills. But I think it’s a good stepping stone on the path to greater independence, and happier hybrids.”

Artie nodded vigorously and pumped his fist in the air. “Preach!” He looked around at all the startled faces and blushed.

Kurt giggled, and Emma laughed out loud.

Kurt explained to the others, “Every time Artie really agreed with something, and that wasn’t too often, he’d do that. It annoyed Mr. Will, but Miss Emma usually grinned before she had to look serious again and tell Artie to settle down.”

Emma blushed, but didn't disagree.

“Don’t be afraid to express yourself, Artie,” Gabriel advised. “At least, not at home or when you’re with friends.”

“This might also be a good time to mention,” Adam interjected, “I’ve been writing a book about Kurt’s and my adventures into hybrid adoption. It’s well on it’s way to being a full novel. I’ve been trying to phone everyone and make sure you don’t mind if you’re mentioned in the book. I have no axes to grind, I just wanted at first to remember all the things I never expected. And then it occurred to me, maybe others could benefit from seeing things from my point of view, or Kurt’s. Either current owners, potential owners, parents of hybrids, or just regular people who don’t know much about hybrids and what it’s like to live with one.”

There were a few questions, but soon the all agreed Adam could use them as characters, using their real names at his discretion.

“Julia will be reading the entire thing before I publish it,” Adam mentioned quickly, “to make sure there’s nothing really inflammatory in there, or anything that could get anyone in trouble. There’s a possibility the book may become a play or musical, as well.”

Adam didn’t look around, but Gabriel noticed that April winked at him.

“What about these meetings?” asked Artie. “Will they be in the book?”

Adam shook his head. “I think not. Maybe I’ll do an expanded edition later, but I think for now, even leaving this out, there will be plenty for the readers to try to digest as it is.”

“Do you think –“ Carl stopped and took a deep breath, “maybe someday we’ll be able to read your book for ourselves?”

“Well, I’ll certainly see you get copies of it, if you want. If I find a publisher. Or I may just publish it myself.”

Kurt suggested, “Maybe that can be one of the books Adam uses to teach us to read, or he can, you know, read it aloud to us or something? I’ve read parts of it, but there’s been so much going on, I’d rather listen to it without any distractions. Then I can try to read it on my own later.”

There was much discussion after that, but Gabriel felt they’d covered enough ground. He didn’t want the hybrids, in particular, to be overwhelmed.

“Okay, I think it’s time to adjourn this meeting.” Looking at the confusion on a few faces, he added, "Time to end the meeting."

Hugo, April, and Emma left shortly after that. Julia offered to help clean up, but Gabriel said she’d helped enough earlier, and he didn’t want to keep her from Mandy too long. Nancy had plans with her boyfriend after the meeting, but the others in her group wanted to stay a bit, so Julia offered to drive her home.

Daniel said, “I was thinking, maybe Carl and Donna should get to know Artie a little better. They already know Kurt, but they haven’t had a lot of time to spend around other hybrids.”

Gabriel thought it sounded like a great idea. “That’s fine. Maybe you can all visit with each other down here. Er, do you want to visit as people, or in your animal form? What do you think?”

“Can we do some of both?” Artie asked.

The owners all agreed.

“Just don’t anybody start any fights,” Daniel warned. “I don’t want anybody to get hurt. But be aware, if any of you starts a fight, I will end it.”

“He has my permission,” Gabriel said. Adam nodded. Gabriel was pretty sure neither of them would have to worry, but it was good Daniel was aware it might be a possibility.

Adam and Lily insisted on helping with the chairs, but it went much faster when Jerry offered to help. “Donna will be fine here, won’t you, honey?”

She smiled up at him as she said, “Sure, I’ll be fine.”

Daniel ended up being the only full human left downstairs with the hybrids, but he’d seen the bookshelf outside, and found a Western by Zane Grey to read, to give the pets at least a modicum of privacy.


	94. Chapter 94

Daniel was looking at the book, but not really reading it. He was trying, but he thought it was more important to keep an eye on the kids. He mentally erased that word, but he couldn’t help but sometimes look at them like that. Carl wasn’t much younger than him, but he was still a bit child-like in his demeanor sometimes. They got along well, but Daniel still wasn’t sure, after more than seven years of being together, just how much he was supposed to teach him. Carl was fine in public, he knew how to act, didn’t cause trouble, but at home they were closer to friends. Well, more than friends; he wondered, not for the first time, if his parents objected more to him sleeping with Carl than to actually owning a pet.

The four hybrids looked at each other, but no one was sure what to say.

“Artie?” Kurt asked.

The younger boy looked over at him, obviously nervous.

“I’ve already seen how cool this place is,” Kurt continued, “but Donna and Carl haven’t. Do you want to show them the bathroom?”

“Oh, yeah!”

Donna laughed nervously. “That might be a good idea. I, um, kind of need to use…”

“Right, got it!” Artie turned his wheelchair around and headed for the far end of the room. The door was partially open. “Uh, the toilet is to the left, sink straight ahead, shower to the right.”

Carl took a quick peek inside, but moved out of the way to let Donna in. He and Artie went back to where Kurt was waiting.

“It looks nice in there,” Carl said, scratching his head. “I mean, our place isn’t as big as this, it’s just a regular house. But we’ve got a really big back yard. Maybe you guys can come over sometime to play? I mean, you might like it more in your animal forms.”

Kurt nodded. “That would be nice. My dad wouldn’t let me out in the back yard unless he was with me. He was worried I’d run away, or someone would take me or something.”

“I like the grass,” Artie confirmed, “I just can’t move around all that well without this chair. I mean, I don’t have one of these that’s rabbit-sized.”

Carl blinked, and looked a bit nervous as he turned to Daniel. “Daniel, I’m sorry. I should have asked you first. Can Kurt and Artie come over sometime? I was thinking we could run around in the back yard.” He winced as the words left his mouth. “Well, um, you know, hang out in the yard.”

Daniel shrugged. “Fine with me, as long as Adam and Gabriel don’t mind.”

Kurt spoke up confidently. “Adam should be okay with it. And maybe I’ll have –“ He paused, and started again. “I’m going to build a sort of cart for Artie, that will help him get around when he’s a rabbit. He’ll be able to use his front legs to pull himself along. If the design works out like I think, it should work. I’m going to try to get that finished soon.”

He looked anxiously at Artie, who gave him a wry smile in return. “Thanks, Kurt. I know you mean well, and I hope it works. I just don’t want to get my hopes up and have it not work out.”

“What are we talking about?”

None of them had realized Donna was back. They’d been so engrossed in their talk, they hadn’t heard her come out to the main room.

Kurt explained the plan, and Donna was enthusiastic as well. “It really is a great yard. If you get the cart going, Artie might be able to keep up with the rest of us. I think there’ll be room for all of us there.”

“Will Adam and Gabriel and Jerry need to be there?” Kurt asked.

After a moment to think about it, Daniel replied, “Nah, I don’t think so. Gabriel seems really busy, and Adam is, too, with his book. Jerry won’t mind if Donna’s over at my place. We look out for each other’s pets all the time. Let’s call it a play date, and I’ll keep an eye on you guys. They’re welcome if they want to be there, but we’ll probably just hang out on the porch and have some cold drinks while you’re chasing each other or whatever.”

“Fun! Hey, are there any trees there?” Kurt asked.

“What, to climb?” Daniel asked dubiously.

“Yeah!”

Kurt sounded a little too excited.

“A few,” Daniel answered cautiously. “If you get up there, don’t be expecting me to get you down.”

“Oh, I’m not scared of heights. At least, I don’t _think_ I am,” Kurt amended, scrunching up his face. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to get down again.”

Carl asked thoughtfully, “Maybe you could just go up a little ways? Then you can come back down again, to make sure you’re okay with that, then climb up higher.”

“That might work,” Daniel mused, “but with four or five of you there, I don’t want to be getting up on any ladders.”

“I promise I’ll get down by myself,” Kurt insisted. “And if I can’t, you can call Adam, and have him come get me.”

Daniel narrowed his eyes, wondering if Kurt was just winding him up.

“I just mean,” Kurt continued innocently, “Adam wouldn’t mind getting me down, I don’t think. But there isn’t really a back yard in our building. Well, there’s a little square with a lawn, and some flower beds, but there aren’t any trees.”

“Tell you what,” Daniel suggested, “why don’t you see if Adam will take you to the park sometime, and let you climb the trees there? Let’s see how he feels about getting you down if he needs to.”

“I’ll ask him.”

“The park sounds great!” Donna said. “Jerry takes me there sometimes, but just as a human, and we walk around. He hasn’t wanted to let me out as a cat, in a place where there are a lot of other people or animals. But we’ve got a nice back yard, with a big fence.”

“He doesn’t worry about you going over the fence?” Artie asked.

“No, he knows I wouldn’t. That is, he told me when we first moved there, I could only go outside if he was around, and if I promised not to ever go over the fence, or try to run outside it if he had the door open.”

“Hm. There’s a back yard here, but I haven’t spent much time there yet,” Artie confessed. “I want to explore it, but I think Gabriel is still trying to get me used to the house.”

“Is he taking you to work with him tomorrow?” Kurt asked.

“Uh-huh. That will be…interesting.”

Daniel knew Carl and Donna liked being at work with him and Jerry, but they were able to spend a fair amount of time with their pets, and at least check in on them fairly often. They also completely trusted each other around their pets, and knew in an emergency, the other could be relied on to take care of either one, or take either or both to the vet. They’d been going to Gabriel for quite a while. Jerry had done most of the research, but he’d shared his top three choices with Daniel. It didn’t take long to narrow them down to the one choice, the only one who seemed to care about the hybrids’ psychological well-being along with their physical health.

Artie cleared his throat. “Hey, you guys want to change, and play, or something?”

“Sure,” Carl agreed. “But I don’t have any of my toys with me. Donna?”

She shook her head. “I don’t, either. But we can find something to do, I’m sure.”

“I don’t have many toys yet,” Artie said, “but I think Gabriel put them in a box in the bathroom, to get them out of the way. But, let’s just talk about this a minute first. I’m a rabbit, Kurt and Donna are cats. No offense, Carl, but dogs kinda make me nervous.”

He inclined his head, and said, “I understand. But don’t worry. I know this is your territory. I’m not gonna try to take over, or hurt you, or the kitties. I’m pretty friendly in my other form.”

“He really is,” Donna agreed. “I’ve known him for years, and he’s always careful not to hurt me.”

Artie inhaled, then slowly let his breath out. “Okay. Um, have any of you met Mandy, Julia’s pet?”

They all shook their heads.

“I’ve met her, ‘cause, uh, Julia and Gabriel are, like, dating or something. She brought Mandy over once so we could meet, and she’s really sweet. She’s a dog, Irish Setter, I think, so she’s kinda big, but friendly enough. She’s just really…I’m not sure shy’s the right word. She’s nervous, especially around guys. I don’t know all the details, but she had an owner who was a real asshole, apparently.” He glanced up at Daniel. “Sorry for my language, but –“

Daniel shrugged. “I don’t care if you swear. And a lot of owners are assholes, so it doesn’t surprise me. Makes me angry, but at least she’s away from that guy now, right?”

“Yeah. She’s okay with me, though, and Gabriel. She might be okay with you, Kurt, ‘cause you’re –“ He seemed to be searching for a word. “Non-threatening. As a human, I mean, and as a cat, too, I guess. But just don’t – I don’t know.” He sighed, clearly frustrated.

Carl shook his head. “No problem. I’m a Golden Retriever, not real aggressive, you know? I’m not gonna do or say anything to upset her. Not deliberately, anyway.”

Kurt agreed. “Me either. I don’t mind meeting new hybrids now, but I remember what it was like when I was at the store. It wasn’t that long ago.”

“Cool.” Artie shifted around a bit in his chair. “Now, if everybody’s ready to change –“

Daniel always found it fascinating when Carl changed, but he’d seen it countless times. He’d seen Donna change quite often, too. He tried to watch both Kurt and Artie, but couldn’t keep his eyes on both. As usual, it happened really fast. He made the mistake of blinking, and it was over.

The animals all seemed a bit wary, but Daniel approved of the way Kurt seemed to be protecting Artie, not allowing the other two to get too close. Artie made an exasperated sound, and Kurt turned to look at him. He meeped, and moved out of the way.

Carl was kind of a big dog, but Daniel knew the others were safe with him.

Since Artie was the only one he’d never seen in his animal form, Carl was very curious about smelling him, which was his main way of identifying whether another animal was safe to approach or not.

Artie was kind of hunched into himself. Not only was he quite a bit smaller, but he couldn’t run away as easily as the two cats could. Kurt hovered nearby, however, and growled low in his throat. Carl looked at him and yapped at him a couple of times. It wasn’t angry, more playful. Daniel was pretty sure it was the equivalent of, “yeah, yeah, settle down.”

Donna also wanted to sniff the bunny, but she was more careful to not make him feel threatened. She approached him slowly, and didn’t get right into his face. Artie leaned forward, probably identifying her as well.

After a couple of minutes, the animals all seemed a little more relaxed.

Carl settled down on the floor, looked at Artie, then tried to turn his head as far as it would go. Daniel wasn’t sure what he was looking at. Carl’s nose very gently nudged Artie.

“Carl? What do you want?”

Carl yipped softly. It looked like he was trying to lift Artie up with his nose.

“If you’re tryin’ to do what I think you are, I’m not sure it’s a good idea,” Daniel warned.

The two cats stood to the side. Each had their head tilted, like a new perspective might help them figure out what Carl wanted.

“Not sure we should do this without Gabriel here.”

Daniel debated a minute, then saw the intercom.

“Hang on, guys, wait a minute.” He saw the intercom was on, and figured Gabriel might leave it on all the time, just for safety.

He cleared his throat. “Uh, Gabriel? Are you there? Can you hear me? It’s Daniel.”

A moment later he heard Gabriel’s voice. “Just a second, let me put this down.” Then it was clearer. “Okay, I’ve got my hands free now. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. The kids – I mean, the pets just changed, and they want to play. But I think Carl wants to, I dunno, give Artie a ride on his back or something? I thought maybe you should know.”

“Wait, let me come down there – what?” His voice was faint again, then stronger. “Okay, we’re all coming down.”

Daniel rolled his eyes, and smiled at his charges. “Hey, everyone, just chill for a minute.”

The two cats were gently wrestling with each other. Carl nudged the side of Artie’s head with his nose. Despite the dog being much bigger, Artie didn’t seem too worried.

Shortly afterwards, the door opened, and the rest of the humans trooped in.

“Hey, y’all having fun?” Jerry asked, his voice a little too loud for the room.

Daniel winced, and rubbed his ear. “Damn, man. Inside voice.”

Jerry lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “Sorry.”

Gabriel stepped forward. “Artie, did you want to try to ride on Carl’s back?”

Daniel knew hybrid pets understood human voices, and Carl certainly responded to his, but it still seemed a bit odd to expect the animals to all know what was being said.

Artie made some odd noises, and his nose twitched a few times. It looked adorable. Daniel mentally slapped himself for thinking it.

It didn’t seem like Artie was scared.

“Okay. Let me help. I’m going to be right here so you don’t fall off.” Gabriel crouched down and lifted Artie onto Carl’s back.

Daniel wasn’t sure how the rabbit was going to stay in place. There was nothing to hold him there, and he wasn’t sure, if rabbits even had any claws, if they’d do any good to hold onto Carl’s fur.

“I don’t think I have anything here to hold you in place,” Gabriel mused. “Maybe a short bungee cord? I don’t want it tight enough to hurt Carl.” He told Adam where to find one, and the blond returned shortly with one of the stretchy cords.

Adam tried winding it around both rabbit and dog, while Gabriel held Artie in place.

“I don’t think this is going to work. I’m going to be right here, in case you start to slide off,” Gabriel insisted.

Daniel didn’t think it would be that far to fall; it didn’t look like Artie would get hurt too much, even if Carl stood up. But Artie wasn’t his pet; it wasn’t his place to say anything. He just watched in fascination as Carl slowly got to his feet.

Gabriel kept the weight of his hand on Artie’s back, to keep him steady.

“That’s not too tight, is it, Carl?” Gabriel asked.

Carl shook his head and woofed briefly.

“Good.”

Carl started taking very slow steps around the room, like a small pony. Artie swayed a little bit, but didn’t look scared. Gabriel seemed to have a good grip on him.

“That’s so cute,” Lily whispered to Adam.

The two cats were watching in fascination, but neither seemed inclined to interfere. Kurt nudged Donna and meeped at her, then trotted over to the far end of the room, near the bathroom. Donna joined him, and they sat and watched, safely out of the way of any canine or human feet.

Carl walked very slowly. He brought his fluffy tail up, and laid it over Artie’s back, as though to help keep it safe. It actually just rested on Gabriel’s hand instead. Slowly, carefully, Gabriel moved his hand out from under the tail, then put it back. He was supporting Artie, but not putting a lot of weight on Carl’s tail, from what Daniel could see.

They made a slow circuit of the room a couple of times. The humans stayed well back, though Adam was muttering about the lack of a video camera, and Lily was taking pictures with her camera phone.

Artie was pretty well-balanced on Carl’s back, and he was wriggling his nose, so Daniel figured he was pretty happy.

After one more circuit of the room, Carl stopped, and barked once. Gabriel took it as a sign that the ride was over. He unfastened the bungee with one hand, while keeping hold of Artie with the other. He handed the cord to Adam, who left the room with it.

Gabriel lifted Artie from Carl’s back, and bent down to set him on the floor a few feet away from the dog. Carl immediately laid down. Artie dragged himself over to Carl and butted his head against the dog’s side, making happy little sounds. Carl’s tail swept over him protectively again, and the dog turned his head towards Artie and woofed. Daniel knew that one meant, “You’re welcome.”

The cats ran over and started climbing over the dog, obviously wanting their turn. Carl didn’t seem to mind having them both on his back, with Donna in front of Kurt. Adam started to move forward, but Jerry shook his head. “Donna’s done this before with him. They’ll be fine.”

Both cats had their claws out, but they weren’t penetrating the thick fur on Carl’s back. He went a bit faster with them, trotting happily around the room several times before stopping. He sank down to his knees and settled down, and both cats hopped off. Each of them went to one side of Carl’s head and started grooming his ears. Daniel wasn’t sure how he’d take that, but he didn’t try to discourage them.

“Okay, I think that’s enough,” Adam said. “I’d like to get Kurt and Lily home. Did you need more help, Gabriel?”

“No, I can finish up, if Jerry and Daniel will stay a few more minutes.”

They agreed.

“Will you three behave down here while we finish putting things away?” Gabriel asked.

The dog, cat, and rabbit all nodded, and made sounds of assent.

“Remember, the intercom is on if there’s a problem. Just make a loud sound if you need anything.”

Daniel was pleased things had gone so well. He hadn’t anticipated any real trouble, but it was gratifying to know that Carl, as a dog as well as a human, would be protective and careful around Artie.

 

 

Kurt wanted to stay in cat form, but Adam had forgotten to bring his carrier. Lily asked if either of them would mind if Kurt sat in her lap, so she could keep him safe.

Adam thought it was a great idea, and Kurt stepped out of Adam’s arms and onto Lily’s lap. He insisted on turning around three times, then settled down and curled into a ball.

Lily put both of her arms around Kurt protectively, keeping him from sliding off if the car went downhill or around a curve.

“That was a nice meeting. Thank you for inviting me.” Lily turned her head to glance at Adam.

“You’re welcome. I had a feeling you’d fit right in.”

“I was glad to meet everyone, owners and hybrids. Though I have to agree with April, Kurt is my favorite.”

Kurt’s ears twitched, meaning he likely wasn’t actually asleep.

She glanced down and scratched behind his ears, somewhat awkwardly, as she didn’t let go of him.

“That’s right, you are.”

They chatted for the rest of the drive home. As soon as Adam got Kurt inside, he set him on the floor and headed to the bathroom. “I’ll be back in a minute, Kurt. We can get you brushed, okay? How does that sound?”

Kurt chirped his approval of that plan.

Soon after, Adam came back to the living room, but didn’t see Kurt. He went into the kitchen and opened the cupboard door that contained Kurt’s food and treats.

“Hey Kurt!” Adam called. No response. He held up a new package of treats, and shook it.

They weren’t particularly noisy, but the cat ran full tilt into the kitchen, skidding a bit on the linoleum. He sat down quickly, pretending it was what he meant to do all along.

Adam hid his grin as best he could.

“Here you go, have some treats. I found some with cheese on the inside.”

Kurt went from sitting on his butt, to standing on his back legs and reaching up as high as he could, before Adam could even rip the package open.

“Hang on, I’ve almost got it.”

Kurt made disgruntled noises low in his throat, waving his paws in the air.

“Yes, I’m sure you could open it quicker, but you’d likely ruin the bag. It seals up again if you – Ah ha!” Adam unzipped the bag and poured a few treats out onto his hand. Leaning down, he held one out for Kurt, who tilted his head up to take it gently from between Adam’s fingers.

He ate it so fast Adam wasn’t sure he’d had time to taste it.

“Slow down, darling, it’s not going anywhere.” He tossed the remaining treats onto the floor in front of Kurt. It looked like he did try to take time to chew them, not just inhale them, so Adam was satisfied. Kurt was, too, if his quiet meeps and growls were anything to go by.

“You’re welcome. That’s it for now.” He put the bag away, and locked the cupboard. Kurt could open it easily as a human, but not as a cat. They had an agreement that Kurt would not take the treats or food out in human form, then gobble them up in cat form. Adam trusted Kurt to hold to that.

“Are you ready for your brushing?” Adam asked, pretty sure he knew the answer already.

Kurt meowed his assent.

“It’s still pretty early, but –“

Kurt let out a series of high-pitched sounds. Adam wasn’t quite sure what he was saying. “Does that mean something like, more time for me to brush you?”

“Mrrrrrrrr.” Kurt rubbed up against Adam’s calf.

“Well, alright then. Come on.”

Adam talked and sang to Kurt as he worked, first getting out the few snarls he found. As heavy as Kurt’s fur was, it didn’t get too tangled. He couldn’t remember if he’d given Kurt a massage the night before, but he didn’t think so. He found the massage tool and Kurt rolled around, like he couldn’t decide where he wanted Adam to start.

“Just stay like that a minute,” Adam suggested. Now that he’d gotten all the loose hairs out of the way, it was easier to run the massage tool through Kurt’s fur. He was careful not to dig too deep, but he knew Kurt would let him know if he was putting too much pressure on his skin. When he’d thoroughly massaged Kurt, he ran his hands over him, massaging with his fingers and palms. Kurt was in ecstasy, trilling loudly.

“Goodness, you’re chatty tonight,” Adam observed. “Okay, there we go. Now, if you don’t mind, I think I’m going to take a shower. If you’re going to stay like that, you can stretch out on the bed now.”

Kurt ran out of the bathroom. When he was ready, Adam stripped out of his clothes and turned the shower on. He was about to step inside, when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

“What are you doing, Kurt?”

He seemed to be staring at the water, not Adam.

“Oh, no you don’t. I’ll give you a bath tomorrow if you want, but I just spent an hour and a half getting your fur to lay just right, the way you like it. Do you want to mess it up again?”

Kurt shook his head, and ran out of the room.

Adam took a quick shower, then joined Kurt, who seemed to be taking up more than his half of the bed. Sometimes it seemed like he was larger in cat form than human, though he knew it had to be an optical illusion of some kind.

He thought the cat was sound asleep, but as soon as Adam got under the covers, Kurt rolled over until he was as close as he could get with the covers between them. Adam petted him a few minutes, until the rhythmic movements were lulling them both into sleep.


	95. Chapter 95

On Monday morning, Kurt was thinking about how to spend his time that day, while Adam was busy writing. Again. They were finishing up breakfast, and he could tell Adam was anxious to get back to his laptop.

He cleared his throat, and when his boyfriend looked over at him, he said, “Adam, I know you’re going to be busy most of the day, writing, right?”

“Writing, right,” Adam answered with a grin.

Kurt matched it, then continued. “I was thinking, you probably want me kind of out of your way and occupied so I’m not interrupting you, right?”

Adam set down his fork and looked carefully at Kurt.

“That would be helpful. I don’t want you to feel like I’m ignoring or neglecting you, but the sooner I finish this, the sooner we can see how much interest there is, and I can figure out whether it will be worth April’s time and money to adapt it into a play or musical.”

“Sure.” Kurt nodded rapidly. “If I had everything I needed to work on Artie’s cart, I could do that most of the day while you’re busy. It might take half an hour – maybe an hour in the store, to get everything.”

Adam sighed quietly, but gave him a reassuring smile. “Sure. Have you got a list of everything you need, and the right sizes and everything?”

“Yeah. We have the tools here, thanks to Dad. I’m not sure where to work on it, though. I guess I can’t work in the garage.”

“No. Let me think a moment.” Adam finished the few bites left on his plate. “Let’s get a drop cloth to protect the floor. I think the biggest space is in your room, actually. As long as you pick everything up and put it away when you’re done, so you don’t get hurt on anything in your cat form.”

“That’s a good idea. I can put everything in the closet and shut the door, when I’m not working on it. Do you want me to tell you before I change, if I decide to do that?”

Adam started bringing the dishes to the sink. Kurt followed with the rest, and started washing them, while Adam dried.

“No, go ahead whenever you’re ready. And the same for taking a nap. You can sleep on the bed if you want; I’ll likely be here on the sofa.”

“What if I want to nap with you, or nap near you while you’re working?” Kurt asked quietly. He didn’t want to start an argument, but he needed his cuddle time with Adam.

“That’s fine, too. Just meow at me to get my attention before you jump up, okay? We’ll find a spot where you can be comfortable and I can still write.”

“Thanks, Adam.” Kurt knew he was lucky his boyfriend was so accommodating.

The trip to the hardware store didn’t take that long, though Adam thought it would expedite things if he asked a salesman for help. It was a good thing they did, because when they explained what they were trying to do, he had an excellent suggestion. “It would be cheaper, easier, and lighter to just use a small plastic box with fairly low sides. That way your friend won’t fall out, or tip forward.” He helped them find a suitable box, in burgundy. It should show up against the grass, or most surfaces, without being annoyingly bright.

They carried everything into the apartment, barely managing everything between the two of them. It wasn’t that heavy, just awkward. Kurt said he could bring everything into his room on his own, making a couple of trips, so Adam left him to it.

Kurt spread out the drop cloth, then his tools, and other parts he needed. He followed the diagram, and the few instructions his dad had written down for him. It took little time to attach the two wheels to an axle, and fastening that to the box. The wheels were towards the front of the box. Kurt tested it, rolling it back and forth on the covered floor. They were wide enough that bunny Artie would be able to get his front legs between them, without banging into them. The strap to keep him in place was a little trickier. He wanted it to be secure around Artie’s chest, without pressing against his neck. He was able to create a harness of sorts for Artie, with trailing ends with clips on them, that could be attached to a buckle mechanism he’d glued onto the plastic box. It would be easy enough for Gabriel to buckle Artie into the contraption, then he could lean forward just a bit, hang his front legs over the edge of the box, and use them to propel himself around the yard. Or the hallway, his room, playroom, or anywhere else.

When he was finished, he really wanted to show Adam, but didn’t want to annoy him by interrupting. He also knew the glue would need time to dry. He put everything away, cleaned up, and set the cart just inside the closet door.

He yawned, and realized he was really exhausted. He glanced at the bed. It didn’t seem as big or intimidating as it used to, though it was still a bit lonely without Adam. He debated about sleeping in the bed in Adam’s room instead, but it seemed like too much trouble to go all the way there. Besides, it would feel just as empty. After kicking off his shoes, Kurt tried to settle down on the bed, but couldn’t quite get comfortable. He tried holding one of the pillows in his arms, but it wasn’t quite what he needed. He looked around the room and finally saw something that would work. Several somethings.

Once he’d retrieved his babies, Kurt set Phoebe in the crook of his arm, with her head butting up against his chin. Bernard was in front of Phoebe, under the shelter of his arm. Harriet was resting on top of Bernard, under Kurt’s hand. He hoped they were all ready to take a nap, because he wasn’t in the mood to talk or play at the moment. Maybe after he woke up.

 

 

Adam had already checked their bedroom and bathroom, but no Kurt. The door to his room was slightly ajar, so he stuck his head in, thinking he’d find him working on his project. Instead, he saw Kurt curled up on the bed, his arms and knees cradling his pets. He was going to back out of the room and start fixing lunch. No need to wake Kurt until it was ready. 

Before he could retreat all the way, Kurt woke up.

“Adam?” Kurt sat part-way up, balancing on one elbow. “What time is it?”

“It’s after 1:00. I’m afraid the time got away from me. I was just about to fix us some lunch.”

“You want some help?”

“No. You look too cozy there. Why don’t you take your time getting up and cleaning up, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen when you’re ready?” He hoped Kurt didn’t take this as an invitation to indulge in a marathon skin care regimen.

Kurt yawned, but didn’t really have a free hand to cover his mouth.

“Excuse me. I slept a couple of hours, I think. Okay, see you in a little while.”

Adam waved and started thinking about what to make for lunch. He decided on a salad, and threw in whatever leftovers he could find that might be reasonably considered salad-friendly.

They hardly spoke while they ate. Kurt, because he was still sleepy, and Adam, because he had a lot on his mind.

When the dishes were done, Adam wanted to get back to his writing. Kurt, however, had other plans.

“Adam? I know we agreed I’d leave you alone while you’re writing. But I just wanted you to know, I finished Artie’s cart.”

“You finished it? But you just started it this morning!”

Kurt shrugged modestly. “It didn’t take that long to put together. Dad wrote good directions, and I had everything I needed.”

“Can I see it?” Not that Adam didn’t believe him, but he really was anxious to see the end result, and how Kurt had accomplished it so quickly.

Kurt opened his closet door and rolled the cart out for Adam to check it out. It looked sturdy, and the wheels were aligned.

“Do you think it’s ready for Artie to try out?”

“I think so.” Kurt bit his lip. “I was wondering, do you think I should try it out first? Artie’s smaller than me, but it’s the only way I can think of to try it out before giving it to him, and then finding out something obvious that I might have missed. Like making sure it’ll hold my weight, then I know it will hold him. But I kind of need you to be here to strap me in, and to get another perspective.”

Adam decided his book could wait a bit longer. It wasn’t as though he had a deadline.

“Tell you what, why don’t you change, and I’ll help you get in, if necessary, and get you set up. If it doesn’t work, I’ll help you in any way I can, to fix it. If it does, I’ll call Gabriel and see when he wants us to bring it to them.”

Kurt flashed him a brilliant smile. “Thanks, Adam! Yeah. Let me try it out.”

Before Adam had time to say anything else, kitty Kurt was looking up at him, blue eyes blinking slowly.

Adam knelt down to pet the cat, whispering a few words of encouragement.

“I’ll cuddle you after we see if this thing works, okay?”

Kurt’s meep sounded agreeable enough.

Adam put the harness on him, and loosened it a bit. It could be adjusted, in case Artie grew bigger in the future. Kurt looked at the open front end of the cart, down at the floor to his feet, then back and forth a couple of times, before leaping into the cart. It started to roll backwards from his weight, but Adam reached down to stop it.

“Needs brakes,” he commented to himself. “When I let go, hopefully it will stay still until you’re ready to move it yourself.”

Kurt cautiously moved forward. He set one foot outside the box. It was only about an inch off the ground, so it wasn’t bad. Artie wouldn’t be at an awkward angle the entire time he was using the cart. Kurt started walking forward, and the cart rolled with him. Kurt maneuvered his way up and down the room, managing to avoid running into the bed or Buckingham Palace. He steered it back in Adam’s direction and stopped in front of him.

“Kurt, if you don’t mind trying it some more, let’s go into the hallway, then the living room, and possibly the kitchen. I want to see how you handle the different types of flooring. Maybe you can give Artie some tips on how to maneuver this thing, when you’re both human, that is, so he can understand you.”

Adam kept a careful eye on Kurt, but he was got around pretty well. Adam wasn’t so sure it would be as easy for Artie, because kitty Kurt was larger and stronger, and naturally flexible. But it seemed worth a try.

“Okay, Kurt, I think that’s enough.” Kurt stopped the cart, and waited for Adam to unfasten him, before climbing out of it.

“I’m going to move this near the doorway for now, then how about I hold you for a bit, eh?”

Kurt meowed his approval.

Once he was sure the cart wasn’t going to roll away anywhere, Adam bent down and picked Kurt up. He held him in his arms and brought him up to his face. “I’m so proud of you, Kurt. You’re being a good friend to Artie. Just think how much easier this might make his life. If he can move around almost as easily as the rest of you, he can focus more on having fun than just watching the rest of you have fun without him.”

Kurt patted Adam’s cheek with one paw.

“Let’s go sit down. I swear, you seem to be gaining weight. I suspect you may have another growth spurt soon.”

He sat on the sofa and settled Kurt on his lap. This time, Kurt didn’t bother turning around, he just curled up tightly on Adam’s lap and purred.

Adam reached for his phone, in easy reach on the nearby table. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to call Gabriel and just let him know. Do you think you can come up with a braking mechanism?”

Kurt nodded, and Adam scratched him behind the ears, then called Gabriel.

 

 

Adam told Kurt what the vet had said. “So we’re going to go over to the office late this afternoon so Artie can try it out. Gabriel thinks he might be able to put together some brakes from things around the office. He’s got a lot of medical equipment there, and some samples of things. But we still have a couple of hours. How would you like to spend that time?” 

Kurt immediately flopped over on his back, spreading his limbs wide to indicate he wanted his belly rubbed.

“Not quite what I had in mind, but okay. I’m not going to pull back a stump, am I?” he asked cautiously, before taking Kurt up on the invitation.

Kurt gowled and shook his head.

“That’s not terribly convincing, you know.”

Kurt sighed, and turned his head to lick Adam’s hand.

“Okay, I guess your intentions are peaceful.”

Adam spent some time cuddling Kurt, then took him into his combination bedroom/playroom to work off some excess energy. He threw Kurt’s ball, then got an idea.

“Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”

When he came back, Kurt was sitting right where he’d left him, washing his face with the back of one paw. He’d lick the back of his paw, then run it over his head. It reminded of human Kurt fussing over his hair.

“Tell you what. Why don’t you play with this for a while, then change when you’re ready. I’d imagine you’ll want to change clothes and brush your hair before we go to Gabriel’s office.”

Kurt leaped up and started to run to the bathroom.

“Wait! You’ve still got time. Unless you need to go –“

Kurt returned to his side, and waited patiently.

Adam held up the bright blue plastic egg Lily had given him. He held it up, then tossed it away from him, towards Buckingham Palace. Kurt tore off after it, and when he found where it had come to rest, he batted it away, towards Adam.

He’d actually hoped Kurt would be content to play on his own, to give him some more time to write. On the other hand, he’d have some time while human Kurt was getting ready.

After a while of tossing the ball to the cat, who batted it back to him, Kurt got tired or bored. He couldn’t quite fit the egg into his mouth, but he got his paws around it and deposited it into one of the little rooms in his tree house.

“Alright, I’ll let you get yourself ready.”

Kurt ran into the bathroom, and rushed out a few seconds later, apparently having remembered that most of his things were now in the bathroom he shared with Adam. He didn’t allow himself to laugh until Kurt was out of sight. Still, knowing how sensitive his hearing was, especially as a cat, Adam kept it to a quiet chuckle. One thing he had to admit, life with Kurt was never dull.

 

 

Artie was awake after a nap, waiting impatiently in the patient resting area, anxious for Kurt and Adam to get there. Gabriel had come in and told him they’d be there soon. He was lying down on the cot, and tried to calm himself by listening to the iPod Gabriel had given him the day before, which was already filled with quite a bit of music in different styles. He’d found a number of familiar songs, and there was still a huge number of songs and artists he’d never heard. He couldn’t wait to hear them all. 

He did manage to distract himself enough that he was slightly startled when Kurt and Adam arrived. He pushed himself up on his elbows and sat up.

“Hey, Artie!” Kurt called out.

Artie waved, but barely looked at his friend, because he was too fascinated with the object Adam was carrying. That had to be it!

Gabriel followed them in and greeted them.

“Hello, Artie. Were you able to nap for a little while?”

“Yes, sir.” Artie rolled his eyes. “I mean, yes, Gabriel, I slept for a little while.”

“Good. I’ve seen my last patient for the day.” His owner rubbed his hands together as he looked at the cart. “I have a feeling you’re going to be using up a fair amount of energy trying this out.”

“I hope so! I mean, I can’t wait to try it!”

Kurt explained what he would need to do, once in rabbit form. It sounded pretty easy, actually, once Gabriel had him strapped in correctly.

“I tried it out earlier, as a cat, I mean. It worked fine for me, and I think it’ll fit you as well. You just need to adjust the straps, Gabriel. I wanted them to be adjustable in case you get bigger.”

Artie was offended, and couldn’t stop his expression from showing it.

Kurt hurried to explain. “I mean, you might not be finished growing yet. I’m still growing, and I’m a couple years older than you. But this way, it should still fit you.”

“I doubt Artie will ever, in rabbit form, be as big as Kurt is in cat form,” Gabriel commented. “I have no idea what Kurt’s human height or weight might be, but when he’s fully grown as a cat, he should be anywhere from 15 to 20 pounds. I think you’ll only be around 12 pounds maximum, a little less than the weight Kurt is now when he’s a cat.”

He felt better, now. It wasn’t like Kurt to deliberately hurt his feelings, anyway. “Okay, that makes sense. I can’t wait to try it out! Can I, Gabriel?”

“Sure,” his owner agreed. “Let’s test it out.”

Artie switched to his rabbit form. Gabriel lifted him out of the chair and set him into the cart. Kurt showed him how to adjust the straps, and he was soon ready to test the cart.

Adam decided to wait in the room outside, and watch from the glass wall. Sara was there, too. He didn’t mind; she would probably be the one to help him in and out of it if Gabriel was with a patient or something.

“Are you ready?” Gabriel asked.

Artie twitched his nose and lifted his ears a little. He couldn’t wait to try it out.

“Go!”

Artie scooted up to the front of the box, which tilted it a little so the back end of the cart was off the floor. He shifted around slightly to get more comfortable, then lifted his front legs out of the box. He set his feet down on the carpeted floor, and started walking forward. He kept his pace slow, like Kurt had suggested, until he got more comfortable. Then he intended to race around the room as fast as he possibly could. It was very easy to move, but he didn’t feel like the cart was going to get away from him. He didn’t think it needed brakes. He wasn’t going to go that fast, and he could always put his paws down firmer and just stop. Like…that. He chirruped to let Gabriel know he’d done something cool, since he couldn’t high-five in this form.

“Did you stop on purpose?”

Duh. Artie nodded his head.

“Okay. Do you want to keep on going?”

That was easy enough to answer. He just started walking again. It was a little difficult to maneuver around the cot and other things in his way, but he soon got the hang of it. Then it really hit him…he was moving, on his own, without either dragging his legs behind him, or having someone else carry him or using the chair. It felt freer than the chair, because he had his front paws on the ground. He wondered how it would feel on the grass.

After a while he picked up speed. He glanced at the floor-to-ceiling window, and saw Kurt and Adam both grinning like loons. Sara didn’t look much more dignified. He supposed his face would look the same if he were human at the moment.

He finally slowed down again and came to a halt near Gabriel. It was fun, but he was starting to get tired, and he had a feeling his arms might be a bit sore later.

Gabriel knelt down and unfastened the strap, and lifted him out. Then he did something he didn’t do nearly enough, and hugged him close. He petted Artie, stroking his hand from his head down his back, murmuring things like, “Good boy.” It was unusual, but he wasn’t going to complain. He just settled deeper into Gabriel’s arms.

Instead of putting him back in the chair, Gabriel continued to carry him in one arm as he opened the door and went out to talk to Kurt and his human. He tried to pay close attention to what they were saying. It sounded like they were very impressed, and happy for him, and Gabriel was concerned about him being tired.

Gabriel spoke to Artie. “Tell you what, sport. Why don’t you rest for a while in here, as rabbit or human, whatever you want. Take a nap, if you can. I’ll come get you when I’m ready to go home, but I have a couple of things to finish up first. It won’t be very long.” He set Artie down on the floor, and waited to see what he would do.

Even though he hadn’t been a rabbit very long, Artie wanted to talk to Kurt and thank him again. He changed back to human. Gabriel helped him get up onto the cot. There was a large wedge-shaped pillow that Gabriel arranged behind Artie, so he was sitting upright, but was slightly reclined. It was more comfortable than having nothing at his back, but he thought he’d probably move it and lie down soon.

Sara went back to her desk at the front office.

Gabriel turned his attention to their guests. “Thank you both so much for doing this.” He shook hands with both of them. “I need to finish writing up some notes, then I’m going to take Artie, and his cart, home. Would you like to join us for dinner? Julia and Mandy will be there.”

Kurt looked at Adam, who looked slightly uncomfortable.

“Thank you, Gabriel, I appreciate the invitation. But I’m not sure we should be showing up if they’re not expecting us.”

Kurt bit his lip, then spoke up. “I was thinking the same thing. If Mandy is as uncomfortable around strangers as Artie says, she might want to have more notice, instead of it being a surprise. I’m thinking it might not seem like a nice surprise to her.”

Gabriel nodded. “Thank you for thinking about that, and you’re probably right. Well, perhaps you’ll take a rain check. And I’ll see you both tomorrow for your appointments.”

Adam nodded, and took Kurt’s hand. “Maybe we’ll get to meet Mandy in the reading group. I’m hoping the first class will be this Friday afternoon, and normally it will be Tuesdays and Fridays. I just want a little more time to prepare.”

“Okay. Let me know when you decide the exact time, and I’ll make sure to get Artie there.”

Adam only hesitated briefly before suggesting, “Since I know your schedule is very busy, maybe we can pick Artie up on our way, and bring him back when we’re done?”

“Sure, if you want to, I’d appreciate it. I was thinking, though, I’d like to attend the first meeting, just to see how it’s going to go.”

“I thought everyone might want to do that. It’s probably a good idea, so you’ll have more peace of mind. But I’m hoping once everyone is more comfortable, we can just have as few authority figures there as possible, so the pets will feel more comfortable expressing themselves.”

“That sounds like a good idea. We’ll see how it goes.”

Gabriel left them with Artie.

“Kurt, thanks again for the awesome cart! I’m sorry I ever doubted you,” Artie confessed.

Kurt grinned. “I wasn’t entirely sure it would work, but I thought it was worth a try. I’m so glad it’s going to work out for you.”

“I think you were right about Mandy, but she’s a really nice girl. I just don’t want her to get upset when it’s not – she has enough to –“ Artie stopped talking, as he could feel his face getting warm.

“That’s okay. We’ll see her later this week,” Kurt assured him.

“We’d better get going. We’ll let you rest now. Maybe we’ll see you tomorrow after Kurt’s appointment.”

Artie’s face lit up. “I’d really like that. It’s been okay, today, but I’m kind of used to being around somebody, you know?”

“If Gabriel says it’s okay, we’ll come see you. Or Kurt can, if you’d prefer, and I can wait, in the waiting room,” Adam suggested.

“Okay. See you both later. And thanks, both of you.”

Artie kind of wanted to hug Kurt, but wasn’t sure how it would be taken. He was relieved when Kurt impulsively moved forward to hug him instead.

He watched them go, and was thinking about how complicated his life was getting. In a good way, but it was still very different than he was used to. Sara came in with a small plate of snacks, and Artie realized how hungry he was, from transforming so quickly. He was also very tired, but food came first.


	96. Chapter 96

Adam felt his book was very close to a conclusion. He knew he could keep adding more things as he and Kurt experienced them, but the book had to end sometime. He supposed he could always work on a sequel while waiting to see what happened with the first one. But right now, it was time to start on his new project. He’d spent a couple of hours wracking his memory for books and stories he’d loved in his childhood and young adulthood. He asked Kurt if he could think of what books he’d already read.

Kurt looked at the list of books Adam had handed him. “I don’t recognize any of these.”

“But those are classics! It’s not just British authors, but some Americans, too.” He sat down next to Kurt to look at the list more closely.

Kurt sighed. “I think the things you want us to read are for people, not hybrids.”

Adam blinked, not having thought of that possibility. “Oh. What’s the difference?”

Kurt started playing with the pen, batting it back and forth between his hands. “Just a different type of story.”

“Like what? Can you give me some examples?” Now Adam was highly curious to know what sort of books hybrids read.

Kurt thought, then started listing them further down the page. “Well, a lot are short story collections. The stories are things like, “The Brave Little Hybrid.” That one’s about how a hybrid pet saved its owner’s life, by using the phone to call 911. Then there’s a book of stories, “The Adventures of Donny Dog.” He gets into trouble a lot, and you learn a lesson in each story. Like why you shouldn’t run away, why you shouldn’t eat food that’s been put on the counter for dinner, why you shouldn’t play with hybrids you don’t know, or talk to humans your owner hasn’t told you are okay. Things like that.”

Adam was fascinated. “Are there any cat stories or rabbit stories?”

“No specifically rabbit stories I can think of right now. But the cat stories are a little different.” Kurt took a deep breath and continued, his voice changing cadence a bit.

Adam couldn’t quite figure out what was going on.

“Donny Dog means well,” Kurt began. “He’s happy, and he just likes to have fun, and doesn’t always pay attention to what his owner says, ‘cause he gets excited about other things. But Cathy Cat is more sneaky. She’s always trying to play tricks on her owner, and she’s curious about everything. But every time, the owner figures out what she’s doing and stops her, or makes the tricks backfire on her. Her curiosity always gets her in trouble. She always learns her lesson, but then in the next story, does something else she shouldn’t do. She thinks she’s smarter than her owner. Donny Dog knows his place, he knows he’s not nearly as smart as his owner, but he’s always trying to please him. Cathy Cat always ends up being sorry for what she did, but she eventually learns. Poor Cathy.”

Kurt shook his head and impatiently added, “Wait a minute. I know they’re not real, they’re fictional characters. But we grew up reading those books. Like we’d read a Donny Dog story one day, and a Cathy Cat the next. I guess so we could see the difference between us.”

“Did they want you cats to act more like dogs?” Adam asked, though it didn’t make sense to him.

Kurt began playing with the pen again, just shuttling it back and forth between his hands. It reminded Adam of a cat batting a toy around. “Not really, they just want us to learn that it’s better to cooperate and do what you’re told. But there was a book that was one long story, where Donny Dog and Cathy Cat met. They didn’t know it, but their owners were neighbors. They met at the park. They let the hybrids play together, and it took a while, and meeting several times, but finally Donny became a little more serious, not as concerned with having fun. And Cathy learned to listen to what her owner said, and to try to please him.”

“How did you feel about the stories? You and the other hybrids?”

“I actually liked the Cathy Cat stories. We were supposed to like Donny Dog, even if we were cats, and see how Cathy was always wrong, but I – I think I identified with her. Not just because she was a cat, but a lot of things she did made sense. Not playing tricks, but thinking ahead, figuring out what you wanted and how to get it. How to make your owner think it’s their idea to give you what…you…want.” His voice trailed off, and he bit his lip, looking intently at the pen.

“So that’s where you learned it!” Adam squeezed Kurt’s hand to let him know he wasn’t annoyed. “Listen, Kurt, I want to go to the book store. Can you show me the section with the hybrid books?”

“Sure. It should be near the kids’ books.”

The drive over to the store was quiet, and somewhat tense. Adam finally turned the radio on, to give Kurt something else to focus on.

Once inside the store, Kurt brought him to an area midway between the children’s books, and those written for young adults. He supposed it made sense, as the hybrids only went to school until they were 10.

Sure enough, there was a display and several shelves labeled “Hybrid Readers”. Adam browsed through the books, but he thought Kurt might be self-conscious about being in that section. Adam bought several volumes, including the Donny Dog and Cathy Cat stories. Although he read the descriptions on the back of each book, he saw nothing that seemed geared towards building a hybrid’s self-confidence or sense of self. Everything seemed to be about fitting in, obeying the rules, minding any authority figures, and essentially being seen but not heard.

Adam spent some time reading the books after they got home. Kurt picked up a couple he said he hadn’t yet read, and retrieved his glasses. He sat in a chair in the corner of the living room, while Adam made himself comfortable on the sofa. The books were quite short, Adam thought, and took another look at the receipt from the bookstore. Short and expensive. The colors were bright and cheerful, often using primary colors. There were a lot of illustrations, mostly line drawings, and the paragraphs were brief, and the sentences simple, the phrases repetitive.

“Kurt, may I ask you something?”

“Huh? Sure, Adam.” Kurt put his finger in between the pages he was reading to mark his place. He looked at him over the rim of his glasses. Adam tried to tell himself it did not look sexy.

“Do hybrids have a particularly short attention span, usually?”

“Yeah. Unless something captures our interest.” Kurt sounded bored.

“Hm. I’ve seen some examples, but for the most part, you seem quite able to focus your concentration on things for a couple of hours at a time. Like your sewing projects, and Artie’s cart, for instance.”

Kurt shrugged, and explained, “Well, if it’s interesting, yeah, it’s not a problem. But if it’s something boring, or if we’re left to entertain ourselves, then yeah, we can be easily distracted.”

“I see.” Adam shook his head and glanced down at the book in his lap. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your reading. I’m just rather surprised we’ve never discussed this before. About these hybrid books, I mean.”

“You didn’t ask,” Kurt pointed out. “I guess it didn’t occur to me to tell you. I always wanted to read the books for humans, but we were kind of discouraged. The teachers would tell us we wouldn’t be able to understand, we’d get confused, or wouldn’t be able to relate, because our lives were so different from humans. But Dad let Mom read books for people, and she’d read them to me. Sometimes he would, too. Like bedtime stories.”

Adam didn’t like the implications. He suggested, “I wonder if that was one more situation where the school, or the government, didn’t want you to get unrealistic expectations? Or to think you were the equal of humans?”

Kurt nodded, his gaze far away. “I think so.”

“Kurt, look at me.” He waited until Kurt’s eyes were focused on his. “You do realize I don’t think that way, right? I don’t think you’re inferior to humans. You or the other hybrids.”

Kurt shrugged. “I’m glad you feel that way, but I’m still not sure how I feel about that. But they want us to act like we’re beneath you, and think that way. It’s easier.”

“Easier for whom? The owners, I’m sure, and probably the government. But it certainly doesn’t seem in your best interests.”

Kurt blinked, and moved his glasses further down his nose, the better to see Adam. “But most owners aren’t like you, and they want us to be quiet, and know our place, and not make our own decisions. Can you imagine what it would be like, if suddenly all the hybrid pets started saying, “I want this kind of food for dinner, and I want that toy, and I want to watch that program.” It would be chaos.”

“But you do those things. Well, you’re starting to.” Adam still didn’t see why it would be a problem.

“Yeah, ‘cause that’s what you want me to do. I mean, I adapted, right? But I don’t think most owners want that much change from what they expect. We’ve always heard, once we’re adopted, our owners can do what they want, within the legal limits. But they can re-train us to meet their expectations, if they want something different from the way we learned things at the pet store.”

“I see. Sort of like how I helped re-train you?” Even as the words left his mouth, Adam realized how naïve they were.

“Probably not. You were pretty patient with me. But I really don’t want to think about it, so if you don’t mind, can I go back to my book?”

Kurt’s voice sounded funny, more hesitant than it had in a while. Adam didn’t know if it was the conversation, or just reading the hybrid book that was making Kurt seem to regress, but he didn’t like it. However, it seemed far wiser to keep that opinion to himself for now.

“Of course you can. I’m sorry for interrupting you.”

“That’s okay.” Kurt quickly looked down at the book, but Adam wondered if he was actually reading the words, or just hiding.

“Kurt, sorry to interrupt again.”

He looked up, both impatience and concern on his face. “What?”

“If you want to finish your book, that’s fine. If you’d like some cat time instead, that’s fine, too. Or you can do that when you finish –“ He stopped reading when Kurt took off his glasses, and set them and his book aside. He’d already made his choice. Adam watched Kitty Kurt jump down to the floor and stretch luxuriously, before turning around and running towards his room. The room with all his toys, his castle, and his friends.

Adam wished, not for the first time, that he could be a cat, too, and push aside all the uncomfortable thoughts, and just play instead. Instead, he tore the page of book suggestions off the pad, and started writing on a fresh page. He wanted to write out a list of things to discuss with Dr. Hanover.

 

 

Kurt was restless, but he didn’t know why. Usually changing helped him feel more himself again, but it wasn’t working. He looked up and up and up at Buckingham Palace, but didn’t want to climb it. His babies waited for him on the bed, but he glanced at them and saw they were sleeping, and didn’t want to wake them. They needed their rest. 

Maybe he was hungry? He supposed he could stand to eat something. Now that he’d made his mind up, he wanted to be in the kitchen. It took a bit longer than he wanted, even streaking across the living and dining rooms as fast as he could. He thought the human said something, but he didn’t feel like listening. He skidded to a stop before he got to his bowl. There were crunchies in it. He tested a few, and they were fresh enough he was willing to eat them. The same with the water; it hadn’t gotten stale yet. His human was actually very good about things like that, making sure he had the things he needed. He did his job well, which made it easier for Kurt to do his job well, too.

When he’d satisfied his hunger cravings, and had enough water that the crunchies wouldn’t just sit like tiny rocks in his stomach, he ran back to the bedroom. He didn’t check to see whether his owner looked at him, but he didn’t hear any sounds.

He started climbing the stairs to Buckingham Palace, and kept climbing from one level to another until he reached the top. He surveyed his kingdom. It was small, but he had a few loyal subjects, and it would do. He crawled into the nearest bedroom and curled up to take a nap. Maybe he just needed to rest.

 

 

Adam had picked up the book Kurt had abandoned, curious to see if it might have upset Kurt. “Benjy Bunny – Easter Surprise”. He read the back of the book, and it seemed a bit different from the others. He glanced through it, and soon found himself fascinated, if repelled. Benjy was adopted to be an Easter present for a little girl. The problem was, she liked him just fine as a bunny, but not so much as a human. As a human, he looked just like a boy, a teenage boy, and the little girl knew teenage boys were no fun. She insisted he stay as a bunny as much as possible. She would pick him up and carry him around, and let him sleep on the foot of her bed. Whenever he’d turn human, however, she got angry, and would walk away. Benjy was sad most of the time. No matter what he said or did, he couldn’t get the little girl to like him. 

One day, when he was in rabbit form, he was picked up by the little girl’s father, and put into his carrier. He was taken back to the pet store to be returned. They would try to sell him to someone else, but it was always harder to sell pets who had been owned before and returned, for any reason. The store owner couldn’t pretend he’d never been sold before; he had a special collar that none of the others wore. The other hybrids didn’t want to talk to him, and ignored him as much as they could, because they didn’t want any of his bad behavior, or bad luck, to rub off on them.

Benjy stayed in the store a few more years, but nobody wanted to adopt him. On his 20th birthday, they gave him a special meal, that tasted really good. They let him run around in the exercise area as much as he wanted, while the other hybrids stayed in their cages. He was finally really sleepy, and laid down to take a nap. He didn’t wake up. The moral of the story, as far as Adam could figure out, was: once you’re adopted, do whatever you’re told, and whatever will make your owner happy. If that meant staying in your animal form 100% of the time, that’s what you did. Or in your human form all the time. Even if it made you miserable to do it, it would be better than being sent back. Adam shuddered, and planned on “losing” the book before Kurt could finish it.

He glanced at his watch and saw it was nearly time to go to their appointments with Dr. Hanover.

“Kurt!” he hollered. He expected to hear the sound of a thundering herd of cats, which is what Kurt sounded like when he ran at full tilt, but he heard nothing. He’d heard and seen him running at top speed a while ago, presumably to get some food. He’d told him to slow down, but wasn’t even sure Kurt heard him. He checked the kitchen. The food bowl didn’t have much left in it, and the water bowl was almost empty, too. He filled them both, then walked toward Kurt’s room.

He wasn’t on the bed, though his little friends were. He debated asking them if they knew where Kurt was, but was half afraid they might answer.

Kurt might be under the bed, or possibly…Adam squinted, and was pretty sure he could see him up near the very top. It was hard to see Kurt’s dark fur when he was inside one of the dark openings, but he thought he saw some of the lighter streaks. There! That was an ear twitch, he was sure.

“Kurt, please come down. We have to go to see Dr. Hanover. There’s not much time if you want to change and clean up.”

It seemed as though Kurt was very slow to respond, but he finally climbed out of his nest and delicately sauntered down the castle. Adam wanted to tell him to hurry, but didn’t want to make him lose his footing.

Kurt was finally on ground level. He walked up to Adam and wound around his legs, back and forth in a weird pattern. Maybe a figure 8. Adam sighed quietly.

“Kurt, please. Are you going to change?”

In response, Kurt sat at his feet, looked up at him and meowed.

“I take it that’s a no. Fine. I’ll get your carrier cage and you can ride in that, instead of sitting on the seat like a person.”

Kurt lifted one paw and washed it, placid and relaxed.

“I’ll be right back. Stay there!” Adam actually pointed to the floor, then rolled his eyes in self-disgust. Kurt ignored him, and started to wash his other front paw.

By the time Adam brought the hard plastic carrier in and got Kurt settled inside, he was a little frazzled himself. “Just relax in there a bit. I’m trying to think of what else we may need.”

He looked around the living room, and saw Kurt’s glasses. He put them and some of the books into Kurt’s bag, and slung it over his shoulder. He was about to pick up the carrier and leave, when he remembered the leash. He opened the door of the carrier and just set the leash inside. Kurt didn’t try to get out, just sniffed the leash curiously, then ignored it.

After making sure he had his laptop in its case, with the rest of the other new books inside, and his wallet, glasses, phone, and keys, he was ready. And also ready to take a nap himself. He wondered briefly if Dr. Hanover would allow him to use the patients’ resting room, but thought it was unlikely.

He was a little annoyed that Kurt wasn’t in human form, to help him carry everything. But then, if he were, the carrier wouldn't be necessary. He finally got everything into the car, settling Kurt’s carrier on the front seat, with the seatbelt around it.

“Are you ready to go, Your Highness?” he asked, before putting the key in the ignition. Kurt meeped politely in response. They were off and running.

 

 

Kurt didn’t mind the car ride, though he had to agree, Adam had a point. It was more comfortable to be able to sit his human butt on the seat. He had a comfortable towel underneath him, and Adam was driving fairly slowly, but he still got jostled around in the cage a lot more than he wanted. 

After parking, Adam was struggling to get both bags over his left shoulder, while lifting the carrier with his right hand. Kurt debated about changing, but considering he was in the carrier, didn’t want to see what would happen if he changed while in an object that was far too small. He wasn’t that curious, because he knew damn well he didn’t have nine lives, only one.

While Adam checked them in, Kurt looked around as best he could through the mesh of his carrier. Actually, his nose told him more than his eyes did. A lot of other hybrids had been in the room lately. Otherwise, the waiting room was empty.

Adam set the carrier on the chair next to him. He leaned down to talk to Kurt.

“Let’s see what Dr. Hanover wants, but you should probably see him first. Maybe he can examine you like this for now, and you can take a nap later on while I’ve got my appointment with him.”

Kurt let out a “mrrrrrrr” of agreement. He really didn’t feel like having the vet do anything to him, but it wasn’t like he had a choice, was it? It wouldn’t do any good to complain, and wouldn’t even make him feel any better.

Once they were in the office, Adam unlocked the carrier. Kurt moved to the back and waited until it was fully opened. He allowed Adam to pick him up and put him on the examination table. The metal was cold against his feet, but not too bad.

Adam petted Kurt with one hand, while removing the carrier with the other. He left the leash inside, since Kurt wasn’t likely to need it.

Kurt settled comfortably against Adam, resting his side and his head against Adam’s stomach. He could have fallen asleep like that, if it weren’t for the arrival of the vet.

“Good morning, Adam and Kurt.” If he was surprised to see Kurt in cat form, he didn’t show it. Well, his nurse had probably told him.

“Hello.” Adam’s voice sounded weird, like he was faking being cheerful. “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind examining Kurt like this for now. He wasn’t in the mood to change back when we left home.”

“That’s fine.”

Hmph. Nothing seemed to bother the vet very much. He was always calm. Actually, it was soothing, the way he kept his voice low and steady. He started petting Kurt, so Adam moved back just a little bit to allow him more room. He had large hands that were soft and gentle, but still didn’t feel as good as Adam’s hands.

“How are you doing, Kurt? Do you want Adam to stay for this part of things?”

Kurt wondered what Adam wanted. He was the owner, he should be making those decisions.

“Kurt?” The vet’s voice still seemed calm and controlled. “I’d like you to pay attention to what I’m saying, please. Do you want Adam here or not?”

He was still trying to figure that out, and Adam wasn’t helping. But he was annoyed the vet was talking to him like that. He wasn’t a kitten; he knew when it was important to listen.

“Why don’t I stay here?” Adam suggested after a few moments. “He’s been in kind of a funny mood this morning. Funny-odd, that is. I’ll talk to you more about it later when we meet, unless he’d prefer to talk to you himself.”

Kurt lashed his tail back and forth. Why did these humans always want to talk? Talk, talk, talk, like the stupid words meant anything.

“I’ll ask Kurt when he’s human again,” the vet said, “if he’d like to talk to me about anything, how’s that? If he doesn’t want you talking to me about him, he can say so then.”

Kurt stilled his tail, and put up with the exam as patiently as possible. It wasn’t too bad; there were no needles or anything else being poked or prodded into unwelcome places. For the most part, the vet measured and weighed him, and checked his eyes, ears and mouth for signs of anything wrong.

“Alright. Everything seems to be fine. Kurt is a little bigger and a little heavier than when I first saw him. It’s not unexpected, but he’s almost 14 pounds now. He’s not full-size yet, as either a cat or human. He’ll probably reach his full growth in the next two years. He could be anywhere from 15 to 20 pounds or so. I’ll weigh him and take some measurements when he’s human, just to make sure he’s growing at an equivalent rate for both aspects.”

“What if he’s not?” Adam asked. He had moved closer and started petting Kurt again once the vet was done with his exam.

The vet hesitated a moment, maybe trying to think how to say it in people terms. Non-vet terms, that is.

“It’s not common, but it does sometimes happen that the animal metabolism is a little faster than human, and he might be gaining weight, for instance, faster as a cat than the human equivalent should be. In that case, I might have to monitor him more closely to see what’s going on, and possibly give him some medication to speed up his human growth. But it’s unlikely, so please don’t worry about it.”

“Okay. But he’s within the normal range of growth you would expect for his age? I just want to make sure I’m not over-feeding him, or underexercising him, or anything like that.”

“No, it’s about what I’d expect. He seemed a bit small for his age before, and he’s starting to catch up. Now I’d like to examine him as a human. Kurt, would you please change forms for me, please?”

Kurt stretched out as long as he could. It felt good, as always, to be able to move his body as much as he could, He kept stretching until he was human again.

The human part of the exam wasn’t all that different, with the exception that it was easier for him to answer the vet’s questions.

“Okay, I think we’re done with the medical part of things. Kurt, I’m going to talk to you first, while Adam waits outside, then I’ll talk to him and you can rest. Maybe you can visit Artie a bit, if you’d like.”

“That would be great, if he doesn’t mind.”

“I’ll have Sarah check on that. But before Adam leaves, do you remember him saying he might want to talk to me about your behavior earlier today?”

Kurt shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah, I remember. Um, sure, it’s fine. I think I know what he means, but I don’t know if I can explain things all that well.”

“Just do the best you can. Adam, I’ll see you later.”

Adam hugged Kurt before he left. It startled him a little because it was unexpected, but not unwelcome. He hugged him back, then tried to relax in the chair when they moved to Dr. Hanover’s office. He was more comfortable there than in the examination room.


	97. Chapter 97

When they were both settled, Dr. Hanover asked Kurt how he was feeling.

“I’m fine,” he answered automatically, then stopped to think about it. 

The doctor must have seen something in his expression, because he lifted an eyebrow and waited for Kurt to continue.

“I’m fine physically. Emotionally, I’m a little – confused?” He didn’t mean it to come out like a question, but then, he really wasn’t sure what all he was feeling.

“Would you like to talk about your emotions? Maybe we can sort things out.”

That seemed like a good idea. “Well, let’s see. I’m frustrated. Kind of mad. Kind of sad, too. I don’t know what I want.” He stopped and looked at the doctor, waiting to see his response.

“Do you know how you’d like to feel?”

That startled him. He hadn’t really given that any thought. “I want to feel good. Calm, happy, content.”

“But if I’m understanding you correctly, you’re feeling the opposite of those things right now,” the doctor pointed out.

“Right.”

“Is there anything in particular you can think of that brought about these feelings? Anything different you or Adam did today?”

“No.” Again, the response was automatic. “Sorry, I mean…probably. Adam wanted me to help him figure out what books to use for the reading group. He thought I’d recognize the books on his list, but I didn’t. We read books in school specifically for hybrids. Some might not have read any other books.”

Dr. Hanover nodded once. “Yes, I’ve seen some of those.”

“Did you read any of them?” He was really curious to know what people, besides Adam, would think of them.

“Yes. I remember Harold reading them, and I was curious about the difference between his books and mine. My parents didn’t want him reading things that were really suspenseful, or exciting, or things that would make him really emotional, so he didn’t read any of mine. But he’d look at the covers, the titles, and he’d try to guess, based on those things, what they were about.” The doctor smiled at the memory, and Kurt was surprised how much it softened his face. “Sometimes he was pretty close, and sometimes, the publishers come up with covers that don’t seem to have much to do with the title. Or the title only makes sense after you’ve gone through a good part of the book.”

He stopped, and his cheeks flushed. “I’m sorry, we’re talking about you, not me or my family.”

He seemed more flustered than Kurt had ever seen him. “That’s okay, I asked you about the books.”

“Yes. What we should be discussing is what happened today to upset you.”

“Well, I’m trying to get to that.” Kurt tried not to show his annoyance. “I told Adam about our books, and what they were about. He seemed kind of upset about it, like they’re giving us the wrong message or something.”

He was looking carefully at Dr. Hanover’s face, so he saw the clenching of his jaw and the lowering of his eyebrows. 

“Do you think they’re giving us the wrong message?” he asked the doctor.

Dr. Hanover cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, Kurt. I’m trying to not influence you, and perhaps I’m not doing a good job of that. What I think doesn’t matter. I want to know how you feel.”

Kurt sighed, and looked down at his feet. “Talking about it made me want to read the books again. Adam wanted to read them, so we went to the store and got some of them, along with some of the people books – the human books – that he wants the group to read. I saw some hybrid books I hadn’t read before, so Adam got those, too. I’d been telling him there weren’t any about rabbit hybrids, but I guess now they are. Maybe there are more of them than there used to be when I went to school?”

“It could be. I’m not sure if Artie read any of those. I imagine he read whichever ones were assigned in school.”

“Yeah, well, maybe he shouldn’t read the one I was reading.” Kurt bit his lip. “It’s not my place to tell you that, it’s just that it kind of upset me, and would probably be worse for him.”

“What upset you about it?”

Kurt considered what he should say. The doctor, like Adam, was human. How much would he understand about a story meant for a hybrid? “Well, I didn’t get a chance to finish it, but I think the message was that sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can’t please your owner. And then they can give you back to the store, and it might take a long time to get adopted again. Or you might never be adopted again. I want to know if anyone adopts Benjy Bunny again, maybe someone who will like him in his human form, too, and he can be what they want him to be. Not someone else who only likes him as a rabbit and wants him to stay that way all the time and still isn’t happy and –“ He started coughing.

Dr. Hanover brought him a bottle of water. “I’m sorry, I should have offered you this when you first came in.”

Kurt drank some water carefully, then his throat didn’t feel so tight. “Thanks.”

“What was the book called?”

“Huh? Oh, I think it was something like ‘Benjy Bunny – Easter Present’. No, ‘Easter Surprise’. He was an Easter present for a little girl.”

Dr. Hanover took a deep breath. “So this girl’s parents gave her a hybrid rabbit for an Easter present?”

“Yeah. He was a teenage boy, and that’s the part she didn’t like.”

“I see.” 

Kurt saw several emotions pass over Dr. Hanover’s face before it smoothed out again. The vet spoke slowly, his tone serious.

“I wonder if there isn’t another message to the book. Perhaps it’s that parents should think very carefully before giving a child another living being as a pet. Whether it’s a full animal, or a hybrid animal. If it’s a surprise, it might not be as nice a one as the parents think. Sometimes children get bored with a pet, and treat them like they would a toy. They sort of put them in a corner and ignore them. I wonder if the little girl in this story wouldn’t have been happier with a stuffed rabbit.”

“Yeah, maybe. I didn’t think about it like that. But I don’t think that’s the lesson we were supposed to get from it.”

“Why not?”

“Because those books always end the same way. With the hybrid learning A Very Valuable Lesson.” He made sure the capital letters were clear in his voice.

“The hybrids, and not the human owners?”

“Right. Because the owner is always right. It’s the pet that makes the mistakes, or does stupid things, or doesn’t think, or breaks the rules, or causes trouble in some way.” Kurt clamped his lips shut to keep from saying anything, because his throat wanted to close up again. He sniffed, and wiped at his face, wondering why it was damp. He relaxed his mouth enough to drink some more water. He really wanted to go to sleep, or change back into a cat.

“Kurt. Are you alright?”

He blinked, and saw Dr. Hanover was crouched next to him, holding a box of tissues out. Kurt took the box and put it on his lap. How had the doctor gotten up from the desk without him seeing? He remembered the doctor had asked a question. Probably how he was feeling.

“I’m fine.” Yes, always fine. People didn’t want to hear anything else.

Dr. Hanover stood up slowly and carefully. Maybe his back was hurting him or something. “Would you like me to have Adam come in?

“Oh, sure.” He started to stand up, but Dr. Hanover held up his hand.

“Please sit down, Kurt. I meant, would you feel better if Adam were here with you?”

“Oh, you mean to come in with me? Not instead, for me to go out and wait?”

“Your session isn’t over yet. But I think it might help if Adam came in, too. It might help you to have him here, and I think he should hear some of this.”

Kurt shook his head at the same time he said, “Okay.”

Dr. Hanover paused. “Which is it? Yes or no?”

Kurt realized it might have been confusing. “Yes, please bring Adam in. And maybe it will help him, with the reading group, if he knows –  He’s curious about what we’ve already read,” he explained. Or maybe he’d already said that? He wasn’t sure.

“Okay.” Dr. Hanover picked up his phone and spoke quietly to Sara.

“He’ll be here in a minute.”

“Okay.” Kurt wiped his face with the tissues, and hoped his skin didn’t look too blotchy. He hated it when he cried. But he wasn’t sure why he’d been crying, just that the tears were still coming. Crap. He blew his nose, and tossed the used tissue into the trash bin by the doctor’s desk. He wondered if he should ask to go to the bathroom so he could clean up before Adam got there. Adam certainly wouldn’t want to see him like that. He might --  He gasped as someone knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Dr. Hanover called.

Kurt took a deep breath and tried his counting exercise to calm down, as Adam came into the room.

“Is everything alright? Sara asked me to come in here…” His voice trailed off as he looked at Kurt.

Kurt blushed, knowing he must look awful. He tried to curl in on himself, but it wasn’t as easy to do as when he was a cat. There were a lot of things that were easier to do as a cat, come to think of it.

“Oh, Kurt, what’s the matter?”

He blinked more tears away and looked up at his human – his owner – Adam – reached out to gather him in his arms. Kurt stood up part-way to meet him. He buried his face in the comforting chest. He felt them moving, Adam guiding him and Dr. Hanover’s careful hand on his back. 

“Sit down, love.”

Kurt pulled far enough away from Adam to see they were in front of the sofa. Adam sat down first, gesturing for Kurt to sit next to him. He knew he should obey, but found himself crawling into his lap instead. He wanted so badly to change, because it would be easier for Adam to hold him if he was a cat. But nobody had given him permission to do that. Adam didn’t push him away, so that was something.

Dr. Hanover took a chair nearby. He set the box of tissues on a table next to the sofa, and Kurt’s water as well. He brought a bottle for Adam.

“Kurt, darling, it’s okay, I’m here.” Adam grabbed some tissues and wiped his face, and Kurt let him. “Here, sweetheart, drink some water.” 

He took the bottle from Adam’s hand and drank, closing his eyes as he did so. He knew he should pull himself together; he wanted to do that. He just didn’t know why it was so hard.

“Adam, I wanted you to sit in on the rest of the session, if Kurt is ready. But if you’d rather take him home now, that’s fine, too. We can reschedule your session for another day.”

“What do you want to do, love? Kurt?”

Why was Adam asking him? It wasn’t up to him. Adam was supposed to make the hard choices, didn’t he know that? What kind of owner didn’t even understand the most basic responsibilities?

“Kurt, you need to use your words,” Adam insisted. “It’s obvious you’re upset, but I don’t know if you want to stay here or go home.”

He intended to say “go home” but what came out was “here”. Maybe it was quiet enough that they wouldn’t have heard him? Humans didn’t have very good hearing.

“Okay, we’ll stay.”

Kurt supposed that would be acceptable. At least he could be comfortable, resting against Adam.

“But it might be easier to talk if you could turn around, and face Dr. Hanover.”

Well…he’d still be in Adam’s arms, and with his back against him, he should be safe enough.

It was very awkward, and rather painful for Adam, he thought, as he tried to move around without actually letting go of his owner. They finally got him turned so he was facing the doctor. He was surprised to see the doctor wasn’t angry or annoyed or upset with him in any way. He was back to being patient and calm. He was sitting in a chair facing the sofa, but there was a coffee table in between them.

“Whenever you’re ready to talk, Kurt. If you can, I’d like you to tell Adam, and me, what got you so upset.”

“I don’t remember.” It wasn’t quite true, but maybe it would get him out of having to say it. He did actually have rather a lot on his mind, so it wasn’t a complete lie.

“Shall I help?”

He wanted to say, “Please don’t,” but didn’t dare. It wasn’t a good idea to annoy authority figures.

He heard Adam answer for him. “Please.”

Dr. Hanover looked down at his notes. “We were talking about the lessons in the hybrid books. Kurt and I had different interpretations of one of them. He said the lesson was that humans are always right, and it’s always the hybrid who is in the wrong, who makes mistakes or in some way breaks the rules or causes trouble.”

Adam clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “What nonsense. Humans are just as capable of being wrong or making mistakes. Or even breaking the rules.” His voice softened as he added, “You know these things, Kurt. You’ve seen me make mistakes. Come on, I know you have.”

Kurt nodded slowly. “Yes. But it’s confusing. You’re supposed to always be right, so that when I’m wrong, you can correct me. Or guide me. Or punish me, or whatever. It’s your job to make sure I learn from my mistakes.”

Adam sighed heavily, and buried his face in Kurt’s hair. It felt nice enough that he wasn’t going to even think about what his hair looked like right now.

After a moment, Adam gently tried to move him. “Please, Kurt, sit here next to me. You can get as close as you like, but I think we should see each other face to face. I’m going to tell you something, and I want you to see that I’m sincere.”

Kurt didn’t want to get off his lap, but understood the sense in what he was suggesting. He sat next to Adam, and adjusted his position until they could see each other. 

While he was getting himself arranged, Adam spoke to Dr. Hanover. “I know Kurt’s session is probably close to being over, but maybe this can roll over into our joint session? Or my individual session?”

“Yes, that would be fine. Let’s keep going and see if you still have time.”

Kurt was now settled and waiting to hear what Adam had to say.

Adam looked over at him and smiled sadly.

“Kurt, I’m not perfect. Nobody is. Not any human, or hybrid, not anyone. We all make mistakes. But we can both learn, when one of us makes a mistake. Maybe it’s wrong for me to expect you to be independent. I know it’s not something you were ever raised to think about. I need to know, though, what would be best for you. Do you want me to treat you like a beloved pet, whether you’re in animal or human form? Or would you rather I treat you as a human being when you’re human?”

Kurt blinked rapidly, trying to process these confusing questions. “I don’t know,” he said, to give himself more time to think. “I always thought I’d be adopted by someone who would know how they were supposed to treat me, and how they were supposed to act.”

“You mean, according to everything you’d been taught about being a hybrid?”

“Yes.”

“Are you unhappy with the way I’ve been treating you?”

Kurt blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay. “No. I like it. I’m just not sure I’m supposed to like it.”

“Can you explain in more detail, Kurt?” Dr. Hanover asked. “I’d really like to understand what you’re feeling.”

Kurt sniffled, then grabbed a tissue and blew his nose. He wadded the tissue up and tossed it in the trash. “Okay.” He took a deep breath. “I’m kind of wondering when something bad is going to happen. When someone will come along and tell Adam he’s not supposed to be so nice to me, or I’m not supposed to be making my own decisions.”

“What makes you think that’s going to happen?”

“Because things are too good. I’m afraid it’s not going to last.”

“But what about the people who do treat their pets well? I’ve seen some owners who love their pets very much, and spoil them rotten,” the doctor pointed out.

Kurt knew he was right. “I have heard about that, but I don’t know whether to believe it really happens. It’s easier to believe the bad things than the good things, sometimes.”

“I think we’re getting somewhere now. Do you think only bad things are ever going to happen to you?”

Kurt squirmed uncomfortably. “I don’t know. That’s what I kept thinking when I was at the store. Everyone seemed to think I’d never find an owner, even a bad one, because I was too difficult. I wasn’t like the others, I was – they thought I was too independent.” He wanted to think about that for a minute. “My dad kind of let me do what I wanted when I was at home. For one thing, he wasn’t there a lot of the time, so he trusted me to do the right thing, and not do anything stupid that would get me hurt or in trouble. But when he realized he really could trust me, he let me make more decisions when I was at home. 

“Then everything changed, when they came to take me away. I had to start doing everything I was told, exactly the way I was told, right then, no questions, no arguments. It’s like the reverse of what my dad had been doing. I didn’t like it. I tried to rebel at the store, but in some ways it just made it harder when I did have to give in and do things I didn’t want to do. But then Adam came along and adopted me, and now things are reversed again. It’s kind of like the way it was with my dad, but better. But going back and forth like that, it’s confusing.” He stopped to drink more water and take in some air before starting again. His mind felt a little clearer after the water.

“When I started reading that book, the Benjy Bunny book, some of that stuff came back to me, really strong. Like I was right there with Benjy, going through things with him. Going through things like I was him. It scared me, and made me feel really unsafe, even with Adam. Not like I don’t trust him, but I don’t trust – don’t trust the situation. I started worrying that Adam might change his mind about me.”

“Kurt, you know I’m not going to do that! We’ve talked about this before, and I thought we had resolved it!” 

“I know,” Kurt sighed, “I’m just saying. When Dr. Hanover asked me, I was just trying to answer as honestly as I can.”

Adam took Kurt’s hand in his and squeezed. “Alright. I just wanted to be sure you understood.”

“Kurt, I’m trying to figure out just what it was about the books that made you uneasy,” Dr. Hanover said. “Can you talk about that a little bit more?”

Kurt thought about it. “Well, at first I thought, this is really easy to read now with my glasses. And it’s not even that well-written. It felt like it was almost too easy to read now. But it was also familiar. Not exactly – I never read this book. But most of them are very similar. It was like…like falling into an old habit. Like, I learned pretty young not to play with Dad’s socks and Mom’s sweaters – I did that when I was a kitten, I mean. But it was kind of like, seeing a really comfortable sweater thrown on a chair, I might want to jump on it anyway, even though I know I shouldn’t, and I haven’t done it in a long time. I’d see it and remember how fun it was, and want to try it again.”

“Are you saying these books are fun?” Adam asked.

“No.” Kurt wasn’t sure how to explain it, but he tried. “Just that starting to read one again sort of took me back to my childhood, to the time I was reading that type of story. It brought up some of those same feelings. I knew I was reading a story, but I could also feel what Benjy was feeling, and I was getting anxious for him, even though he’s not real.”

“Doctor Hanover, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Adam asked.

Kurt thought it was a stupid question, but stopped himself from rolling his eyes. How would the doctor know what Adam was thinking, much less if they were thinking the same thing?

“What’s that?”

“That maybe there’s something in the books…not like a chemical, that would probably be too complicated and maybe dangerous. I’m just wondering if there’s something about the books that might be hypnotizing the hybrids? Or programming them or something?”

“Like subliminal suggestions? I don’t think so. But what I recall of the books I saw in the past, that our parents bought for my brother Harold, they were very repetitive. They would use the same phrases or patterns of words, over and over. It was sort of rhythmic. Sort of the way some songs have extremely repetitious lyrics, like they’re trying to beat you over the head with an idea.”

“Yes, that makes sense. The few I looked over, and the words Kurt has said a lot, are things like, shouldn’t, good, bad, learned your lesson, obey, stupid, bad idea, mind your parents, mind your teacher, mind your owner, and others along those lines.”

Dr. Hanover nodded thoughtfully. “I think those ideas were not only taught by parents and in schools, but reinforced by the books. To the point that Kurt, who has been showing remarkable progress, started regressing.”

“What’s regressing?” Kurt asked quietly, at the same time wondering how words came out of his mouth without his permission.

“Going backwards,” the doctor explained easily. “I haven’t seen you this frightened since the first time I saw you. Even then, I don’t think it was this bad.”

Kurt opened his mouth to respond, then shut it again. He wasn’t really sure how to explain it.

“Take your time. You know anything you say here, stays here. Nobody besides Adam or I will hear it.”

Kurt tried counting again, to get his breathing under better control. “I feel better now. In fact, I’m kind of embarrassed to let you both see me like that.”

Adam simply hugged him, and kissed his cheek.

Dr. Hanover said, “You don’t need to be embarrassed. If you are, that’s fine, but I’m not here to judge you, Kurt. I’m trying to help you. In order to do that, we need to get to the root of the problem, not just push it aside and pretend it doesn’t exist.”

“Okay.” He closed his eyes for a moment. For some reason it was easier to concentrate if he couldn’t see anybody looking at him. When he thought he’d gotten a handle on what he wanted to say, he opened his eyes.

“I’m feeling a little better now. I think it does help to have Adam here.”

“What about your reaction to the book?”

He bit his lip. “I don’t know how to explain it. It was kind of like being back in school, even talking about it was hard. It’s just so easy to feel exactly what Benjy was feeling. Or what any hybrid pet in that situation would feel. Wanting to be loved, but being rejected, because of how you look, things you can’t help. Benjy wanted the girl to like him, to be willing to play with him, but she only wanted to do that when he was a rabbit. She didn’t want the human part of him.”

“Kurt, would it be the same if a someone wanted the human part of a hybrid, and rejected the animal side?”

Kurt flinched at that. He knew what that was like, too. “That’s just as bad. When I was in the store, and trying so hard to stay as a cat as much as I could, it was because the others there didn’t like my human side. They didn’t like my looks, or my voice, or my sense of humor. I was trying to hide, or pretend I didn’t have that other side. But sometimes it had to come out, I just had to change. We’re not meant to stay just one or the other, animal or human, I don’t think. I’m not sure if you humans can understand what that’s like.”

Adam nodded slowly. “Well, maybe in some ways it’s like my parents wanting me to not be gay. They’d have preferred I suppressed and ignored that part of me forever, to just act like it didn’t exist. I couldn’t do that. I could pretend for a little while, maybe, but I would have been very unhappy staying like that, pretending to be straight, if I could never have really been myself. Being gay isn’t all of who I am, and it’s not like my body physically changes to another form if I pretend I’m not attracted to me. But it’s a big enough part of who I am that perhaps it’s similar to your situation.”

“Maybe.” Kurt leaned his head on Adam’s shoulder. “I’m sorry it was so hard for you to be yourself with your parents.”

“Well, that’s over now. I’m living here, where it’s a lot easier to express that part of myself. And I think now I have a better idea of what it’s like for you, and why you need both cat and human time.”

Kurt lifted his head to look at Kurt, and glanced over at Dr. Hanover, who was just listening quietly, writing a few notes. “I think it’s similar, but you can be gay and other things at the same time. I mean, a writer, a singer, like that. I can’t be entirely cat or human without some of the other coming through, at least a little bit, maybe just in my brain. But I feel – I’m not sure, closer to you, I guess, now that I know we’re a little more alike than I thought.”

Dr. Hanover leaned back in his chair.

“I think I feel the same,” Adam confessed, “but I never thought of the similarities before.” He cleared his throat. “I just want to make sure you understand, I will never take you back to the store, or give you away, or reject you. I love both sides of you. I can’t say that I understand the cat side as well as the human, though I like to think I’m getting better at figuring you out.”

“You are,” Kurt reassured him. 

“Kurt, you seem much calmer now,” Dr. Hanover said. “Do you think you’re almost back to being yourself now?”

“Who was I before?” Kurt realized he was asking the question of himself as well as the doctor.

“Who do you think?” the doctor answered. Very annoying.

“I guess I was like a younger me, more scared, more – vulnerable. Me before Adam was in my life.” He shook his head and clucked his tongue in annoyance. “I’m sorry, that sounds really weird, but it’s the closest I can get to explaining it.”

“Do you think you could maybe read a little bit of the book again without reacting negatively to it?”

Adam held him more tightly to him. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. But I did bring the books along. Some are in my bag, some in Kurt’s.”

“You brought them?” Kurt asked. He bent down and opened his bag. He found the book he was looking for.

“Kurt, you don’t have to do this,” Dr. Hanover explained. “But I’d like you to read a page or two, with both of us here in the room. You know you’re safe, you’re here now, you’re not back there when you were scared and lonely and didn’t understand why some people treated you badly.”

“Okay.” He looked up at Adam, to make sure he approved.

“It’s up to you, Kurt. Do whatever feels right to you.”

Kurt nodded, lips tight. He could make this decision. He could make a lot of decisions, it wasn’t always Adam’s job to decide everything for him. He knew that, but it was like he’d forgotten it for a little while.

“I’ll do it.” He opened the book and skimmed through it till he got to the part where he’d stopped reading.

“Benjy was alone. There were other hybrids who lived in the store, but they weren’t like him. They hadn’t been bad. They still had a chance to be adopted. Nobody would want to buy him, even at a discounted price. They’d take one look at his collar and know he was a reject, not worthy of being owned. Someone had already returned him for not being good enough.”

Kurt closed the book on his finger, and said, “That’s bullshit. It wasn’t Benjy’s fault. He didn’t do anything wrong. The little girl didn’t like him, but not because he was bad. Just because he was a teenage boy and she didn’t like them. He was returned and treated like he wasn’t any good, just because she didn’t like his face, his looks, his – his – just him being a boy, a teenage boy.” He stopped, realizing he was getting angry.

“Very good, Kurt,” Dr. Hanover praised him. “It wasn’t Benjy’s fault. Do you think someone else was at fault?”

He thought about it a little. Was it the girl’s fault? Maybe not. It wasn’t like she had picked him out and said she wanted him, then changed her mind. He remembered what Dr. Hanover had said before. “Maybe you were right. Maybe it’s the parents’ fault for picking a pet out for her, without asking her what she wanted, or making sure they’d be compatible, or even if she wanted a pet at all. This surprise wasn’t a very good one, because they didn’t really know if she’d like it.”

“How did you feel when you read it? It didn’t seem to make you nervous or upset.”

“No.” He tried to figure out why. “Because we were just talking about it, so I knew Adam wasn’t going to treat me like Benjy. I know he loves me more than that.”

“Ah. If I may interject?” Adam asked.

Dr. Hanover nodded. 

“Kurt, you told me pretty early on that you sometimes just need to be hugged, and also that you needed me to love you. Well, maybe I haven’t been as loving as I should. I sometimes get too distracted with my writing or other things. I try to remember what I consider the important things, making sure you eat, and take a nap, and have enough time as a cat. Remembering to brush or massage you. But I don’t think I’ve been doing enough hugging, or cuddling. Maybe you need that physical reassurance.”

“This is really nice,” Kurt whispered. He raised his voice slightly. “I’d really like it if you’d hug me more often.”

“Alright. I’ll do my best to remember that. Please do remind me, though, if I forget, or get busy and don’t think about it. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you, but I’ve told you before I’m not that used to having someone around to be affectionate with.”

“Okay.” Kurt yawned, surprising himself. “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m so sleepy now.”

“You’ve been through a lot emotionally,” the doctor explained. “Kurt, perhaps you’d like to take a nap while I talk with Adam a while. I promise Sara will come and get you and bring you out to Adam when we’re done.”

“Okay. What about visiting with Artie?” He put his hand over his mouth to try to prevent another yawn from escaping.

“I think right now sleep is more important than socializing. You can visit him next time you’re here, I promise. And you’ll be seeing him in a few days for the reading lesson.”

“That’s true.” 

Dr. Hanover called Sara in, and asked her to take Kurt to the resting area and give him a snack.

“Oh, yeah, I am hungry,” Kurt realized.

He put the book inside his bag, then carried it out with him as he followed Sara. Yeah, a little snack and a nap sounded really nice right now.


	98. Chapter 98

Adam talked to Dr. Hanover about what they’d seen happen with Kurt. He was starting to get some ideas.

“Doctor, I wonder if it might be possible for me to write a book for the hybrids. A story book, like these, but with a better message.”

The doctor looked like he was considering the question. At least he wasn’t outright dismissing it.

“I really don’t know. I’m sure you’d have to get permission from someone, probably the Hybrid Control Department.”

Adam grimaced. “Somehow I can’t see them being overly thrilled at the idea.”

“It’s not a bad idea. “You might want to write one, just to try it. You can have Kurt read it, and maybe the others in the reading group. You’ve already got a test audience who are probably more open-minded than the usual. Not to mention their owners, who are less likely to object.”

“That’s an idea. I need to finish this novel first, and see if I can get it published. I’ll do it myself if necessary, but I’d like it to get wider distribution. It’s possible I can get people to start thinking a bit differently about hybrids. Then I can try to see about some other changes.”

“I like the idea of you trying to change the system from within. You’re not talking about anything illegal or immoral. Still, you’ll want to proceed with caution.”

“I’ll ask Julia if she happens to know anything about how to break into the world of writing for hybrids,” Adam decided.

They discussed some other issues, but Adam felt he and Kurt were doing very well. Things weren’t perfect, but he had an idea that no-one’s life was really meant to be perfect anyway. By the time he and Kurt left, he thought they both felt much better than when they’d arrived.

 

 

Kurt was very quiet on the way home. Adam kept the radio on very low, but wasn’t paying attention to any of the songs himself. He had plenty of things to think about. Kurt put his cat carrier away, after removing the towel in the bottom and putting it with the dirty laundry. He unpacked the books from his bag, and stacked them neatly on the coffee table. 

Adam took the rest of the books out of his own bag, and set them next to Kurt’s pile.

Kurt glanced through them. “Where’s the Benjy Bunny book?”

Adam stiffened, then relaxed. “I loaned it to Dr. Hanover. I’m sorry if you wanted to finish reading it. I’m sure he’ll give it back the next time we see him.”

Kurt shrugged, not quite sure how he felt. “It’s okay. I don’t think I want to know how it ended, anyway. But I don’t think I want to read any more of these. Is that –“ He hesitated, wondering if Adam would be mad about the money he wasted. “I know I asked you for the books, but maybe it’s better if I don’t go back to books that are – too simple for me. Too easy to read,” he clarified. It wasn’t really what he meant, but it was easier than saying he was scared to read the other books he hadn’t read before. Or even the ones he had read six or more years ago.

“That’s fine,” Adam assured him. “You don’t need to. I think I’ll hang onto them for now, though. I’ve got some ideas for writing some new books for hybrids, but I want to get a better idea of what you’re used to. Maybe when I don’t need them for reference any more, we can donate them to someone who might not be able to afford them.”

“Maybe someone like Angie?” Kurt suggested. “But she’s still a little too young to go to school, and I’m not sure I like the idea of her reading them. She’ll have to, anyway, but she can just read them at school, and not at home, too.”

Adam nodded, and steered him gently towards the sofa. They arranged themselves comfortably, with Kurt leaning into Adam, as close as he could get.

“Do you think,” Adam began, “maybe reading the books at home as well as at school, might have reinforced the messages? Maybe repeated reading would make them stick in your mind more. At least, that’s how it is with regular books.”

Kurt pulled slightly away, hurt.

Adam must have realized what he’d said after the words had already escaped. “I’m sorry. I mean, the kind of books I’m used to. The kind that – so far as I know – don’t try to brainwash the reader.”

Kurt settled his head on Adam’s shoulder again. “Yeah, I don’t want someone telling me what to think. Especially when they don’t know what my life with you is like.”

Adam held him close. “I want you to be yourself, Kurt, that’s what I really want. I use the word independent, but I know that doesn’t quite fit in your case. You’ll never be allowed to be truly independent. But I want you to be free to express yourself, to be who you want to be, rather than putting on an act. Save that for when we need to go out in public, that’s bad enough. When it’s just us, though, or with close friends, I want you to be just Kurt, not programmed hybrid pet Kurt.”

He sighed against Adam’s neck. “I’m still not sure I understand the difference, but I’m glad you’re being patient with me.”

“I will always do my best to be patient with you. I don’t want you to have to act against your true nature.” Adam petted Kurt’s hair, and Kurt immediately relaxed. He continued speaking softly. “I guess the reason I sometimes treat you a bit more like a child than anything else, is that I’m trying to get to that part of you that was there before all the rules and regulations and brainwashing took hold. I want to know who you were before they started messing with your self-esteem, and started telling you what to do, when to do it, how to do it, and what to say, think, and feel. Nobody should have to be that inhibited.”

Kurt sighed heavily, his breath tickling Adam’s neck. “Is it okay if we don’t talk any more? I just want to cuddle with you right now, if that’s okay.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea.” Adam didn’t mention the writing he still had to do, or phone calls he should make, or their dinner he should perhaps be planning. Sometimes, they both needed to just relax with each other.

 

 

Several days later, Adam felt Kurt was doing much better. He was still more hesitant than he had been, but his sense of humor was coming back. Adam thought the reading lesson might be good for Kurt in more ways than one. The class was being held in an exercise room at the gym. The sign said PRIVATE CLASS so people wouldn’t just wander in. Adam hoped they’d get more attendees when more owners had a chance to read the flyers displayed in the reception area, but for the first session, they had a fair number. 

He looked around the circle of expectant faces. One in particular was a welcome surprise. He’d made the suggestion, but hadn’t known how it would be taken.

The hybrids were seated in a circle, sitting on exercise mats, large pillows, and blankets. Each hybrid had made him- or herself a little nest, to be as comfortable as possible. Adam was sitting in a molded chair, but had arranged a blanket around himself to give him a bit of padding from the unforgiving plastic. He was sitting higher than the others, but they didn’t have to crane their necks very far to see him.

Their respective owners sat in plastic chairs outside the circle, where they could hear the ground rules and ask or answer any questions.

Adam cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention.

“Hello, everyone. Many of you know each other already, but let’s introduce ourselves anyway. I’m Adam, and I’m Kurt’s owner. I’ll be your instructor for these classes.

“It might help to know a little bit about each other, such as your age, if you’re comfortable revealing that, and your owner’s name. If you know it, tell us the title of the last book you read, or if you have a favorite book. It will help me figure out what might work best for the group. I’ve brought several books with me, at different reading levels.” He indicated the book bag at his feet. “If you have something to say, just raise your hand. Please respect each other, and don’t interrupt.

“We might not get in much reading today, but I think it’s important we get to know a big about each other first. It might make it easier for you to speak up.”

He saw confusion on a few faces, and wondered if he’d said too much. So far all the hybrid pets he’d personally met were pretty articulate, but he belatedly remembered that some of them didn’t converse much.

He glanced to his right, and Kurt spoke up.

“Hi, I’m Kurt. I’m 18, almost 19. Adam’s my owner, like he said. I did recently figure out I can read a lot better with my glasses.” He’d already taken them out of their case in his bag, and put them on. “I used to love this book of fairy tales my mom and dad used to read to me. I don’t remember the title, but it was something like The Blue Book of Fairy Tales. I tried to read it on my own, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know I needed glasses. The books at school had much larger print. My mom used to read to me from Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook, because I wanted to help her around the house. Now Adam has been trying to help me read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It’s a little confusing because of all the made-up words, but I think I’m getting more comfortable with it.”

Carl raised his hand, and Adam called on him. “I’m confused. I don’t remember hearing that title, and I thought I’d seen at least the titles of all the Harry Potter books. Unless the movies and books are different?”

Kurt answered before Adam had a chance to. “Oh, that’s the British title for the first book. The version I’d tried reading before was called Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone.”

Adam frowned slightly, but didn’t ask Kurt to raise his hand. “Now, to explain further, there’s an object in the book that’s called the Philosopher’s Stone. Apparently the American publishers thought it would be confusing, and called it the Sorceror’s Stone instead. There are only some minor differences in the words, but when we get to that book, _if_ we do, I promise, I’ll get the American edition.”

He thought he heard a couple of relieved sighs.

“Next?” He glanced at Artie.

“Yo! I’m Artie, I’m 16, and Gabriel – Dr. Hanover – is my owner. I’ve read up to “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” the third Harry Potter book. My parents ran out of hybrid books for me to read, so they let me start reading those. They wanted to give me something to keep me busy. I love to read, but wasn’t able to when I was at the store. Now Gabriel lets me read whatever I want, and he’s got a lot of books at the house. I’m starting on The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. It’s part of a series of books called “The Narnia Chronicles.”

He stopped speaking, so Adam added, “The books were written by C.S. Lewis for his granddaughter, who was a child at the time. They also involve children learning about the existence of magic, and other realities than their own.”

Mandy was next. Adam knew she’d already met Artie, and she felt a little more comfortable with him than any of the strangers.

“I’m Mandy. I’m 22. Julia owns me. I don’t read much since school.” She frowned as she thought back. “The last book I remember -- I think the teacher got in trouble for reading us -- having us read it, so we didn’t finish. She stopped coming and we had a sub- a sub – another teacher,” she sighed. “I don’t remember what it was called, but it was about a pig. And a spider. I mean, a cute spider, not one of the scary ones.” She stopped talking, clamping her lips tightly. She looked over at Julia, who smiled encouragingly.

“Ah.” Adam was pleased he could help with the book title. “That was probably Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White. I can understand why the school might have been upset, but I’m proud of that teacher for wanting you to read it.” He looked at the rest of the group, and glanced at their human owners. “It’s about a pig, named Wilbur, and a spider, named Charlotte. Wilbur was the runt of the litter, and was going to be killed, because it was thought he’d never grow up to be useful, except as food.

“Charlotte decides to help him, and finds a good way to make people think Wilbur is too special to be used for food.”

He saw several people nodding, including some of the hybrids.

“There are a lot of good messages in there, about not judging things by appearance alone, wanting to be accepted, learning to get along with others, finding value in yourself and others.”

Donna raised her hand and Adam called on her. “Why would the teacher get in trouble for reading that? It doesn’t sound anything like the books we learned to read, but it sounds a lot more interesting.”

Adam sighed. “That’s a question that would take the rest of our allotted time to answer. The shortest explanation, though, would be that it might make you question your lot in life, and make you dissatisfied. That in turn could make things difficult for the teachers, your parents, and other authority figures.”

The hybrids were looking up at him with wide eyes. Adam felt a twinge of concern that he might be taking on more than he should with these lessons.

Julia raised her hand and Adam acknowledged her. “If you want to read the rest of that book, Mandy, I think I’ve got it at home somewhere. If I don’t, I’ll get you a copy. You can read it to me, if you like.”

“Really?” Mandy’s face lit up. “I’d love that, thank you!”

Adam appreciated the distraction. “Okay, you see how this works?” Adam asked. “Even if you’re not that much of a reader, there are so many books, on different subjects, you’re sure to find something you like. With a book, you can go on adventures, see places you may never get to actually visit, meet characters you’ll fall in love with, and some that you’ll love to hate. They’re a great way to work through your emotions, too.”

He turned to Donna.

She said, “I’m Donna, I’m 25. I’ve been with Jerry since I was 19, almost 20. I don’t know what I read last, because Jerry doesn’t have many books around the house.”

Jerry grimaced. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I just didn’t think about it, ‘cause I don’t read much. But we’ll find you some books.”

She smiled sweetly at him and continued. “I guess that last book I read was one of the Cathy Cat books. The ones for, you know, older hybrids, when we’re almost out of school. The one where Cathy’s owner decides it’s time to, uh, have sex with her.”

Adam didn’t see any discomfort or surprise on the faces of the other hybrids, but he noticed most of the owners looked uncomfortable.

Carl was next. “I’m Carl, and I’m 26. I’ve been with Daniel since I was about 19. I don’t read much, either. I don’t remember what the last book was that we read in school, but I remember it was boring. Probably another Donny Dog or Cathy Cat book.” His face turned a dull red, and he shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s okay, Carl,” Adam reassured him. “None of you will like every book you try, and you may be bored by some. But I guarantee we’ll find something for each of you to read. Now, Carl, is there anything you’d like to read?”

“The Harry Potter books,” he answered promptly.

There were several nods.

Adam was pleased that they all wanted to read those books. “I guess that’s a popular selection. But I think we should work our way up a bit. What I’d like to do, since it seems we’ve got all different reading levels, is to try to keep pace with the slowest reader. That means some of you will need to be patient, but maybe you can help out if someone is having difficulty understanding something.”

He turned to the final participant, on Artie’s left side, and nodded.

“Hi, I’m Chandler. I’m 17, and my owner is Jesse.” Jesse waved at the group. “I used to like to read when I was still at home – um, with my parents, I mean. But Dad mostly gave me picture books to read, and I wanted to read the books he was reading. He just laughed and said they weren’t for me. And, um, I don’t know – “ He lowered his voice even further, and his face turned red. “Who’s Harry Potter? What books did he write?”

Adam had been taking notes while the hybrids talked, to give him an idea of what they might like. He looked up, startled, and saw shock on most of the faces in the room.

Chandler hung his head. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I just thought maybe I should know?”

Adam looked over at Jesse, who shook his head and held up his hands. “My bad. It never occurred to me he’d be interested.”

“What books has Chandler been reading since you brought him to live with you?”

Jesse sighed heavily. “None. I’m an idiot. It just didn’t occur to me he’d want to read.”

“Didn’t you ask him what he wanted to do -- Never mind, none of my business.” Adam tried to get out of it gracefully.

Jesse continued, his voice a bit defensive. “He never told me he wanted to read, and I didn’t think to ask him about it. But when you asked me about the class and if he’d be interested, I asked and he said yes. He seemed so excited, I felt bad for not thinking of it sooner.”

“Well, there’s no time like the present to get started.” Adam shook his head.

“I’m sorry, Chandler, I didn’t mean to ignore your question. There is a series of seven books, written by J.K. Rowling, about a young boy named Harry Potter, who’s treated very badly by his family. He learns early on in the series that he’s actually not fully human, but a wizard.” He hesitated, seeing the quizzical look on Chandler’s face. “Do you know what a wizard is?”

“Um, something like a magician?”

“Right, except a wizard can do real magic.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose underneath his glasses. “That is, in the fictional universe of this series, magic is real, but most people don’t know about it. Anyway, the series is about Harry’s adventures in learning how to be a wizard. There’s a special school, and he makes some friends, and some enemies. I have a feeling the first book might be too advanced for you.”

Chandler hung his head again, tightening his lips, then speaking again. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to slow everyone else down.”

“It’s okay, we can start with something else,” Artie assured him. “Oops, forgot to raise my hand, sorry.”

Mandy stared at Artie, and smiled slightly. She raised her hand. “I don’t think I’m ready for that, either, so you wouldn’t be the only one holding them up.” She didn’t glance at Chandler, though it was obvious she was speaking to him.

Adam looked around the room. “I think we’ll start with something easier. Those of you who are more comfortable reading might want to help some of those who haven’t read anything recently.”

He didn’t see anyone who looked annoyed or frustrated by that.

“Thank you all. Would you like to introduce yourselves?” he asked the fully human contingent in the room. They did, most just giving their first name, and which hybrid pet was theirs.

“Alright. Now, unless it’s something important, let’s focus on the reading. Am I correct in thinking that you all read a lot of the books written for hybrids?”

They all nodded.

“And only a few of you have read, or tried to read, books intended for a fully human audience?”

When he had their assent, he looked at the circle of expectant faces. He was already becoming quite fond of Artie, and he liked Donna and Carl. He barely knew Chandler, but knowing Jesse made him feel a little closer to him. The unknown quantity was Mandy, and she already seemed more relaxed, when she realized none of the males in the room meant her any harm, or would expect anything physical from her.

Adam cleared his throat, and put on his own glasses. “One of the most wonderful things about books, is they can tell different stories to different people. Meaning each of you might take away something different from each book. If it’s a long, detailed book like any in the Harry Potter series, you may all focus on different things. Some may primarily be interested in the magic; others the adventure. Some may like the romantic aspects, and others will simply love hearing about an entirely different world. You may have different favorite characters, and could very well have different ideas of whether each one is a good person or not.

“What I’m hoping is that we can have discussions, and each see what the others are taking from each story. It’s okay if you change your mind based on what someone else says, if they help you to see something differently. It’s also fine to stick with your original opinion. I’d like to avoid any fighting or arguing. We can discuss, and disagree with each other, but I think it’s more important that you all get along well, than you argue to the point of being angry with each other. It should be interesting, for all of us, I think, to hear more about someone’s idea, even if we disagree with it. Sometimes finding out why someone feels the way they do can help us to understand them a little bit better. Can anyone think of a good example of that?”

There were several raised hands. He called on Donna.

“Sometimes Jerry and I like different things. When we watch TV, he likes to watch sports a lot. I don’t really like watching the games. He’s tried to explain them, and why he gets excited or angry, but I still don’t quite get it. But it’s okay. He doesn’t mind. I like to cuddle with him, and we don’t always have much time, because he’s working long hours. So we cuddle while he’s watching sports. I’ve found out the sports are important to him, because he wants to play, but can’t play pro – profesh – he can’t play for the real teams.” She sat back and blinked, then looked around, as though startled she’d said so much.

“Okay, there we go. Is everybody clear on the objective – what we’re trying to do, I mean?”

Everyone nodded, including the humans. Nobody seemed upset about his planned ideas.

“Okay, I had thought we might read this first book in one sitting, but I don’t think we have time for that. We’ll read as much as we can today, then finish the rest next week. If it’s your turn to read, and there’s a word you don’t know, try to sound it out. If you’re really confused about what it means, we’ll explain it.

“Have any of you read, or heard, The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams?”

Most of them shook their heads. Artie raised his hand. “I saw it in a bookstore when I was little. I wanted to read it. I asked my mom what velveteen was, and she said it’s a kind of material, like a cheaper kind of velvet. She said in this case it was used to make a little stuffed rabbit. But she didn’t think I should read it. I asked her why, and she just looked sad, and said it might make me want things I can’t have. Of course, I asked, things like what? I could barely hear what she said, and when I asked her again what she said, she said, “Like freedom.” We left the bookstore, and Mom took me for ice cream.”

Kurt raised his hand. “Artie, was that before, or after the accident?”

Artie sighed. “It was not too long after I got home from the hospital.”

Adam could understand why Artie’s mother might have been upset, but he was older now. He looked over at Gabriel. “What do you think, Gabriel? Should I choose another book?”

Gabriel sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. “I think I remember seeing a movie of that. Harold liked it. It’s up to you, Artie.”

“I want to read it.”

Adam told the group, “I’ll be interested to know what you all think of the story. It may be a little upsetting in parts, but I think you’re all mature enough to handle it. Unless any of your owners has any objection?”

“What’s it about?” Daniel asked. “I’ve never heard of it.”

Adam had hoped to not ruin any surprises. “It’s about a toy rabbit, one who can speak, and think. He wants to become real –“

Julia was shaking her head, and raised her hand. He thought she was going to say she didn’t want Mandy to read it. He asked her to please speak her mind.

“I was just thinking, don’t say anything more about it. Just remember it’s a story, it’s made up. I don’t think it’s going to give anyone nightmares or upset them overly much.”

“I doubt it,” Adam agreed. “And part of the purpose of this is to have a discussion group, so you can all talk about your ideas, opinions, and feelings. Okay?”

Jesse looked thoughtful. He opened his mouth, then shut it again and shook his head. “Go ahead.”

“Artie, would you like to start? Read the first paragraph, then hand it to Chandler. Each of you read one paragraph and then give the book to the person on your left. When we’ve gone all the way around the circle, we’ll keep going until we get to the next chapter, and then discuss what we’ve read, unless someone has a question. They’re very short chapters, just two or three pages in some case. It look me less than half an hour to read it, but there are some words that might confuse you.”

Artie read, “Christmas Morning. That’s the chapter title.” He cleared his throat. “Here was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid. He was fat and bunchy, as a rabbit should be; his coat was spotted brown and white, he had real thread whiskers, and his ears were lined with pink sateen. On Christmas morning, when he sat wedged in the top of the Boy’s stocking, with a sprig of holly between his paws, the effect was charming.”

They read for a while, and Adam tried to pay attention to their expressions and body language, as well as listening for words or concepts that slowed them down.

For the most part, they seemed to get the gist of it. Sadly, they identified with the toys who were put away and not played with often, forgotten in favor of something shinier and newer.

Acting on a hunch, Adam asked, “Tell me, if you were one of these toys, like the Velveteen Rabbit, would you want to become real, or would you be content to be a toy?”

No one in the group wanted to be a toy, unloved and forgotten. When they got about halfway through the book, he stopped them for the day. The rabbit had started to become real, though the boy hadn’t noticed. But when the boy was very sick, and held the rabbit close to him until he was better, the adults decided the stuffed bunny would have to be burned, along with all the bedclothes and anything else the boy had touched.

“We’ll finish this when you come back next Tuesday.”

There were several protests, some of them quite loud.

Adam glanced at the humans. “It’s up to you, but if you’d like to allow your pet to go ahead and finish the story on their own, you’re welcome to do so. I don’t know if any of you might have this book in your personal collection, but you can probably find it in the library. You might not want to buy it unless you think your pet will want to read it more than once."

“Well, we can share one,” Jerry pointed out. “I mean, we’ll get one book, from the library maybe, and Carl and Donna can read it together. Or one can read it and pass it along to the other.”

“Whatever you’re comfortable with.” Adam was gratified to see how many of his students were interested enough to want to follow up and try to read it on their own.

“But why can’t we stay longer and finish it now?” Chandler begged.

“Because we agreed to a one hour class,” Adam reminded him, “and some of you probably have other things to do. Next week we’ll have plenty of time to finish the book, and discuss what you all thought of it.” He raised his voice slightly. “If anyone finishes it before the lesson on Tuesday, please don’t spoil it for anyone else. Let them find out what happens as they read it.

“All right, I’ll see you all on Tuesday. Next Friday we’ll be starting another book, so if you know anyone who might be interested, that would be a good day to start.”

“Not in the middle of a book?” Donna suggested shyly.

“Exactly. See you all next week.” He hoped he hadn’t put any of the owners on the spot, but he thought they’d gotten the club off to a good start.


	99. Chapter 99

Kurt wanted to read the rest of the story for himself. He was not only impatient to know what happened, and a bit concerned he might forget some things in the next four days, but thought it might be fun to see the reactions of the ones who hadn’t read it yet as they were reading. He talked to Adam about his decision.

“That’s fine, Kurt. It’s up to you. But please don’t give away anything the others haven’t read yet. Let them be surprised, or figure things out on their own.”

“Okay, no spoilers,” Kurt sighed. “Is it kind of like how you don’t want to answer my questions about Harry Potter or Downton Abbey? You keep telling me to wait and see.”

“Yes, just like that. You’d have the momentary satisfaction of knowing, for instance, if someone lives or dies…”

“Someone dies in Harry Potter? Or Downton Abbey?” Kurt didn’t even try to keep the anxiety out of his voice.

Instead of answering, Adam put his hand over his face, completely covering his expression. Kurt pouted until Adam removed his hand a little later. His face seemed calm, so Adam was even keeping his reaction from being spoiled. He supposed it wasn’t really mean, it was meant to make the story more enjoyable for him. But it was annoying.

“Let’s just keep reading and watching, shall we?” Adam suggested. “And remind me to never let you watch Game of Thrones.”

“What’s that?”

“Something you don’t need to see.”

Kurt started to object, but Adam held up a hand. “It’s very violent, and there’s a lot of death. Not to mention, it’s very complicated, with hundreds of characters. I really don’t think you’d like it.”

He wrinkled his nose. “No, probably not.” He sighed heavily. “Damn it. Now I’m gonna worry about everyone in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey.”

“Don’t worry too much about it.” Adam advised. “You’ve got plenty of other things on your plate.” He handed the book to Kurt, then pulled out his laptop to do more writing. He was almost done, but there was still plenty of editing to do, before he could send it to a publisher. And he wanted to make damn sure he had a copy of the manuscript before he sent it anywhere.

Kurt left Adam to write in peace, and went to his room to stretch out on the bed to read. He was amazed how little of the book was left, but could see how they wouldn’t have had time to go through it, not with that big a group.

When he was finished, he set the book on the nightstand, and surveyed his room. What he really wanted to do was change. He’d told Adam he’d let him know before changing, but he thought in this case Adam would be able to figure it out easily enough.

In cat form, he stretched as much as possible, then started climbing Buckingham Palace, to go visit his friends. No matter what Adam or anyone else thought, he knew they were Real.

 

 

The Tuesday reading lesson went a little more smoothly than the first. There were no new attendees, so no introductions were necessary. There were fewer owners present, too. Julia and Gabriel were at work. Julia had dropped off both pets, and Adam was planning on bringing Artie and Mandy back to Gabriel’s office when they were done. Both Daniel and Jerry were confident enough leaving Carl and Donna on their own, and they could go back to the pets’ lounge when they were done. Jesse was the only other owner hanging around. He didn’t have to be at work until that evening, so he didn’t mind waiting for Chandler. Adam was glad to see him there; he thought it might do him some good, as well as Chandler, to watch the pets interact and hear what they had to say. 

“Raise your hand if you went ahead and finished The Velveteen Rabbit on your own, or with help from your owner,” Adam instructed.

Kurt, Artie, Donna, and Carl raised their hands. Mandy and Chandler hadn’t read it yet.

“Let’s get started, then. It might go faster, since some of you have already read it.”

Adam only occasionally had to correct someone’s pronunciation or explain an unfamiliar word.

When they finished it, he wasn’t too surprised to see several faces damp with tears. He wasn’t sure if it was because they were hybrids, but this was a sensitive and empathetic bunch of readers.

He passed around a box of tissues.

“Now, those are all tears of happiness, I hope?”

They all nodded, but didn’t try to speak.

“Would anyone like to discuss anything from the book? Raise your hand. I’ll give you all a chance to talk, I promise.”

He called on Artie first, since he was waving his hand frantically. “So, becoming real is a little like getting adopted, right?”

“How so?”

“Well, you’re kind of kept on the shelf in the pet store. You’re in a cage most of the time, maybe the window if you’re lucky, though you don’t have as much privacy there. But people look at you and think about whether they’re going to want to play with you – one way or another. When you get adopted, you become a little more like a real person to your owner.”

A few hybrids were shaking their heads.

“It wasn’t that way for me,” Mandy admitted. “My owner – my first owner, not Julia – treated me kind of like a toy dog. He didn’t really notice me except when he wanted something from me.” She shut her mouth very firmly, as though she were done talking about the subject.

They discussed their different experiences, some being shocked at just how different someone else’s store time had been.

“But I always thought we were supposed to be treated the same,” Chandler said. “That the pet stores were supposed to treat us the same, no matter which one we were sent to.”

“Anybody have an answer for that?” Adam asked.

Kurt finally spoke up. “Sometimes the way things are supposed to be, isn’t the way they end up. Maybe they’re all supposed to be alike, but it sounds like they’re really different.”

“There’s perhaps not as much regulation as there should be,” Adam suggested. “It’s a bit like schools – universities. In theory they should be pretty similar, but they all emphasize different things, they cost different amounts of money, and two students studying the same program, at different schools or even the same one, can have very different experiences.”

“Right. It seems that each pet store is allowed to make some of its own rules,” Carl mentioned.

“Yes, I think that’s definitely the case. But we’re getting off the subject. Let’s go around the circle. Each of you, please tell us what you liked the most about the story, or what meant the most to you.” He looked around at the hands in the air. “Yes, Chandler.”

Chandler’s voice was surprisingly confident, as he said, “I liked how the stuffed bunny became real.”

“Good.” Adam nodded at the next person. “Donna?”

“It was nice that the Skin Horse was helping him, instead of being mean or just keeping quiet.”

“What about you, Kurt?” He’d deliberately refrained from asking him at home what he thought of the book.

“The way The Boy loved him, even when he was getting dirty and shabby,” Kurt answered promptly.

“And Mandy?”

“I liked that the rabbit learned to play with the other rabbits, the ones who were born real, and they accepted him.”

“Yes, good point. Carl, go ahead.”

The dog hybrid heaved a huge sigh of relief. “I was so glad the rabbit didn’t get burned along with the sheets and clothes and things like that.”

“And last, but certainly not least, Artie.” He was very curious to see what the only rabbit in the group thought.

“I liked how the rabbit started becoming real early on, but didn’t realize it at first. It’s like, it was inside him to become real, there was no magic spell or someone waving a magic wand. It just happened.”

“I was hoping someone would mention that. Yes. It’s similar to the way one develops confidence or self-esteem. Sometimes it just happens without really noticing it.” He wondered if the owners were more conscious of the changes in some of their pets. He was amazed how much more articulate Mandy was in just a few days.

Mandy raised her hand, and Adam called on her.

“But I don’t understand! Can toys really be real?” She flushed. “I mean, do they become real?”

Adam really hadn’t expected that.

“No, Mandy, they can’t,” he explained gently. “It’s just a story.”

“Well, the animals, can they talk, like in Charlotte’s Web? And maybe people just can’t hear them? ‘Cause they do talk, and I understand them. Well, the dogs, anyway.”

“We all hear them talk, but we don’t always understand the other species,” Carl explained. “But them all being able to talk together? No. It’s just – imaginary.”

“What’s that?” Mandy asked. She looked a bit embarrassed, but curiosity won out.

“Fiction. Playing pretend.” He looked up at Adam, probably for reinforcement.

“But why would –“ Mandy stopped speaking, then sighed and continued, “It’s so nice to think about things like that happening. Why would they write about it if it isn’t real?”

“Because people like to escape,” Artie suggested, without raising his hand. Adam didn’t say anything about it, because he hadn’t interrupted. “We can’t –“ Artie, too, struggled to find the right words. “We don’t get to do that. Or I guess we’re not supposed to. Our books teach us rules, what to do, what not to do, things like that. Their books let them go somewhere else for a while, pretend to be something they’re not, somewhere they’re not. Like a little vacation.”

“But why? I just don’t understand.”

“It’s okay, Mandy,” he reassured her. “I guess that’s one reason we don’t usually read their books.”

He sounded so hurt by the idea, Adam hurried to step in.

“I’m not sure if I can explain it, either. But sometimes it’s nice to think about – or dream about – doing something you know is impossible. Like flying.”

“Oh! That would be nice.”

Kurt spoke up. “Haven’t you ever wanted to visit another country, see what it’s like somewhere else?”

“Isn’t it a lot like here? They speak different languages, but aren’t hybrids treated the same in the other countries?”

“Now that I don’t know,” Adam answered smoothly, “but I’ll bet there are some differences in how hybrids are treated, because of the different cultures.”

“Cultures? What’s that mean?”

“The way people live, their way of life, religion, and things like that. I believe there are some countries that don’t have any hybrids, and I’m not sure if they’re treated as pets everywhere. It would be interesting to know. I’ll see what I can find out about it and tell you all what I found out next time, alright?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Any other comments, questions, observations, about The Velveteen Rabbit?” Adam asked, hoping they could avoid going too far afield.

Artie raised his hand, and Adam asked him to speak.

“I think I figured out why my mom didn’t want me to read the book, why she thought I’d want freedom and wouldn’t be able to have it.” He paused, and looked around at the circle of faces.

“Go on,” Kurt encouraged.

“Maybe she meant that, even now I’ve been adopted, I’m still not quite real like the rabbits in the book. I still can’t do all the things they can. Though I can move around better, thanks to the awesome cart Kurt made for me.” He grinned at his friend, who gave him a thumbs up gesture.

“But I’ll never be able to jump and play, and stretch my body out quite like the rabbits in the pictures. The drawings,” he clarified. “And that’s got nothing to do with me being a hybrid, it’s ‘cause of my legs, and there’s nothing they can do about it. Gabriel is looking into it, and he’s doing some tests, but he wants me to know that he might not be able to find a cure. I might be stuck in a chair like this forever.”

There were some murmurs of sympathy from the other pets.

“But you know what? That might not be so bad. Yeah, I’d love to be able to jump, and run around with you guys, but I probably can’t, ever. But in the meantime, now that I’m adopted, I’ve got a great home, good friends, and books to keep my mind busy. There are so many books at Gabriel’s house, guys, I don’t know if I’ll ever have time to read all of them. Even just the ones I want to read. But because of the escapism in the books –“ He looked at Mandy, then Chandler. “Because I can escape, and sort of run away into a book, it’s kind of like having that freedom my mom thought I’d never get. I can’t go to all these other countries, or out into space, or be a time traveller, or any of that. Any more than any of us can. But I can sort of go along for the ride, and picture it in my mind as though it’s happening to me. And I think that’s a kind of magic all its own.”

Mandy nodded. “That does sound nice.”

Adam spoke up again. “One interesting thing about books is, there’s only so much an author can tell you. A lot of it you have to fill in from your imagination. Unless the book has illustrations, you probably won’t have a lot of details about certain things. Let’s say the author mentions a castle. Now, I suppose none of you has ever been to an actual castle.” Upon receiving confirmation, he continued. “I have, but I’ve only seen a few. There are quite a few in Great Britain, where I’m from. I’ve seen Buckingham Palace, and a few others. But they’re all different.

“If I read out loud, a sentence like, “The King and Queen lived in a castle, far from their subjects,” I’ll bet you all pictured something different. Unless there’s an illustration of the castle, or the author describes it in more detail, you won’t know whether it has square or round turrets, or some of each. You won’t know if there’s a moat and a drawbridge, or if there’s a huge courtyard in the middle, that the castle surrounds, or if it’s a solid building with interconnecting rooms only.” He saw that he had lost some of them, and tried to explain. After a few minutes, he realized there was even more of a gap between their knowledge and his than he’d realized.

“I’m sorry,” he admitted, “I really didn’t intend to confuse you all. Let’s try something easier.” He picked up another book out of his bag. “This time, I’m going to read this to you. It’s a long-ish poem, but much shorter than The Velveteen Rabbit. This is called The Owl and The Pussycat, by Edward Lear. Now, it’s intended as a nonsense poem, meaning it won’t make a lot of sense, but I want you to try to picture the story in your mind as I read it.

“The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea  
In a beautiful pea-green boat,”

He paused as there were some giggles. Chandler raised his hand.

“Yes, Chandler?” Adam tried to sound more patient than he felt.

“But pee isn’t green.”

Several of the pets nodded.

“Very true. But in this case, it’s spelled p-e-a. It’s comparing the color of the boat to a green vegetable, a pea.”

“Oh! Well, if they sound the same, how to you know which it is? If you’re listening, rather than reading, I mean?” Chandler asked.

“You listen for context.” Adam clarified. “That means, you listen to the rest of the line, or sentence, and see if you can figure out which makes more sense. In this case, it’s just describing the color of the boat.”

“Okay. Sorry.” Chandler looked slightly embarrassed.

“That’s alright. Now, since it’s a poem, you’ll notice a lot of the lines will rhyme. I’ll start from the beginning again.”

He repeated the first line, then continued.

“They took some honey, and plenty of money,  
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.”

“A what? A really long note on a lot of paper? And that’s why it’s heavy?” Mandy held her hand over her mouth, then raised the other one.

Adam dared not laugh. “No, it’s English money. We use pounds, rather than dollars. So a five-pound note is similar to a five-dollar bill.” He wasn’t about to explain that it wasn’t a direct correlation to the amount of money a pound was worth, versus a dollar.

“But why would you put honey inside money? Wouldn’t it get the honey dirty, and the money all sticky and gross?”

Adam began to wonder if he’d chosen this project as wisely as he’d thought.

Kurt waved his hand rather frantically. Adam wondered if he were going to ask to go to the bathroom.

“Kurt?” he asked warily.

“I know! You could put the honey in a ziplock bag, to keep it clean, and wrap the money around it!”

Adam fixed a smile on his face.

“Yes, that might solve the problem. But keep in mind, please, all of you, this is a nonsense poem. The words are supposed to give you some images in your head, but the story the poem is telling might not make that much sense.”

Artie raised his hand. “Is it kind of like Alice in Wonderland, then? With all the rhymes and stuff that sounds really cool, but doesn’t necessarily mean anything?”

“That’s a good example.” Adam heaved a sigh of relief. “Yes. There is some symbolism in Alice, though – Never mind.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll continue.”

He read clearly and loudly, until he was stopped again.

“O let us be married! too long we have tarried  
But what shall we do for a ring?"

“Tarried means waited,” Adam explained, anticipating the question.

“They sailed away, for a year and a day,  
To the land where the Bong-Tree grows…”

“What’s a Bong Tree?” Chandler’s eyes grew wide. “I’m sorry.” He raised his hand.

Adam sighed as unobtrusively as he could. “I don’t really know. Let’s say it’s a type of fruit.”

He got a little bit further before hitting another snag.

"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling  
Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."  
So they took it away, and were married next day  
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.

“A shilling is a small coin, let’s say similar to a penny,” Adam quickly added.

“They dined on mince, and slices of quince –“

“What’s a quince? And mince?”

He glanced at Carl, wondering if he was trying to be funny. It was clear from his expression that he was sincere.

Adam cleared his throat. “Another type of fruit, and mince is actually something like hamburger.” He didn’t think it would be a good idea to introduce mincemeat pies into the mix at this point.

He knew there would be a bit of trouble with the next verse.

“Which they ate with a runcible spoon;  
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,  
They danced by the light of the moon,  
The moon,  
The moon,  
They danced by the light of the moon.”

Donna raised her hand.

“What’s runcible mean? Is it like an old-timey word for rinsible, like washable?” she asked, looking around hesitantly.

Nobody laughed at her.

“It’s actually a nonsense word,” Adam explained, “a made up word. Scholars finally decided it was a type of fork, actually, rounded at the sides somewhat like a spoon, but with three tines. For picking up the quince.”

Adam closed the book.

“The poem itself is nonsense.” He thought it was a good idea to remind them. They seemed to be taking it too seriously. “It’s meant to be silly, rather than an actual story. But it’s very visual, isn’t it?”

There were a few uncertain looks.

“Can someone explain what they think I mean by it being visual?”

Mandy raised her hand. “Because it’s easy to see pictures? In my head, I mean?”

“Yes, exactly!” He smiled widely at her. “In some books, this poem has illustrations, and there are some paintings as well. This poem was written in 1871, so people have been reading it for over a hundred years. Think of all the different people, and the images they all had. The beauty of it is, each one of you might have a different mental picture of what the owl, the pussycat, the pig, and the turkey looked like. And you’d each be right.”

“What do you mean?” Chandler asked.

“Well, he doesn’t describe them in much detail, does he? We don’t know what kind of owl it is, or the color. We don’t know what kind of pussycat is described, either. Does she have dark fur, light fur, a combination? Is she a Siamese, Tabby, or Persian, for instance? Has she got a soft, fluffy tail, or a long, thin, whip-like tail?”

Carl raised his hand, his brow furrowed. “We don’t know.”

“Why not?”

“Because he didn’t tell us what they looked like.”

“Correct. Now, what does the pussycat look like to you? Kurt?”

“Like Misty. A big, beautiful, snow-white Persian,” he explained to the rest.

“Very good. Donna? What type of cat did you see?”

“A Tabby, brown and gray stripes, with a fuzzy tail, and the fur is kind of medium-short.”

“Okay. Artie, what did the Pussycat look like to you?”

He shrugged. “I was thinking one of those big, furry, you know, long-haired cats with the sort of apricot-colored fur.”

“Apricot?” asked Chandler.

“Peach-colored. Kind of a light orange.”

“Or marmalade,” Adam suggested, then hurried on before they could ask about that. “Okay, very good. Mandy, what did you see in your mind?”

“A pretty cat, with big green eyes, black fur, and white paws. And a little bit of white at the end of her tail. And a little red collar with a bell, but not a hybrid collar.”

“I’m impressed with your sense of detail!”

She blushed.

“Now, Carl, what about you?”

He shrugged. “I figured she was like a little gray housecat, you know? Shortish fur, really long tail, yellow eyes.”

“Chandler?”

“A black cat, long fur, pretty gold eyes.” He blushed as he spoke.

“Very good. Now, you all saw a cat, but each of you saw a very different cat. There’s nothing wrong with that. But what you may notice, when a book is made into a movie, they’re going to cast certain actors, and create sets, that may look different from what’s described in the book. Or possibly different from the way you pictured it in your head from the book. And sometimes there will be a detailed description of a scene, and you’ll still see it differently in your mind…you’ll turn it around to make sense to you. Then when you see it in a movie, even if it’s accurate to the book, it’s not going to match what’s in your head, and it may be frustrating. You’ll definitely notice differences, for instance, between the Harry Potter books and movies.”

He looked around at the mostly frowning faces, and sighed. “And I can see I’ve completely lost some of you. Now don’t feel bad,” he added quickly. “It’s not your fault. As Kurt will gladly tell you, I talk a lot, probably too much. Alright. Since I don’t want to confuse you, and I think you’ve already got plenty to think about, let’s just go to some questions. Do any of you have any questions about what we’ve been reading? Or anything it made you think about? Or have you thought of anything else you’d like to ask?”

Kurt was shaking his head. He half-way raised his hand, and spoke in a stage whisper, as though he thought it might prevent him from being overheard. “Adam, too many questions! Fewer questions, fewer choices. Just one thing at a time.”

“Thanks,” a couple of the group murmured.

Adam rolled his eyes. “Duly noted. We don’t have much time left today. Does anyone have anything to say?”

Mandy slowly raised her hand. “I just wanted to thank you. I’m talking more now than I have in a long time. And I’m talking more to Julia, too. Thanks.”

“You’re very welcome.”

He was starting to realize that Kurt and Artie really were exceptions to the rule; it appeared that most hybrids were still a long way from ready to be independent. And even Kurt had backslid quite a bit when confronted with early programming. Well, as they said, Rome wasn’t built in a day. The conditioning would take some time to overcome, and future generations would need to learn new skills, and have more education, if they were to hope to succeed. But that was going to take time, and it certainly wasn’t going to help the current generation of hybrids.

For that matter, what would happen to the others at New Directions? Some of them needed to find homes soon, others still had a few years to go. From what he’d seen, Kurt and Artie were the most ready to adapt to a new way of thinking about themselves. Which implied a lot had to do with how they were raised in their own family before being sent to a pet store. How many parents would be willing to help their child overcome the programming, and would encourage them to think for themselves? And would that get the hybrids into trouble later on? Would they be teased, harassed, bullied as Artie and Kurt had been? Or would the other hybrids be more curious to learn why some in the store thought differently than they did? How would that go over with the owners, or the government?

He’d bitten off way more than he could chew, that was for sure.

 

 

Adam helped Artie out of his wheelchair and into the back seat of his car, and was able to fold up the chair so it would fit into the trunk. Kurt opened the back door for Mandy, so she and Artie could sit together. “Oh, I just thought, Mandy, do you want to sit up front with Adam? I can sit back here, if you’d like.” 

Adam slid into the front seat, and adjusted his seatbelt, doing his best to look uninterested in the conversation.

Her voice sounded nervous. “Um, no, thank you, this is – fine?” He didn’t think she’d meant it to be a question.

Adam heard Kurt’s voice change slightly, to a very calm and soothing tone. “Okay. It’s easier to see everything from up front, but it’s nice back here, too.”

“If it’s okay, I –“ she sighed, obviously frustrated.

“Hey, Mandy,” Artie interrupted, “it’s okay. We can talk on the drive. You want me to help you with your seatbelt?”

“I think I’ve got it, thanks.” She sounded relieved.

Adam thought it best to keep his voice out of things entirely. He and Kurt would have plenty of time to talk. He turned the radio down, but left it on, as a soothing background noise. It would help give the illusion of privacy to the conversation in the back seat, without intruding on it. Kurt looked like he had plenty of things to occupy his mind, so Adam focused on getting them all to Gabriel’s office.

Kurt went with them. Adam was pretty sure Artie and Mandy could have managed to get to the right office without any trouble, but technically they were supposed to be with a human. He lightly held all three leashes, and hoped Artie wouldn’t try to speed up. They made it to the office without any mishaps, and Adam was a bit relieved to turn the other two pets over to Sara.

“We’ll see you both on Friday, yeah?” he asked them.

“Uh-huh,” Artie answered.

Mandy just nodded and averted her eyes. She seemed surprised when Artie took her hand, but didn’t look angry or scared. In fact, she relaxed her shoulders a bit and Adam thought he saw a tiny smile before it disappeared again.

 

 

Adam wanted to talk to Kurt about his concerns about making changes in the lives of hybrids. He found him a sympathetic listener, but not especially helpful. 

“I’m just not sure anyone in this current generation of hybrids would even be ready, if they were set free tomorrow.”

“No, Adam, they wouldn’t.” Kurt sounded irritated. “As much freedom as you’ve given me, if the government said tomorrow, ‘You’re on your own, go out and live your own life,’ I wouldn’t know how to do it. How would I support myself? Who would give me a job?”

“Well, there are a couple of people I can think of, who seemed very impressed with you,” Adam suggested.

Kurt snorted. “Okay, but where would I live in the meantime, if I didn’t live with you? How would I get to and from work? I don’t even know what I’d do with a paycheck. How do you turn that into actual money? How do you pay the rent? How do you know how much you need for groceries?”

Adam forced his face to look serious as he replied, “You go to a bank and either cash the check, or put it into your account.”

“Right, a bank account. Which I don’t have. Are the banks suddenly going to be willing to give all hybrids accounts? A lot of us don’t even know how to count money or make change. How would I get an apartment? Would a bunch of us hybrids be able to get together and rent a house? With what money? And what about –“

“Okay, Kurt, I see your point.” He really didn’t want to upset Kurt any further. “It’s not as simple as that. You’d all need training, and more education, and maybe testing, to see what type of job you’d be suited for. In the meantime, as you say, bankers, landlords, employers, all sorts of people, would need to be prepared. It’s not going to be easy, and I doubt very much they’re going to make huge changes in your lifetime. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Do you want future generations of hybrids to go through the same things you did? To be taken from their parents, given to strangers, and told they had to obey to survive?”

“No, of course I don’t want that. But it works out pretty good for some. It did for me.” Kurt sighed as he thought about some of the others he knew, including ones who hadn’t been adopted yet, as far as he knew. “And others have it really tough. As nice as some people have been, I think there are a lot who won’t like the idea.”

“That’s very true. Well, we can’t solve everything now, but we can make a start. Once the book is out there, we’ll see what the reception is like. How many people actually want to read it, and what they think.”

“You’re going to let me read it before you send it to publishers, aren’t you?” Kurt asked.

“Of course. I want you to approve it, at least any of the parts that pertain to you. But I may have to publish it myself, to make sure it isn’t edited in ways I don’t want.”

Kurt shuddered. “How do you keep them from taking out whatever they don’t like, or adding something you didn’t write?”

“I don’t know. It would have a better chance of reaching more people with a professional publisher, but you’re right, there could be all sorts of things they might object to that I’d want to keep in there.”

Kurt sighed heavily, and leaned his head on Adam’s shoulder. “Well, you don’t have to make a decision now, do you?”

“Not just yet, no. What did you have in mind?”

“Can we take some time for us? I have a feeling, once the book gets out, things might get even crazier, and we might not have as much time together.”

Adam ruffled his hair as he spoke. “Possibly. But I’ll do my best to be sure we have time for each other.”

Kurt turned until he was cuddled as close to Adam as he could get. “Meow?” he asked hopefully.

“You want to change? And cuddle as a cat?” Adam asked, surprised.

“Mm-hm.”

“Go ahead, then.”

In seconds Adam found himself with an armful of cat, instead of an attractive young man. He sighed quietly and let Kurt get comfortable on his lap. He really wished he could do the same thing, turn off the busiest part of his brain, and just relax with someone. Then he realized he could at least try to do part of that. His mind didn’t want to relax, but the more time he spent petting Kurt, the easier it was to push those annoying thoughts aside. Instead of thinking about all the changes that couldn’t be made, and hybrids that couldn’t be helped, he focused on all the things he and Kurt had accomplished together. Maybe it wasn’t his job to change the world, but he could at least try to be the best possible owner he could be for Kurt.

Only time would tell what sort of reception his book would get. Julia had assured him the worst that was likely to happen would be for his book to be banned and perhaps confiscated. She said they couldn’t take Kurt away from him, and considering Kurt’s father was a Congressman, they were unlikely to try to cause any trouble for Kurt himself.

Kurt’s soft purrs turned to gentle snores. Adam closed his eyes, and leaned his head against the back of the sofa. Maybe he just needed a good nap to sort out his mind.


	100. Chapter 100

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the epilogue that follows this chapter.

_ Six months later… _

Kurt was frustrated. He wanted to read all the reviews and everyone’s comments about the book, but Adam was being stubborn and wouldn’t let him see them.

“You don’t need to read them, Kurt. I’ll read you some of the better ones, how about that?”

“I want to read all of them.” Kurt knew he shouldn’t be pouting, but he couldn’t help it. He wasn’t stupid; obviously there were some bad reviews and people who didn’t like the book. He didn’t need to be protected, though, like a child. He could take criticism. He suspected any criticism would be about him and how he’d changed Adam’s life, rather than anything to do with Adam’s writing.

“Are you sure?” Adam asked. Now Kurt heard the worry in his tone.

“I think so.”

“Alright, I’ll read you a random sampling of what I printed out this morning.” Adam was sitting at the far end of the sofa. He held the pages up so that Kurt couldn’t see what was printed on them, from his position at the other end.

Adam took a couple of deep breaths, then began reading. He changed voices for each of the different critics, which amused Kurt more than the comments did.

“Utter garbage! Lies from start to finish. No wonder it’s self-published. It’s obviously fiction, and not very well-written at that.”

_“I loved it! It made me want to go out and buy a hybrid of my very own. But then I thought about it some more, and remembered how complicated it can be. I wondered if I’d have the patience that Mr. Crawford had, to help my hybrid get past all the negative training. I decided I’d better give it a lot more thought, because I really would be responsible for that hybrid.”_

_“Ridiculous! No hybrid is that intelligent. They can’t even speak in complete sentences, and I’ve never yet met one that can sing. It’s a fairy tale, meant to make money for the hybrid pet store industry.”_

_“I knew it all along! It’s a conspiracy. I knew there was something fishy about the way the government controls the hybrids, and the way they’re sold. They make it sound like they’re giving them a better life, in the pet store and after they’re adopted. They don’t tell us that they’re taking them away from their family against their will. Sure, some of them have it easy, like this Kurt, with an owner like Adam. But some of them end up with horrible people who treat them worse than animals.”_

“Now this,” Adam said, interrupting himself, “is an exchange of comments to an online review.”

_“What if they’re actually superior to us, you ever think about that, huh? What if they’re supposed to be the masters, and we’re the pets? If you give them too much freedom, and the ability to make their own decisions, pretty soon they’ll take over and make slaves out of us! Then were will we be? I’ll tell you, we’ll be in cages, being sold to a stranger who can do whatever he wants. Let’s keep these hybrids in their place.”_  


  
_“You mean, before they start treating us like we treat them?”_  


  
_“Exactly! God knows what they’ll do for revenge.”_  


  
_“Like castrate you against your will, so you can’t reproduce? Or instead force you to mate with a stranger you might not even be attracted to, in order to create more hybrids? Make you change forms back and forth for the amusement of guests? Loan you to friends to help pay off a debt? Is that the kind of thing you’re afraid of?”_  


  
_“Hell yes! Aren’t you?”_  


  
_“Not really. I have a feeling they might be more compassionate to us than we’ve been to them. If they really are superior to us, hopefully they’re more enlightened, too.”_

“Ah, now, here’s a concerned mother, worried about the delicate sensibilities of her child.”

_“This is a horrible book! It made my little Jenny cry! Now she wants her hybrid cat to have a huge cat tree of his own, and has started asking him for his opinion on things! I have no idea what all nonsense that creature might put into her head, but I will not have my daughter question our beliefs and values! We’ve raised her to understand Trent is her pet, not her equal!”_

“Here we go, a religious conservative…” Adam cleared his throat. 

_“God did not put animals on this earth to have dominion over us. Hybrids are animals, therefore beneath us. They are not our equal, any more than a pig or a horse. Treating them like human beings will only confuse every human who meets them. God didn’t even create these hybrids. They’re obviously the creation of the devil, meant to tempt us into sin. That’s why most of them are so attractive. They have no souls, which is why we don’t allow them to be buried on church property. They don’t belong in our cemeteries any more than they belong in our churches. Let them return to their father the devil, so their souls can rot in hell.”_

Adam sighed heavily. “Oh, dear. I’m sorry, Kurt, you shouldn’t have to listen to this.”

“But he just said we don’t have souls. So how can our souls rot in hell?”

“That just proves you’re wiser than this guy! I feel sorry for anyone who listens to him for guidance.”

“How much more of this is there?” Kurt asked warily

“That was only the first page. I have seventeen more printed out.”

Kurt winced, though he was trying to think of the bright side. “Well, at least there’s a lot of discussion, right? It sounds like a lot of people are buying it.”

“It’s selling well enough. I’m just not sure how many are actually reading it with an open mind.”

Kurt rubbed his socked foot against Adam’s knee, as it was the only part of him he could reach easily. “Maybe some of the ones who do like it can persuade their friends to read it.”

“It doesn’t guarantee they’ll like it, but let’s hope there’s as much discussion going on elsewhere as there is on the Internet.”

“I hope so. Well, let’s hear the rest.”

“Would you mind bringing me some iced tea? If I’m going to do this much reading aloud, I’ll need something for my throat.”

Kurt brought in the honey and half a lemon, and a spoon. “If your throat is bothering you, this might help.”

Adam grinned, and contemplated the offerings. “I’m not sure it will work the same as it does in hot tea, but it can’t hurt.” He added a small amount of both to his tea, and stirred it. Kurt watched his face carefully, and though Adam was trying to hide his initial reaction, it seemed like the additions didn’t go over too well.

“Do you want me to bring you another glass, without anything added?” he asked.

Adam took another large sip, and set the drink down. “No, thanks. I’ll be fine with this.” 

He started reading again, and Kurt relaxed as much as he could, trying to get a sense of whether more people liked, or disliked, the book.

 

 

Later that day, Adam answered the phone, expecting it to be another one of their friends who had read the book and wanted to congratulate him. He was shocked to find out who had interrupted his day.

As soon as he hung up the phone, he told Kurt the exciting news.

“Adam! You’re not joking are you? You’re really going to be on _Tammy Talks_?” Kurt couldn’t contain his excitement, and was currently bouncing up and down on his toes.

“You misheard me, love. WE’RE going to be on _Tammy Talks_! She’s booked both of us for her show, airing next week. It will be filmed the day after tomorrow.” Adam beamed at his hyperactive boyfriend.

“But why? It’s your book! You wrote it!”

“But you’re the inspiration. I could never have written it, wouldn’t have even thought about it, if it weren’t for you. I’m just not sure you’re ready, though, for national exposure like that.”

“What kind of exposure?” Now he sounded hesitant.

“National. I mean that people all over the country are going to see you – us – on television. You might get recognized when we’re out in public. People may want to talk to you, possibly even get your autograph, who knows?” Adam stopped smiling as something occurred to him. “But don’t sign anything, including a blank piece of paper. Who knows what someone could try to trick you into signing.”

“Okay, I won’t sign anything. I really don’t think anyone would ask, anyway.”

“You never know. But before I answer this, I want to talk to Julia, and make sure we know all the legal ramifications. And it might be a good idea to talk to your father, too.”

“Don’t you want to be on _Tammy Talks_? I thought everybody in the world wanted to be on that!”

“It’s not that I don’t want to be, I just don’t want anyone to somehow twist things around in some way that might hurt you. I think we’d better let me do most of the talking, unless Tammy asks you a question. Even then, if you’re not sure you want to answer it, or how you want to answer, look over at me. It’s my job to take care of you, even in situations like that. Especially in situations where someone might take advantage.”

“But it’s Tammy! She’d never try to take advantage of me!”

“I’m not sure we’re talking about the same thing, but sometimes talk show hosts, even well-meaning ones, ask a question that might end up with a different answer than they expect. Something that might sound harmless to you, might be interpreted differently by people in the audience. We need to be very careful what we say, and how we say it.”

 

 

Adam tried to stay as calm as possible, for Kurt’s sake. Kurt would take his cues from him, and he needed to be relaxed and alert. He was grateful to April for her advice; she was the only one he knew who’d been on talk shows before. Including _Tammy Talks_ , the hottest talk show in the history of television. He was still amazed that they would shortly be interviewed by one of the world’s most influential women.

Kurt was bouncing up and down, grinning from ear to ear. “I can’t believe we’re here!”

Jerry and Daniel had accompanied them, as unofficial bodyguards. Adam had hoped it was an unnecessary precaution, but he’d been grateful for the intimidating back-up as he and Kurt tried to navigate their way through the protestors and into the building. Their bodyguards were seated unobtrusively nearby when they got to Tammy’s studio.

Kurt and Adam were led over to a make-up table, where professionals fussed over them both. Unsure what to do with the leash, Adam just held onto it, allowing plenty of slack. He would have preferred to have Kurt do the make-up for both of them, but that idea was vetoed immediately.

“It’s our policy, the make-up and hair has to be done by our department,” the young woman working on Kurt said. “Wow, sweetie, you have the thickest hair I’ve ever seen! If we had an hour, I’d try out all different kinds of styles, but I like how you had it for the cover of the book, so I’ll do it like that.”

Kurt had been wearing his hair swept up more often, longer on the top than the sides. It made him look older and more sophisticated.

Adam wasn’t too concerned about his own hair, but silently wished his own stylist the best of luck with taming it. He was slightly alarmed when she brought out a huge bottle of product, but she quickly massaged it into his hair and arranged it in waves. It looked rather nice, but he wasn’t sure it would stay in place throughout the show. Between the stage lights, and his nerve-induced sweat, he thought it would be a miracle if his hair looked as good at the end of the interview.

Glancing at Kurt again, he had no doubts about him. He would look fabulous. Suddenly struck by the desire to grab Kurt and run out of the studio and go home, he had to fight against it. They could certainly keep their doors locked; they could refuse to answer the phone till they knew who was calling, but they couldn’t entirely avoid people. After today, even more people would know about them, and would have questions, comments, opinions, and instructions on how to live their lives together. Well, it was too late now.

They’d barely been released from hair and make-up when an assistant came to tell them they had ten minutes before taping would begin. They were invited to watch the beginning of Tammy’s show, the audience warm-up, and the description of the episode. After a short break for commercials, Tammy would come back on camera, and introduce them. They would take up most of the first half-hour of her show. Adam had no idea who the other guests were, but it was likely to be an actor promoting his or her latest film, and a pop star or band shilling their current hit song.

They sat in the green room, and settled into comfortable chairs to watch the opening few minutes. The other guests weren’t there yet, or perhaps had replaced them in getting pretty for the camera. There was a tray of fruit, bagels, and cups of yogurt, but they’d eaten before leaving the house. Adam supposed it was lucky they’d been booked on Tammy’s show, rather than one that filmed on the West Coast or Chicago or somewhere far away.

“Are you alright, Kurt?”

“Sure. I’m fine.”

Adam looked at him carefully, but he really did seem relaxed, except for one foot that was bouncing, probably in time to whatever song was playing in his head. Adam wondered if he were mentally rehearsing the song he would sing, if he was asked to do one. They’d discussed the possibility, and all the dozens of choices that seemed suitable, but Kurt had decided on the one that he felt suited him best.

They heard the familiar opening music, and the thunderous clapping of the audience as Tammy Ledworth stepped onto the stage. She looked gorgeous, as usual. Her hair was medium red today, a particularly flattering color. It was tamer than the colors she sometimes experimented with, but she liked to say that there was nothing wrong with improving on what nature gave you. And since nature had given her mouse-brown hair that in no way matched her vivid green eyes, she liked to give her hair a little help now and then.

“I want to do a make-over on her,” Kurt said, then bit his lip and looked around. No one else was there to hear him.

“Tell you what, put that thought aside for now. You can tell me on the way home, or later today, what your plan is, but not right now.”

“I know,” Kurt sighed. “It’s just one of those things I keep thinking about.”

“Like rearranging the kitchen?” Adam suggested with a smile.

“What?”

“Never mind. We’ll talk about it later. Shhh, let’s hear what Tammy has to say.”

“…guests are Richard Haines, here to talk about his latest film, “Kill Me Deader 7: The Reckoning.”

Kurt shuddered. “Let’s skip that.”

“Like I’ve skipped the first six,” Adam agreed.

“And the sweet vocal stylings of Janet Stephenson, star of the Disney Channel’s “Zombie High” with her latest single. Who would expect such heavenly sounds from a zombie cheerleader?”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Is she kidding?”

“Oh, no. It gets fantastic ratings every week,” Adam answered. “Not that I’ve ever seen it. But of course, it’s Kara, the character Janet plays, who’s the zombie, not Janet herself.”

“Of course,” Kurt answered, raising an eyebrow.

They focused on Tammy as she spoke again. “And our first guests, a new author who’s book is racing up the bestseller lists, Adam Crawford. He’ll be accompanied by the subject of his book, his hybrid pet cat, Kurt.” She held up a copy of the book, and the camera zoomed in on the dual pictures on the cover. One was Adam holding hands with human Kurt, and the other was Adam cuddling kitty!Kurt in his arms. In both pictures, Kurt’s magnificent eyes were prominently featured. “I’m sure Adam will be telling us some “Tails From A Hybrid’s Life,” she concluded with a grin. The audience dutifully laughed, though the camera panned past some scowling faces.

Adam took Kurt’s hand and stood up. “Ready?”

“Yes.” 

Kurt not only sounded self-assured, but the hand holding Adam’s was steady. That was fine, he was nervous enough for the both of them. He took a few deep breaths and felt better.

Kurt squeezed his hand. “You’ll be fine.”

The assistant came out to get them, and gestured them out onto the stage as they heard Tammy say, “Please welcome author Adam Crawford, and Kurt.”

Adam waved to the crowd, as he’d seen other guests do on the show. Kurt’s leash was looped around Adam’s wrist, and he led him by the shoulder. Kurt was almost as tall as he was now, just a fraction of an inch under his height. Adam started to shake hands with Tammy, and was rather surprised when she pulled him into a hug. She merely shook hands with Kurt. Adam had signed paperwork earlier, so Tammy could go ahead and speak to Kurt without asking his permission first. Adam and Kurt took the seats nearest Tammy’s ornate chair, which was lovingly referred to as her throne by her fans. Adam left quite a bit of slack in the leash.

“Adam, your self-published book, “Tails From a Hybrid’s Life”, is climbing the book charts. Yet I’m sure you saw the protestors outside.”

“Yes, as with most things, publishing the book was a mixture of good and bad. But mostly good.”

“You weren’t harassed too much, I take it?”

“Not too much. We have some friends who offered to accompany us today, who are very protective of us, especially Kurt.” He was so thankful to Jerry and Daniel. They’d insisted on closing the gym for part of the day. They had very loyal employees, but as Daniel said, it was time to do some maintenance on the equipment and floors anyway.

“Are they in the audience today?”

“No, they thought, and I agreed, it might be best if they stayed backstage so they would be nearer in case they were needed.”

“Well, we have security here, of course, as well. More than usual. They’re hidden amongst the audience members, just in case. And,” she added casually, “much like hybrids, security can come in all shapes and sizes, and appearances aren’t always truthful.”

Adam could see some rather interesting reactions in the audience, with almost everyone turning to look at the strangers around them, but he wasn’t sure who was security and who wasn’t, so he supposed that was the idea. 

The talk show host was asking another question. “Tell me, what made you decide to write a book about Kurt’s life and what it’s like living with a hybrid?”

“Well, Tammy, it started out with me just jotting down things I didn’t want to forget. Cute things Kurt was doing as a cat, or funny things he said as a human, just a series of events I wanted to remember.”

“There are quite a few pictures in here, too. Kurt, you don’t always look too happy in them. How did you feel about your owner documenting your life this way? Did it upset you?”

Kurt’s brow creased. “Upset me? No. I don’t really like having my picture taken. When I was younger, my dad took lots of pictures of me, ‘cause my mom wanted to keep a scrap book. I didn’t mind. But when I was at the processing center, before they sent me to the pet store, they took a lot of pictures. I mean, um, every inch of my body. In both forms. I didn’t know why, and they wouldn’t tell me, but it felt – intrusive. I didn’t have any privacy there at all. But it was just a few days. When I got to the pet store, they took a few pictures, from different angles, in both forms, to use for ads. I didn’t like it. It wasn’t as bad; I mean, I had all my clothes on when I was a human. But when Adam adopted me and started taking pictures, it was different. It’s more like the way my dad did, to remember, not to study.”

Before the interviewer could ask anything further, Adam interrupted. He took Kurt’s hand in his.

“Kurt, I’m sorry, I didn’t know any of this. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I forgot. Until now.”

Adam could see he was distressed, but he was handling it well. He squeezed Kurt’s hand, and held on.

Tammy looked intrigued. “Well, it sounds like you’ve had a bit of a break-through. We’re going to take a brief break.”

As soon as they were clear of the cameras, she demonstrated how to cover their mics with their hands, and quietly asked,

“Adam, is Kurt alright?”

He almost snapped at her that Kurt could answer for himself. But he was more concerned for Kurt than angry at this foolish woman. “Kurt, sweetheart, how are you doing?”

“I’m fine.” Adam could feel the tremor in his hand that showed him Kurt was nervous, despite what he said. He looked outwardly calm, but Adam could see that his eyes were wider and darker than usual.

“He’ll be fine, I think. I really hadn’t heard about that before.”

“No, I could see that was new information. But it’s fabulous. It’ll be a ratings goldmine!”

The show was taped before a live audience, but not broadcast until a couple of days later. Adam knew it gave Tammy and her producers time to edit as they chose, and determine what angle to take for the promotions.

“No, I don’t think – could you maybe cut that bit out?”

“Absolutely not! It’s the best part of the interview so far!” She shot them a look, and removed her hand from the mic, so they did as well. “We’re back! For those of you just joining us, we’re here with Adam Crawford, author of the new book, “Tails From a Hybrid’s Life.” She held the book up again so the camera could show the cover. 

“There are a number of things in your book, Adam, that will probably be a surprise to most people who don’t own hybrid pets. Maybe some things that will surprise other owners. Now, I know this is published as non-fiction, but it’s not unheard of for authors to write fiction and say it’s based on true events, or outright lie and say it’s completely non-fiction, thinking it will get better publicity.”

She was watching him carefully, so Adam tried to keep his temper in check.

“I can assure you, everything I wrote about in that book actually happened. That’s why I started writing it almost the first day I brought Kurt home. I wanted to document the exact words and circumstances. First it was just for myself, but once I realized a book like this might be very informative for other people, I wanted it to be as accurate as possible. I knew there would be people who doubted it, based on their own experiences with hybrids, or things they’d heard or read, which might not be true.”

“Have you heard from the Department of Hybrid Control yet? I haven’t read an official announcement from them.”

“No, nothing.”

“Do you have any idea why not?”

“I don’t presume to know why the DHC does anything.” He hadn’t meant it to come out as snarky as it sounded.

Tammy’s eyes lit up. “But what about others who think you’re trying to encourage people to buy hybrid pets, who otherwise wouldn’t? Or the ones who say the opposite, that you don’t want anyone to adopt any pets, and that might lead to them being euthanized. What do you have to say to them?”

“I’d like to encourage people to really think carefully about their motives for buying a hybrid pet. Whether it’s for themselves or someone else. They need good homes, yes. But I think sometimes people don’t realize how much it’s going to change their life. It’s not the same as adopting a regular cat or dog. Think of how much time and trouble a regular pet can be. Now consider that the pet is human part of the time, that you’re responsible for another human being. Probably for about 50 years, as opposed to maybe 20 for a regular cat or dog.”

“Yes, we get the concept. But what’s different about Kurt? A lot of people seem to think he’s smarter than the average hybrid, and they’re wondering if maybe there’s more human in his ancestry than is usual.”

“No, I don’t believe so. In fact, both his grandparents were hybrids, so he’s a bit more catlike, in some ways, than some hybrids who might have only had one hybrid ancestor in each generation.”

“What about his singing voice?”

“That’s natural. I understand his mother sang well.”

“We’ve read in your book what a phenomenal voice Kurt has. You said he’s a countertenor, is that right?”

“Yes, he is.”

“Would you explain that, for those in the audience who aren’t familiar with that term?”

“Yes, a countertenor is a man who’s trained his voice to sing in the female soprano range, as well as the male tenor range.”

“Perhaps he can sing us a song.”

“Ah, yes, I do have some sheet music here.” Adam started to reach into his bag.

“Or I can sing it a capella,” Kurt suggested.

They hadn’t discussed this ahead of time, but he knew Kurt wouldn’t have said it if he didn’t feel confident.

“That would be fine,” Tammy agreed. “It will also make it easier for the audience to hear that nothing is being done to alter or enhance Kurt’s voice.” 

Kurt rolled his eyes, but didn’t sigh.

Adam only let a little of his anger show, but he didn’t say anything. Kurt was handling things just fine.

“Do you want a microphone?” she asked.

“No, ma’am. I can project.”

That did concern Adam a bit, as Kurt hadn’t had any practice in singing in such a large room, as far as he knew. But he also knew he should trust Kurt’s instincts.

Adam stood as far away as he could, holding Kurt’s leash.

Kurt opened his mouth and sang the opening lines. Adam had never heard him sing this loudly or confidently before. 

_ “Something has changed within me _  
_ Something is not the same _  
_ I’m tired of playing by the rules _  
_ Of someone else’s game.” _

Adam had heard him sing it often in the past couple of days, and was still amazed how much more powerful Kurt’s voice was than it had been when he first heard it. He thought it amazing how much confidence Kurt had gained in less than nine months. He watched the emotions play across Kurt’s face, and knew they weren’t there for show.

When Kurt finished, Tammy was blinking her eyes rapidly, as the audience clapped. “Kurt, that was lovely. I’m not sure we’ll have time to fit another song into the show, but we did a poll with the audience before we started. We gave them a list of five songs mentioned in the book, and asked them to vote for their favorite. You just sang the second vote-getter, but would you please do the first? “Memory”, from _Cats_.”

There was some tittering from the audience, but Tammy glared at the offenders and they shut up.

“Yes, ma’am.” 

He cleared his throat, then sang, in a beautiful, clear voice,

_ “Midnight _  
_ Not a sound from the pavement _  
_ Has the moon lost her memory? _  
_ She is smiling alone _  
_ In the lamplight _  
_ The withered leaves collect at my feet _  
_ And the wind begins to moan.”* _

Kurt managed to convey the sadness and longing more befitting someone Lily’s age, as though he’d lived it himself. He may not be old enough to have a lot of memories yet, but Adam hoped his future ones would be even better than those of the last eight months. He was startled to realize he had tears running down his own cheeks. He glanced at the audience, and wondered if Kurt was the only one not tearing up. As the song ended, though, he saw the shy smile he gave everyone.

When Kurt finished, not only was the majority of the audience clapping wildly, but they were also getting to their feet and cheering.

Tammy was wiping her eyes with a tissue. She beckoned for them to come back to their seats.

“Kurt, that was beautiful. You really do have an amazing voice. 

“Now, I’ve got some more questions for both of you. Adam, let’s get right to the heart of it. Do you think Kurt is special, or are there a lot more hybrids like him?”

Adam knew it was a loaded question, but he’d suspected something like it would be asked. “I think Kurt is special, in some ways, but there are so many different situations out there. I think so much of it depends on how each hybrid is raised, how their family treats them, if they have any talents that are being nurtured. The way they’re treated in the pet store is significant, certainly, especially if they spend years there. I honestly believe that all hybrids have more potential than most people realize. There are a lot of misconceptions out there, for many reasons, but one reason I wrote the book was so that others could see what might be possible. I can’t guarantee that all hybrids can sing, or draw, or whatever, but I do firmly believe their capacities to express themselves creatively are stunted by the way they’re treated, how they’re taught in school, and the way society as a whole looks at them.”

“Can you give me an example of that?”

Adam leaned forward slightly. “Well, some of the other hybrids we know have just recently realized they can use their own imagination to entertain themselves. Most haven’t been taught to think for themselves, or even imagine what their lives might be like, outside of belonging to someone. They read a very narrow selection of books, which don’t encourage creative thinking or problem solving, as much as they enforce rules and regulations and acceptable behavior. It’s not a lack of intelligence holding them back, so much as a lack of education and belief in themselves.”

“But doesn’t that go against everything we know about hybrids?”

“What we’ve been told, or what’s been generally accepted, perhaps,” Adam hedged.

She turned slightly and looked at Kurt. “I’d like to ask you some questions, Kurt, if I may.”

 

 

Kurt hoped she wouldn’t ask anything that might really throw him off, but, after looking at Adam and receiving a nod, answered, “Yes, ma’am.”

“What do you think about the idea of hybrids being treated like everyone else? Do you think your fellow hybrids are ready for that?”

He shook his head. “No, ma’am, not quite yet. Like Adam said, we need more education. We’ve been told our whole lives that we’re only good for being pets. We’ve been told we can’t work, or earn our own money, or support ourselves. We can’t choose who we end up with, whether we want to have children. In some cases, we’re not allowed to have anything to do with raising our own children, or children who are half ours.”

“Do you think, if you had the proper education, and were told it was alright to do those things, you could get by on your own?”

Kurt bit his lip, then slowly responded. “Not just yet, but soon, with the right education and training. I think some of us are perfectly capable of working, and others would need a lot more self-confidence and training before they could do it.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“We’re frightened, ma’am,” he explained. “We’ve been told all our lives we’re inferior, we’re not much better than full animals. We’ve been told so often that we can’t, that it’s going to take a lot of being told we _can_ , before some of us believe it. But maybe, if they know others are trying to do as much as we can, to live up to our full potential, more hybrids will want to do that.”

“It seems to me, though, it’s not a matter of what the hybrids want, at this point. It’s more what the human owners want, or potential owners. If people who are thinking about adopting hybrids are hesitant, because they want an obedient, traditional pet like they’ve always heard about, they might not adopt. And if we didn’t before, we know now what happens to the ones that don’t get adopted.”

“I have some ideas to help the ones who seem unadoptable, but I’m not ready to talk about them just yet.”

He wasn’t sure what he expected from her, but hopefully at least compassion. She had to hide her amusement, however. “Well, Kurt, this might be your best opportunity to tell a large group of people about your ideas. You might never have this kind of platform again.”

Kurt glanced at Adam, who shook his head. 

Adam responded, “It’s something we’re working on together, and I think we’d best wait till we get some responses back from some other people. Hopefully, if it does come to fruition, you’ll have us back on so we can spread the word.”

Kurt wasn’t going to hold his breath for that to happen.

“Well, we’ll see about that.” Tammy didn’t sound unkind, just pragmatic. “In the meantime, I’d like a demonstration of Kurt’s reading ability. Do you have your glasses with you?”

Of course he did. He put them on.

Tammy handed him a book. “I doubt you’ve read this one before. It’s my autobiography, which came out last year, so I know every word in it. Can you read a little bit, starting from the first chapter?”

He knew she was trying to throw him off, with a book written for mainly an adult audience. He took a deep breath, then began reading. The page was shown on a large screen behind him, so the audience could read along with him.

His voice was smooth and melodic; he’d been told that enough times that he believed it, even if it didn’t sound quite that way to him. 

The first page was pretty easy. It was basically Tammy introducing herself, what she did, and starting to talk about her upbringing. He stopped when she told him to.

“Very good. Now, can you turn to Chapter 15, and start reading that?” 

He humored her, and flipped back to the Table of Contents to go directly to that page. He read about the origins of _Tammy Talks_ and why she wanted so badly to do a talk show. He read smoothly, and didn’t have to ask for clarification on any words. He didn’t think it was necessary to mention that by now he’d read the first two Harry Potter books, and often read parts of them aloud to Adam.

“Thank you, Kurt, you can stop now. And please, keep the book. Either you or Adam might find it intriguing.”

“Thank you, Tammy. I do want to find out how you went from conceiving the idea of the show, to funding and producing it.”

She raised an eyebrow, and he smiled placidly back at her. _Score one point for Kurt_ , he thought.

She looked out at the audience. “Now, I know some of you are skeptical. Even if you think Kurt couldn’t read those pages, and had them memorized – do you think you could memorize them that well? The fact is, I think we’ve all made some incorrect assumptions about hybrids and their mental and intellectual capacities.”

She turned back to Kurt with a reassuring smile. 

“Now, Kurt, if you can tell us, in your own words, what it was like to meet your father again after almost six years of being apart. I think that’s something the audience should hear about, from your perspective. It’s such an unusual situation, and normally discouraged.”

After a quick glance at Adam, Kurt went on to talk easily about his father, and his emotions on seeing him. He didn’t need to be prompted to talk about what it was like from the cat side of himself, either. He wondered how the audience was reacting, but he’d taken April’s advice, and instead of focusing on just a few people, he kept his gaze somewhat unfocused as he looked at them. He couldn’t see anyone’s expression clearly.

“That was quite moving, Kurt. I think it’s something that we parents of fully human children should think about for a moment. I know how I’d feel if someone tried to take my daughter away when she turns 13. Even if I knew it was coming, I’m not sure I could adapt well to the idea that I’d likely never see her again. Maybe this is an area we need to think about, encouraging hybrid pets and their new owners to have some contact with their birth family, if everyone is agreeable.

“I don’t have a hybrid pet myself, but I have friends who have them. I’ve never heard anyone, hybrid or owner, talk about their thoughts or feelings in their animal state. Some will talk about things they did, activities or what they ate, but this is the first I’ve actually heard a hybrid express, in their own words, what their thought process is like.”

Kurt nodded, unsure whether he was supposed to respond.

“I wonder if other hybrids think about things that clearly, and remember them so well? Or do you think that’s just you? Like the way some people have a photographic memory, for instance, and others don’t.”

He laughed. “I know I don’t have a photographic memory. I forget stuff if I’m not reminded, sometimes. But I’ve tried talking to some of my friends about it, and…” He sighed heavily. “It’s a very personal thing. But even with other cat hybrids, I think our thought process is individual, so I can’t say for sure if I’m unique, or if other hybrids remember what they do, what’s said to them, and how they feel in their animal state. But I’m certain,” he stressed, “it’s more than most owners would like to think they feel and remember.”

He looked more carefully at the audience, and saw a lot of people shifting uncomfortably, and looking away.

He was amazed that Tammy kept talking to them, for hours, it seemed. Finally, the show was over, and Tammy informed the studio audience that they would each be going home with a copy of Adam’s book.

He knew Adam was grateful for the extra sales. Hopefully, anyone in the studio audience who already had a copy would now have a spare to loan out or give away. 

 

 

They watched the show as it aired, the following week, with April, Lily, and Nancy. Most of the rest of their friends had to work, but they’d all promised to record the show and watch it later. Burt called to congratulate them. He and Carole had talked a neighbor’s child into programming the show for them.

They were shocked to find both Richard Haines and Janet Stephenson had been bumped to the next day. The entire show was Adam and Kurt, with both of Kurt’s songs included in their entirety. The order of some of the questions was altered a bit, but it seemed to make everything flow smoother. Nothing important was cut, that Kurt could recall, and nothing was edited in a way that made him look or sound bad. He still wasn’t entirely sure Tammy was a hybrid sympathizer, but he had the feeling she’d been at least a little swayed by some of the things he and Adam had said. It was a start. He knew it would take a long time, but Kurt felt good about what they’d accomplished so far.

 

*Memory – lyrics by T.S. Eliot, Andrew Lloyd Webber


	101. EPILOGUE

It was 7:30 at night, meaning it was story time. At least, as long as the grandchildren were staying with them. Their parents told much shorter stories, so bedtime started later.

“Tell us again, Grandpa, how it used to be,” Teddy begged.

“Well, I think you’re almost old enough to read your great-great-grandfather’s books on the subject.”

Delighted screeches filled the room. Marie came in from the library to see what all the fuss was about.

“Honey, are you getting the children all excited before bed again?”

Her husband looked at her fondly. “No, sweetie. I was just going to tell them another family story. I just told them they might be old enough to read Great-Great-Grandpa Adam’s books.”

She considered this, hands on hips.

“Grandmama, please!”

“We’re smart enough now to read them!” Jenny insisted.

“It’s not a matter of being smart enough. But it’s one thing to hear your grandfather tell you stories, which I know for a fact he edits, and another for you to read how harsh things used to be.”

“Why don’t you sit with us for a while?” her husband invited. “You can make sure they don’t hear anything too gruesome, if you’re that worried.”

The children “oooohed” when they heard the enticing word ‘gruesome’.

“Now you’ve done it,” Marie complained, but she took a seat next to her husband.

“Where would you like me to start?”

“We want to hear what it was like when you were a kid!” Jenny insisted.

“No, start with when your mother was born!” Teddy corrected.

“No, when your grandpas were born!” Jenny was getting progressively more excited as she saw story time being extended.

“Well, that was a long time ago, but maybe I can remember how that story goes. Let’s see…”

The children waited, familiar with this ritual.

“Ah, now I remember! Okay, remember how I’ve told you, my grandparents couldn’t have children of their own.”

“’Course not! They were both boys.”

“Well, that wasn’t the only reason. Instead of their friend April carrying a child for them, as she was apparently quite willing to do, Adam and Kurt adopted a hybrid child of their own. It’s not too often that the really young ones can be adopted. Sometimes the government wanted to keep them and train them, and the pet stores would pay a higher price for them, because they could get a lot more money for a pet that had been trained since a really young age. But they heard about a hybrid they knew who had, as they said in those days, gotten herself in trouble. Even though there was no way she could have gotten herself pregnant. One of the other cat hybrids at the store was actually the father, though it took a while to figure out who, because she didn’t want to say. But eventually someone heard the daddy bragging about it.”

“Did they love each other?” Jenny asked.

He hesitated only a moment before answering, “No. Brittany had gone into heat. That means, her body wanted her to have a baby, whether she was actually ready for one or not. Now, at an earlier time, she’d tried to get your Great-Great-Grandfather Kurt to impregnate her, but he wasn’t interested.”

“No, ‘cause he liked boys,” Teddy confidently explained.

“Yes. And I don’t think he even really understood, at that time, what she wanted. Usually, the stores were pretty careful when the female hybrids went into heat to put them in a cage with another female and keep them there for a few days until they got over it, but somebody messed up. Brittany and Sam, one of the male hybrids, were left alone for a few minutes, and that’s all it took. When they learned she was pregnant, it caused quite a ruckus at the store. The store’s owners didn’t know what to do.

“Adam heard about it, and offered to adopt the baby when she was born, and was allowed to keep her for as long as he wanted, almost as if she had been his own child.”

“And that was Great-Grandma Liz!” Teddy announced.

“That’s right, that was my mother, Elizabeth Carole. Now, when she grew up, she eventually mated with another hybrid cat, who was the child of friends of Adam and Kurt’s. That was your Great-Grandpa Robert. What they did was very unusual, but not illegal. Their friends were devastated when they had to give him up at age 13.”

“What’s devastated mean?” Jenny asked.

“Really, really sad. Heartbroken. So Adam petitioned to adopt the boy, and he and Kurt raised him like their own child. Mama and Dad had known each other most of their lives, had been friends, and played together, because of their parents being friends, and later being treated as siblings. It might have seemed kind of weird to some people, but they fell in love. So with two hybrid parents, and two hybrid grandparents, I had stronger cat traits than usual. So when I’m a cat, I don’t have as many human traits as either of you, or your mother. She was able to marry your dad, which was brand-new at the time, and he was fully human.

“Things were so different then. Adam and Kurt wanted to get married, and couldn’t. Just think, if you’d been born back in those days, when you turned 13, you would have been separated. You’d have been sent to different states, to be sold in pet stores there. They wouldn’t want you to find each other again, or your mother or me.”

“I still can’t believe we used to be sold!” Jenny scoffed. “That’s so horrible!”

“Or taken away from our families,” Teddy added. He might occasionally get annoyed with his sister, but he couldn’t imagine them being separated in a few years and never seeing each other again.

“Well, that’s what it was like for your Great-Great-Grandfather Kurt. That’s how he and Adam met. Adam bought Kurt at a pet store. Now, cruel as it may seem, I guess it was meant to be. Not only did they fall in love, real, true love, but they helped start the movement that changed our lives, gave us all the rights and privileges we have today.”

“But why did they ever treat us like animals?” Teddy asked.

“Why did they treat animals like that?” Jenny still didn’t see any sense in that.

“Good questions. For some reason, they didn’t know we weren’t animals. A lot of people thought we were cats who somehow learned how to become human, not the other way around. So they treated us pretty much the way they treated domestic house cats. Like companions, but ones they often forgot about when they weren’t in the same room.”

“I heard some of the boys talking at school,” Teddy announced excitedly. “They said we used to go to different schools, but just for a little while. And at the pet stores, they’d have trained us how to have sex with people. But, not like sex education, just how to please them, no matter what they wanted, or what we wanted. They said we used to have to do whatever we were told, and if we didn’t like sex, or didn’t like it with women, it didn’t matter, if a woman owned us and wanted that.”

“Is that true?” Jenny asked, horrified.

Marie tutted at her husband for upsetting the children, and hugged Jenny tightly to her. She answered the question.

“Yes, children, it used to be that way. But you don’t have to worry about that any more.”

“I wish I could have known them, Kurt and Adam.” Jenny said, not for the first time. Or the dozenth.

“Would you settle for seeing and hearing them?” Grandpa Jack asked.

“But how?”

“I was able to get everything restored from those ancient files Adam made. But that’s for another day. For now, let me show you what they called a movie. Let me set it up…” A few minutes later, the images were beamed onto the viewing screen which took up most of a wall in the living area. The children made themselves comfortable.

Jenny read the words on the screen. “Tails From A Hybrid’s Life – Kurt’s Story.”

“You probably won’t have heard the songs in here. They’re nothing like what you kids listen to, or sing, nowadays,” Grandpa Jack promised. “But I think you’ll like them.”

Grandma Marie explained, “Adam turned his book into a play, which some of his local friends put on. It was filmed, and shown in theaters, and won some awards. The recording was sold in different formats so people could watch it at home.”

“How come we haven’t seen that before?”

“Because we thought there were parts of it you might be too young to understand.”

“But we’re almost ten-and-a-half!” Teddy boasted. “Plenty old enough to understand.”

“You mean like the yucky sex stuff?” Jenny asked.

“It’s not yucky,” Marie corrected her, “and there’s no actual sex, nothing very explicit at all, in either the book or the play. But there are some things that might be hard to see and hear, words you’re not used to hearing, that Kurt sort of grew up with. Hurtful, insulting words.”

Jenny shrugged. “But they’re not saying them to us.”

“No, but to people like you. They’re saying them to Kurt.”

“Before you start, can you tell us again, what’s the difference between us and the hybrid companion animals some people have?” Teddy asked. He wanted to see the play, but he was still confused about some things.

“Well, that’s something Kurt thought about,” Grandpa explained. “I’ve told you about his friend Artie, another hybrid, who was in a wheelchair, and how Kurt built him a cart to get around in. Well, it got Kurt to thinking about people with other disabilities, as they called them back then. It was pretty common for people who were blind, for instance, to have a companion dog to help them get around, to warn them of danger they couldn’t see, things like that. And Kurt started wondering why they didn’t use hybrids instead. He figured they could be more easily trained, and could help people in different ways, in both forms. There were a fair number of hybrids that didn’t get adopted, for one reason or another. I think a lot of it had to do with how much they cost.

“But instead of having them put to sleep, Kurt thought they could be re-trained to help people who really needed it. It turned out to be a great idea. It gave the hybrids a real sense of purpose, and it still seems to be pretty much bred into us to want to help others. And a lot of the disabled community loved the idea. Some weren’t that comfortable with dogs, for instance, but a hybrid dog was a different matter. And of course, they could train the hybrid cats, rabbits, etc., just as well. Now the rabbits, for instance, weren’t able to be as helpful in their animal form, in guiding people, but they were great as strictly companions, for people who were lonely or depressed, and wanted to be able to sit and hold a pet for hours, or have someone to just talk to.

“As you can imagine, at first the government wasn’t too happy about it. But with the help of some of his friends, they came up with a contract that made sense. They used phrases like “wasting valuable resources” to point out why euthanizing hybrids was a bad idea. Some anonymous donors put in a lot of money to start the program, which provided hybrids to disabled people who just couldn’t afford them. Some private institutions would buy several hybrids, and loan them out to students who needed to learn how to work with a hybrid, before getting one of their own. Sometimes they could buy the hybrid they’d worked with.”

“Were those hybrids used for sex, like some of the others?” Jenny asked hesitantly. The idea of not having a choice, but being told you had to do something like that, was just gross.

“Sometimes, but usually it was understood they were there to help the person cope with their disability. Although some people may have felt more comfortable having sex with their hybrid than trying to find someone to love them who could overlook their limitations. The hybrid would already know all about those. But from what I’ve heard and read, if there was any sex, it was consensual.”

“What’s that mean?” Teddy asked.

“It means the hybrid said yes, they were willing to have sex with their owner. If they weren’t, their wishes tended to be respected more often than with able-bodied owners, who might have had a better chance of finding somebody.”

“You mean, disabled people, like Great-Great-Uncle Artie?”

“Yes, except as a hybrid, he wouldn’t have been given a hybrid companion. However, his owner, Gabriel, had been thinking of this about the same time Kurt did. He’d married his lady friend, Julia, who owned Mandy. Artie and Mandy were more like siblings, more like you two, than lovers, though they did love each other very much. But Mandy was able to help Artie with some things, and he was a good friend to her, and helped her realize not all males were scary. They spent a lot of time together while their parents were at work, and kept each other company.”

“Yay!” Jenny yelled.

Teddy screwed up his face. “I don’t care about the romance stuff.”

“I do! And that wasn’t romance, not really, just a different kind of love story. Right, Grandmama?”

“That’s right, children. Now, it’s starting to get late. Unless you want to wait and watch the whole thing tomorrow, we’d better get started on this film so you can at least see some of it tonight.”

 

 

Watching their descendants below, Adam pulled Kurt into a tight hug. “Come on, let’s go see your mom for a bit before Burt and Carole get there. Or do you two want some time alone?” 

Kurt shook his head, not caring that his hair was getting smushed in the tight hug. “We talked…earlier.” Time didn’t pass the same way here, so it was hard to keep track. But that didn’t matter. The important thing was that they were all together, everyone he’d ever cared about. And sometimes strangers, too, who wanted to meet him and tell him how he and Adam had changed their lives.

As they walked past fields of flowers and smelled the sweet air, they were politely stopped by an old gentleman.

“I just wanted to say, Kurt, I’m happy to admit I was wrong.”

“About what? And who are you, sir?” he asked, not recognizing him. Maybe someone from his childhood, whom he’d never seen as an old man?

“I was one of the many misguided ones who thought you had no soul, and didn’t belong here. If I still had the ego I had then, it would be embarrassing to admit how many things I was wrong about. I’m just very glad to see you, and so many others, here.”

“Thank you.” Kurt didn’t feel the smug satisfaction his earthly self would have, just gratitude that he himself had been wrong.

“Well, I won’t keep you.”

“It’s been a pleasure to meet you, sir.” Kurt shook his hand, then he and Adam continued on.

It was true. He no longer felt things like anger or shame. But pleasure, oh yes, that was still there.

He grinned at Adam, “When we get back home, I’ll show you something new I thought of.”

“A design?” Adam asked, squeezing his hand.

“No. Something fun. Involving the waterbed this time, I think.”

“Ah. I look forward to it!”

There were many advantages to having a home they could change at will, that would stay as it was until they needed something different. Even better to be able to look whatever age he wished. But as lovely as things were here, he couldn’t wait to tell his mother and father and stepmother about the changes back on Earth.


End file.
